101 Guide: How To Start Your Own Lingerie Brand with Clovia's Founder Neha Kant

Building a lingerie brand from scratch in India is not just about fashion; it is about understanding comfort, confidence, and deeply personal consumer needs. One of the most prominent examples of an Indian lingerie brand that successfully transformed the category is Clovia,

Clovia was created to change the way Indian women experience lingerie—right from how it is designed and marketed to how it is purchased. As the founder of the brand, Neha Kant explains, “Clovia was born out of a personal gap and the belief that Indian women deserved the same comfort and choice in lingerie shopping.”

In this 101 guide with Clovia’s founder, we break down exactly how to start your own lingerie brand from scratch, covering everything from product development and sourcing to branding, marketing, and scaling in the Indian market.

What You Need to Know Before You Start

An entrepreneur who wants to start a lingerie brand must be empathetic, detail-oriented, and deeply consumer-focused. Unlike other fashion categories, lingerie deals directly with body image and confidence.

Neha Kant notes, “You are not selling fabric; you are dealing with body confidence and self-image. Sensitivity and empathy are more important here than in any other fashion segment.”

What skills or tools are helpful?

To build a lingerie brand from scratch, useful skills include:

• Product design and fabric understanding

• Consumer research and feedback analysis

• Branding and storytelling

• Supply chain and manufacturing knowledge

• Digital marketing and e-commerce tools

Kant shares, “We spent a long time simply listening to women, understanding their discomfort with sizing, the lack of choice, and hesitation around even discussing lingerie openly.”

Is it scalable or best as a side hustle?

A lingerie brand can start small but is highly scalable. According to Kant, “Today, there are many possible distribution channels, so you can start with a smaller investment in inventory.” However, scaling requires strong product depth, multiple sizes, and marketing investment.

Brand Identity

The biggest USP of a successful Indian lingerie brand lies in fit, comfort, and emotional relatability. Clovia’s philosophy is rooted in joy, comfort, and confidence, supported by data-driven sizing and inclusive design.

Target Niche

Your niche could include:

• Everyday essentials

• Plus-size lingerie

• Bridal lingerie

• Teen lingerie

• Sleepwear-focused lines

The Setup 101

Starting a lingerie brand from scratch involves more technical groundwork than regular apparel. Key setup elements include:

• Fabric sourcing (lace, elastics, breathable fabrics)

• Pattern development and sampling

• Fit trials with real body types

• Specialised manufacturing partners

• Quality testing and safety compliance

• Labelling and size standardisation

• Legal registrations and GST compliance

Kant explains, “Setting up a lingerie brand involves much more than designing styles. It begins with understanding fabrics, elastics, and construction techniques because small details can change the entire feel of a product.”

She also adds, “Multiple rounds of sampling and fit trials with real women are necessary to arrive at reliable patterns.”

Approx. Investment Range

• Small-scale startup: Under Rs. 20 lakhs

• Mid-scale D2C brand: Rs. 20–50 lakhs

• Full-scale brand with manufacturing: Rs. 50 lakhs and more

As Kant notes, “You can start the business with a small product catalogue with an investment of under Rs 20 lakhs as well.”

How to price products

Pricing in a lingerie brand depends on:

• Fabric quality

• Design complexity

• Size range

• Packaging

• Brand positioning

Kant advises, “Price to quality proposition has to match. In India, there is a market for every price point, only the size of it varies.”

Common mistakes

• Underpricing to compete

• Ignoring packaging and logistics costs

• Overstocking slow-moving sizes

• Focusing only on aesthetics over comfort

She highlights a key operational lesson: “The biggest mistake is not making inventory ageing or turnover as one of the KPIs to watch from day one.”

Where to Sell

• E-commerce website

• Marketplaces (Amazon, Myntra)

• Instagram and D2C platforms

• Pop-ups and multi-brand stores

• Private online shopping experiences

Clovia initially experimented with a physical space designed to educate consumers, which became the highest-selling brand in that store.

How long to get your first sale

Typically 1–3 months if visibility and trust-building are strong.

What kind of content works

• Size guides and fit explainers

• Educational reels

• Relatable storytelling

• Body-positive campaigns

• Behind-the-scenes sampling process

Kant says, “Content that educates rather than pushes a sale creates a real connection.”

Low-cost marketing ideas

• Meme marketing

• Doodles and relatable posts

• Anonymous review systems

• Word-of-mouth referrals

• Social media trends

She explains, “Even simple, relatable communication like meme marketing and doodles helped us make conversations around lingerie feel normal and joyful.”

The Mistakes to Avoid

Common pitfalls first-time entrepreneurs face

• Ignoring size inclusivity

• Skipping real fit trials

• Copying global designs without Indian adaptation

• Overproducing inventory

• Treating lingerie like regular fashion

Growth & Scale

When can this become a full-time business?

Once you achieve:

• Consistent repeat customers

• Stable manufacturing

• Strong product-market fit

• Reliable marketing channels

What scaling looks like

• Expanding size ranges

• Introducing new collections monthly

• Entering marketplaces and retail

• Data-driven product development

When to build a team, website, or catalogue

• Website: From day one for D2C credibility

• Team: After consistent sales

• Catalogue: When expanding SKUs and size range

Kant’s final advice to any entrepreneur entering this space is refreshingly practical: “Spend time with real women, test relentlessly, and build solutions that help them find their correct fit without fear or judgment.”