In the intimate apparel world, where silk and lace meet precision engineering, the logic of far-flung production is beginning to fray. For decades, the allure of cheap labor and massive output from a single hemisphere defined the industry's geography. But as geopolitical tensions snarl shipping lanes and polyester prices rise with oil volatility - a raw material that touches everything from stretch lace to molded cups - the cost savings of that "one big basket" are losing their shape. The Lingerie Museum notes that this mirrors a historical shift: in the 19th century, corset makers in London and Paris sourced whalebone from distant seas; today, the risk is not the hunt, but the journey home.
Suzanne Ellingham of Source Fashion observes that the industry has been "bitten" too many times - by pandemic disruptions, by conflict. Brands like Agent Provocateur, founded in 1994 on a philosophy of British craftsmanship and provocation, might find renewed relevance in this moment. The conversation has moved from abstract diversification to intentional sourcing closer to home. Yet McKinsey data reveals a curious stasis: U.S. brands allocated just 17 percent of production to the Americas between 2019 and 2023, while European labels actually decreased nearshore sourcing. Talk has not matched action.
Ellingham champions a balanced approach - basics from afar, trend-driven pieces near. For lingerie, where fashion cycles are swift and fit is paramount, proximity offers agility. The U.K., once a powerhouse of corsetry and hosiery, has lost 70,000 manufacturing jobs in five years. But initiatives like Source Fashion's upcoming London pavilion aim to revive that story, spotlighting domestic makers of everything from trims to raw materials. The economics, Ellingham argues, shift when you calculate total cost of range, not just unit margin. A 5 percent shift to domestic production could be transformative.
Nearshoring is not merely a hedge against volatility; it is an invitation to partnership. When a manufacturer is a collaborator, not a distant supplier, quality deepens. For a lingerie museum, this recalls the atelier model - where the hands that sew the stitch know the body that wears the garment. The future of intimate apparel may be woven closer to home than we think.
Originally reported by WWD