What’s Hiding in Your Underwear Drawer? Why Leila Ismailova Built a Clean Intimates Brand

EP 58. Is your underwear drawer secretly working against your health? In this episode of Well Done, I sit down with Leila Ismailova, founder and CEO of Lunaleila, an intimates brand built on the idea that what sits closest to our bodies deserves way more scrutiny than it gets. Leila opens up about the fertility and hormone scare that sent her to an Ayurvedic retreat in India, the link between synthetic fabrics and yeast infections, and why "100% cotton" doesn't always mean what you think it means. We get into the toxic dyes and finishing chemicals hiding in mainstream intimates, the fabric certifications actually worth trusting, and how Leila turned her own healing journey into a mission-driven brand built on both safety and joy.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The reason synthetic underwear can trigger infections, odor, and irritation
• Why "100% cotton" doesn't automatically mean your underwear is safe
• The fabric certifications actually worth trusting and the popular one that only tells half the story
• The toxic textile practice hiding behind "wrinkle-free" fabric labels
• Why cotton farming carries a surprising occupational health risk most shoppers never hear about
• How chronic stress and hustle culture show up in women's hormones and fertility
• What an Ayurvedic retreat in India taught Leila about food, rest, and true relaxation
• Why Leila thinks underwear can, and should, be both thoughtful and joyful

Resources

• Get 15% off your order at www.LunaLeila.com with code KAT15
• Follow Leila on Instagram: @lunaleila.intimates
• Book mentioned: To Dye For by Alden Wicker

Guest Bio

Leila Ismailova is a first-generation immigrant from Belarus and the founder of LunaLeila, a health-first, hormone-conscious underwear brand. With a lifelong interest in fashion, she was inspired to create the company after experiencing a reproductive health issue that led her to an Ayurvedic center in India. There, she learned about the importance of wearing natural fabrics and began rethinking what women should expect from the clothing closest to their bodies. That experience became the foundation for LunaLeila: intimate apparel designed to support women’s health without compromising beauty, comfort, or sensuality.

Transcript

Leila 0:00

cotton, every time I say I make healthy women's underwear, everybody says, "Oh, it's cotton." And I'm like, "No."

Speaker 0:07

This is well done. A space where we explore the mind skin connection, living in alignment, and what it actually means to live well and look your best. We don't talk about surface level quick fixes here. This is about real insight, practical tools, and learning how to listen to your body. Let's go.

Speaker 3 0:20

Hi, and welcome back to Well Done. We spend so much time thinking about what we put in our bodies from the foods that we eat, supplements we take, and what we're putting on our skin, like our body care products, skincare products. But when was the last time you actually looked at the label on your clothes? More specifically, your underwear. Well, today, I am talking to Leila Ismailova. She is the founder and CEO of Luna Leila, an intimates brand built around form, function, and fabrication. Around the idea that what touches your skin every single day should not be an afterthought. So we are getting into the health risks hiding in your underwear drawer that almost nobody ever talks about. The fabrics, the dyes, what certifications mean, and about what Leila is building with her brand, Luna Leila. Stick around till the end because I am sharing an exclusive discount code just for Well Done listeners if you wanna try Luna Leila for yourself, and I think you do because the brand just launched a special color drop that you don't wanna miss

Speaker 2 1:17

Before we get started with the episode, I would love to keep hanging out with you, so if you are not yet subscribed to this podcast, please hit the subscribe button or follow the podcast wherever you get your pods, whether you're on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple. It really helps the show reach more people and reach you when we have a new episode. Okay, now let's get into today's episode

Kat 1:36

welcome to the show, Leila

Leila 1:37

Hi, Kat. I'm excited to be here. Thanks for inviting me

Kat 1:40

Before we talk about your brand, I wanna go back to the moment that you had your own health challenges and your health scare, just to set the context for the listener of what was going on with you. So take us back to that time. What were some of the signs that you noticed things were going wrong with your body, with your health?

Leila 1:56

It's so interesting. I don't know a single woman who never had a health issue around her, you know, reproductive function and sexuality. However, we always go through it alone, and it always happens at this time when, you have to deal with it by yourself. And I started noticing certain signs, like I started gaining a lot of weight, and I felt, I would say for some reason, like, depressed and tired all the time. So since nothing bad was going on in my life, I assumed that it could be a hormonal imbalance. And since I also like... One of my biggest dreams is to become a mother. I decided to go, and check it right away, and unfortunately, I was right about the, you know, the diagnosis. And I started getting certain markers indicating that my fertility was slowing down, which is, not the common thing at my age. And the doctor indicated it could be, perimenopause, maybe the stress levels. But, my doctor said, "We recommend you a hormonal therapy." And

Kat 3:01

Oh

Leila 3:01

No." I said, "I don't want to do that because, I'm not against the medications, of course, but I feel like my body is very resilient. And you know, it bounced back from several pretty, severe cases on its own. So I decided to give myself a chance of, like, more natural and holistic approach. And plus, I had this unique moment in my life where I actually exited the project and had a bit of time on my hands where I could just, do something for myself, and I decided to go to India for a few months and just stay at a retreat. It's called Amal Tamara, and it's in the southern part of India that is known for Ayurveda. This is where Ayurveda came to life. It's the wisdom that is, like, thousands of years old. And all the doctors at the center, they have academic medical education, but they also have this, traditional knowledge. And they, same as I wanted, they always prioritize herbal treatments before they,, prescribe you anything chemically lab produced. So while I was there, it was a transformative experience for me because first, one of the part of the treatments, they make you drink a lot of ghee. It's like melted butter It gets in everywhere, and they make you drink ghee every day until you sweat ghee. So when you sweat ghee, it means, you're done. Your body's, like, fully absorbed everything and it's everywhere, and pretty much, like, it gets even in your brain. And you start getting all kinds of thoughts, and it brought on the surface so many realizations about my life. So when I went there, I thought I was just going to fix my physical health, but I also realized that, there is so much that I needed to fix on other levels. I think one of the things that was really, really helpful is that, as a woman, I would always try to look good for other people, and I would rarely ask myself, how do I feel in the moment? How... Like, I would wear very beautiful, but very uncomfortable, painful shoes,

Kat 5:01

Right

Leila 5:02

outfit, because they look very nice. But I wouldn't ask myself, "Is it good for my feet?" Like, being suffering through the night and not enjoying this beautiful moment. Can I wear just flat sandals or something? So I was always like that, and in India, I had to rethink it because I realized that my body was breaking, and the most important part that is so important for me. And also, of course, my doctor, h- we had multiple conversations. She said to me that first levels of stress, it's something that women are not supposed to have, and Western women have so much stress these days because we just... Historically, we've never handled so many things Most women were just h- housekeepers. Now, we're supposed to take care of the house, and take care of kids, and also look good. And for some reason now, we have to be very fit, all of us, and take some kind of Pilates and yoga classes, and have a career, and education, and interests, and join certain circles and communities and The list goes on and on, and the technology's so fast, you have to learn new things all the time. So overall, it creates the stress, like we're always rushing. And it's not normal. Women are supposed to be relaxed. Relaxation is our natural state. When we are relaxed, we conceive life. So in order to invite life in, into our bodies, we need to relax and let go. So that was very important because my doctor said, we're fixing your health, but if you bounce back to your normal lifestyle-" Everything will, you know, go back to the way it was. So building a company that also requires so much from me, from a place of, peace and trust, it's, for me, it's a big effort, but it's also so liberating, you know? It's

Kat 6:46

Yeah

Leila 6:47

the process, like, "Today, I'm gonna do my best," Maybe I haven't packed all the orders that I've supposed to pack, but I did my best, and I will al- will allow myself to take a break and take a walk at night, and I will not push myself until like midnight today. And that is very, very important, trusting the process, knowing that the right opportunity will come my way and things will work out, and that's number one, before food and rest and everything. But second one was the food, that food is our medicine. I think like another observation that my doctor made, that, uh, Western civilizations, people there, they take food as something pragmatic. We just need to like put something in

Kat 7:25

You will.

Leila 7:26

And you know, I always think about Italians who like build their lives around meals, you know? And it's so, so important to bring the joy into consuming food and understanding what is on your plate. At the center, they would always give me the menu that it's not just going to say like, "Oh, this dish has, I don't know, potatoes, corn, cilantro." They would say, "Cilantro is good for detoxification. It cleanses your liver, and potatoes provide the energy for your body." So it always explained every ingredient and the benefits it had, and they would also ask me not to read during my meals, not to sit with other people, and kind of concentrate on the food consumption. Because only

Kat 8:06

Hmm

Leila 8:06

way your brain fully takes in and recognizes this ritual, and this is how we're supposed to consume food. And the third one was the textile, because on the first day, every morning at 6:00 AM, we had yoga class. And on the first morning, I showed up in my fancy sports, like yoga wear lounge. I'm not going to drop the name, but it's like a big popular brand, you know, the pretty expensive one. the teacher was are you doing? Go back to your room and change." And I went back, and there was like a nice set made from hemp hanging and waiting for me. It was like 100% hemp, not stretchable, fully natural, and apparently that's how yogis pr- practice yoga, is not in tight leggings and tight bras that is impossible to rip off your body after the workout but in this, like, loose natural clothes. And, that felt wonderful wearing it. It's not the most fashionable outfit, but it felt great wearing it. And also, like, my doctor explained to me, "Leyla, you should really look into your underwear because Whatever is in your underwear goes inside your body." this is, like, high absorbency high temperature environment, so you really need to pay attention to it. So when I came home, I realized once again I had the same approach to my underwear. I would think, "How do I look in my underwear?" before I would think, "How do I feel in it?" And I never read the label. I would just, pick the nicest designs, something that I would see in ads, something that I would consider popular and trendy and beautiful. And so this is where this journey started. When I was there, I realized that natural fabrics is a must, and the whole vision for the brand literally came to me. In the moment of stillness, when I wasn't doing anything, I wasn't working, I wasn't watching TV, I wasn't even, like, hanging out with my friends. I would spend most of my time by myself or with my yoga teacher or with my doctor. And I realized that this brand has a very beautiful mission. But of course, as a, a rational person, when I came back to the States, the first thing I did, I was talking to women, and I scheduled 50 interviews, with my friends and friends of friends. And I realized that there was no single woman who did not have a certain health issue and certain struggles with underwear. So some of them were striving to have natural underwear, but they would say, "There is nothing pretty and sexy. Everything looks like, like a parachute. The bras do not hold the shape." Or there were women who would just say, "Oh, I just prefer lace." And I was like, "Do you suffer from yeast infections from time to time?" They say, "Yes." I was like, "Have you ever thought that it's connected to underwear?" And they're like, "No." So, you know, there were, like, two groups of women, and I realized that I need to marry both the beauty and the health in my brand, and that probably is going to be, the first brand who actually takes care of it.

Kat 10:57

Wow. What a story. So, I wanna talk a little bit more about your experience first doing this health journey were you able to, once coming home, like you said, continue living with those principles, or was it difficult? you know, when they say that if you're an addict and you go back to your environment where you got addicted, you will go right back to addiction, right?

Leila 11:20

It's a mixed feeling. Some things like are still hard for me. for example, switching underwear was easy,

Kat 11:29

yeah

Leila 11:30

literally I donated all my clothes that were synthetic or trashed it or donated because I had a lot of new stuff. What was really hard for me is actually eating by myself, 'cause I like eating with people or reading something or watching something like podcast YouTube. So just sitting in silence for like 30 minutes with my plate is hard such a simple thing, I don't know why my m- my brain just struggles. It's always like, "Well, you could do something useful. Turn on the TV open a book. Let's just text somebody," you know? I'm, really, really, like, struggling with it. But of course, I see the difference. Like, I eat less first when, you know, you just have the food in front of yourself. you, you realize that you're full much sooner. And another part, of course, like, the stress. I still, fall into this, you know, default state of, rushing and pushing and thinking that something needs to go wrong, and this whole culture of, proving yourself and grinding because... when I lived back home, I'm from Belarus actually. Over there, I feel like people live a little bit more balanced lives, and we don't have this, culture of just, working crazy hours, although people are really hardworking too, and people more appreciate the balance. but when I came to America, I really felt ba- bad, and I, I remember some of people in my circle in America, like, pointed out "Layla, here, like, we work really hard." And it was kind of cool, to tell like, "Oh, I didn't have the weekends. I worked, throughout my weekend, and I did this and that, and I have two jobs, and I have a startup." So I was like, "Okay, learn from you." So it kind of became my default state of just, pushing really hard, doing a lot of things. Although do I really wanna do this, all these things? Do, like, I really wanna go out and have this dinner, this education while I'm also working? Maybe I could do two times less and be as happy and as fulfilled. So sometimes I still fall into this, habit of just, pushing and, like, I don't know, trying to prove to society or myself that I'm worthy of

Kat 13:38

Yeah

Leila 13:39

Yeah, so that's very contradictory to this Eastern philosophy that just says, "Om," like, I am. That's it. You already have a gift of life. You don't... You're already given it. You don't have to prove anything. So, I bounce between two, of course, 'cause business is stressful. But I always pull myself back. And, the tools like Kundalini Yoga and Kabbalah that are still in my life that really help remind me myself how to ground myself and how to trust the process. So I keep them on weekly basis, they're a part of my life

Kat 14:10

that's great. Yeah, I agree with you. I feel the same way that it used to be, we would almost be bragging about working late or working the weekends. Maybe it's starting to trend a little bit away from the burnout and the hustle culture that we've been so used to, especially like millennial women are starting to feel it in their bodies, right? Like you. Okay, so going back to your underwear, idea, right? The idea came to you when you were in India, when you were doing nothing. So you come back to the US, and you start interviewing women about their experiences, and you discovered that a lot of people have health problems. What did you discover?

Leila 14:45

Oh my God, so much. So first things first, especially like I'm based in Miami, and right now it's Miami summer. It's so hot. on these days, you feel the, like the importance of good underwear more than ever, because whatever you wear, like minutes outside, you start sweating. So underwear like comes close to our most intimate body parts, right? And once again, high absorbency, especially when we talk, about panties and direct access inside our bodies. So synthetic fibers first. They do not take in and push out the moisture, so you pretty much create like a mini swamp down there.

Kat 15:23

Yeah

Leila 15:24

temperature goes up, and the humid and hot environments is the perfect environment for growing the bacteria. You're just asking for it, pretty much. So unpleasant odors, infections irritations, pimples, et cetera. Very often the cause is as simple as, synthetic underwear because it just doesn't breathe, it does not allow the airflow and the liquids which are absolutely natural part of our biology, just staying there. So historically, only for the past few decades we were wearing synthetic underwear. For the longest time, women did not wear synthetic underwear. So I would attribute a lot of modern-day diseases that

Kat 16:06

Mmhmm

Leila 16:06

present in the lives of women before the past two generations to, you know, synthetic underwear.

Kat 16:12

Yeah

Leila 16:13

quite a strong statement, you know, if you just connect the dots and look at the historical data of like at least a few centuries. Also, it goes darker. You know, I don't wanna be paranoid because these days everything is toxic apparently. The air we breathe because of the AC in our houses and the water, even if it's filtered and the clothes, everything has c- some kind of toxin in it. So with underwear, it's kind of the same story I actually put next to me this book, which is amazing. It's called To Die, spelled like this, for-- by very famous journalist, Alden Wicker. If you wanna learn more about the toxins in the fabrics, not just for underwear, but for your clothes, for your kids' clothes, which is also, like, a huge topic, you must read this book. Or at least, find the podcast with Alden Wicker and listen to her because she, i-, has such a vast knowledge. I feel like she's done the best research in the world when it comes to toxicity in, textiles. She collected so many cases and traveled the all the world and made so many great investigations, and this book covers a lot of them. And pretty much what it explains that it's not just the synthetic fabric that does not breathe, it's this practicality when, for example, somebody decided and told housewives, "Why would you waste your time on ironing your clothes? We can create the textile that does not wrinkle." What they didn't say, that they would cover it with Teflon. And

Kat 17:43

Right

Leila 17:44

wear Teflon, which is extremely toxic trigger autoimmune diseases, cause inflammation, cause just, feeling nauseous because it's a toxin in their ki- your kids' bodies, your bodies. it just goes on and on with a lot of cases, and she particularly covers underwear and brands like Victoria's Secret that had multiple lawsuits that were not, covered properly in public among journalists because they were hushed and settled. because there is so little regulation in America when it comes to textiles, like California, they're actually at the forefront when they try to integrate certain regulations and stricter rules to the fabrics that are allowed to be sold in the States. still, it's just the beginning. But even a few years ago, they were nonexistent, and pretty much whatever you bring, you could sell. And unlike in food, where you have to mention all ingredients that go into something, in textile, we only know it's, like, 10% spandex, 90% cotton. And the most dangerous part of the fabric is actually dyes.

Kat 18:51

Mm

Leila 18:52

and nobody, we don't know the formula of the dye. Nobody ever tells us this formula. So it's pretty much a very gray area that where I believe a lot of regulation should be done. so I think overall there is like this major crisis in America where, you know, by chasing the bottom line increasing margins businesses started selling not very good products to American people and, by just creating beautiful ads and marketing campaigns and inviting influencers, believing that that's how things should be. But I really disagree with it. I think that the most important part of the business is the product, and I can proudly s- say that I spent over the year traveling the world, visiting the mills. I not only work with the factory that makes our underwear, but also work with the mill that makes the fabric, to make sure that this is the right and ethical partner, and I spend so, so much time, and even was desperate at certain point because to actually be transparent, to have transparency in this business is so hard. Because a lot of factories, they don't wanna show you. They don't allow you to bring the, quality control person to test the product. they just say no.

Kat 20:09

Oh.

Leila 20:10

Yeah, they can lie to you, say, Yes, of course, you can bring them." And then when you bring them, they're like, "No, you have to go away." And you're like, "Well, I paid you the deposit. What am I supposed to do?" So the whole business is very tricky and very unethical, and it takes a lot to change the game. But I really think that, if we reverse it, in capitalistic system, the most powerful element is the US dollar. It pretty much drives everything, drives the whole narrative that we built, and I really think that in certain way, all the power is in, in the consumer's hands and in the products that they choose for themselves. So I guess using this opportunity, I would invite everybody to just, buy less, but buy higher quality. The good deal for underwear is not five for 25 panties, but it's a set of underwear that makes you feel really, really good in your body and that preserves your health and eventually saves you a lot of money on medical treatments.

Kat 21:05

Yeah. So let's, let's talk about that because I think the consumer, she wants to know what to look for, right? But maybe she doesn't necessarily always understand what the differences are. So as an example, I know in our previous conversation we talked about cotton and how you might think when you see 100% cotton, that's great. It's 100% cotton, it must be natural. Can you expand on the risk of that line of thinking and then we can talk a little bit more about what else to look for for the consumer?

Leila 21:32

Yeah, so cotton, every time I say I make healthy women's underwear, everybody says, "Oh, it's cotton." And I'm like, "No." And everybody's, like, disappointed. I feel like there is this general narrative that cotton is the best material for underwear, and I don't want to undermine cotton. It's a beautiful material. It's fully natural. It's a gift of Mother Earth. However, things got tricky these days with everything. So tricky thing number one is that cotton is such a beautiful plant, so a lot of bugs love eating it. And in order to prevent bugs eating it, farmers spray cotton with pesticides. And there are all kinds of pesticides, and some of them are very, very harsh and become part of the plant, and then become part of the fabric that people wear So that's one thing. Conventional cotton, as a rule of thumb, is pretty cheap, and it's cheap for a reason. Because, they used very cheap, very harsh chemicals to kill the bugs, so it didn't take too much money to grow it. Another part is human labor. First, sometimes farmers- farms would use not very ethical practices for labor, pay less for people who who cannot defend themselves. So looking into the aspect of who works at the factories or at the farms is also very, very important because, while, for example, I take care of my health and the health of American women, I wanna know that, people who produce my underwear abroad have fair wages, fair hours, and they get to spend some times with their family, and they have enough money to put food on their plates. So this is also very important for me. Another interesting thing, I'm gonna show this book again. Alden Wicker mentions in this book, so I'm gonna reference her on that, that there are a lot of fraudulent cases when it comes to, GOTS certification, organic cotton, that she mentions it in the book. So that's what triggered me because my default setting when I just started was, Well, why not to make underwear from cotton?" But then I read this book and I was like, okay, I need to do more due diligence on cotton." And also she mentions a very interesting fact. As you know, America is the number one, provider of cotton in the world. funny thing. China buys American cotton, so it travels all the way back to China. They make a fabric there. They make their products there, and they ship it back to America, which is like, "Oh, it doesn't make sense."

Kat 24:00

What?

Leila 24:02

what is interesting is that farmers who work on cotton farms have four times more cancer than other people. Once again, I'm referencing information from this book, but I guess that speaks louder than any words. Of course, when you are in close connection with the pesticides, you are, way more exposed to them than the people who buy the final product. So I don't wanna scare people from, trashing, throwing away all their cotton things, but this is something to think about. So I realized that while cotton is beautiful and nice and natural, I would have to really find a really good source, a really good farm that I would trust. And so far, I haven't found one, but I'm definitely talking to a few nice places.

Kat 24:48

Wow, that is very interesting. What are then the certifications you can trust? So you said that the GOTS certification is not necessarily always accurate or truthful. I know some of your underwear has the... OECOTEX 100,

Leila 25:02

yeah, yeah, yeah.

Kat 25:03

Is, is that one trustworthy?

Leila 25:05

I think so. I hope so I'm wearing it right now. And honestly now, like I still have a few sets, a lacy pretty expensive sets that I felt bad throwing away. I was just like, "Well, I'll just keep them." But honestly, I look at them and I'm like, No." It's

Kat 25:23

You can't even put it on?

Leila 25:25

you know, after you ate clean, nice food, you look at, I don't know, McDonald's burger and you're like, "No, I'm not eating it." I'm sorry, I can't." It's same, like my body is like, "No, we don't want that in our body." So I would say first GOTS certification only covers the way the cotton was grown, and

Kat 25:43

嗯

Leila 25:43

important part. So assuming that it was fair and square and the farm was actually certified, it does not cover the dyes that were used for dyeing. other practices, whatever's been used on making this fabric, cotton fabric softer because like there are fabric been used. There is once again, all kinds of layering for fabric to make it more durable, to make it more soft. And by the way, naturally, cotton especially, like the cheaper one, it's very harsh. So very often, you know, the factories also use certain chemicals for softening it. So once again, there is so much research that needs to be done. And GOTS certification only covers part of the journey from the seed to the plant. That's it. So for

Kat 26:24

Okay

Leila 26:24

I know of two very strong certifications, which is, as you mentioned, OEKO-TEX 100 certification that started in Europe with Hohenstein Institute. And, once again, I was like, "Yes, my factory and my mill do have it, but I wanna go to the source." So I actually became friends with Hohenstein Institute. The beautiful thing is, and by the way, shout out to all the, like, founders who also build in my space. It's so easy to set up a call and have this meeting. They also host conferences, so you can always go and sit down with them in person. They're pretty open and sharing people. Even, before you pay for any certification, you can just have a lot of knowledge and education for absolutely free. And I understand that, regular people shouldn't do that. But if you are in this business, I would definitely encourage you to, dive deeper to better understand, the length to which this, uh, certification institution goes to certify the factory. Also, within OEKO-TEX, there are all kinds of certifications. It's just not one big certification. So there are different classes and different kinds of certification for sustainability purposes, recycling purposes, and

Kat 27:38

No

Leila 27:38

natural purposes. Our certification is Class 1, is the highest level, the strictest level of certification, and it's safe for babies and toddlers. So they allow our product to touch the skin of the newborns. And I guess for me, that was very, very important, just knowing that this is actually something that is absolutely safe. Another great certification is Bluesign.

Kat 28:02

I've never heard of it

Leila 28:03

is very strict and it pretty much traces the journey of the textile of the product from the seed the product that you purchase. So they go to the source, they test the soils, they test the plant, they test the seed, test whatever was ripped, and then the process of turning the plant into the fabric, and then the turning the fabric into the product and making sure that there is no, harsh chemicals. Same way as OEKO-TEX is testing for 1,000 plus chemicals that are known to humans and considered dangerous to our bodies, same way bluesign does the same thing. So I would

Kat 28:43

Hmm

Leila 28:43

look at the certifications I wouldn't just trust the fact that it's a natural fabric. I would definitely look at the certification. And once again, this is the sad reality we live in right now, that we need this additional layer of independence institutions to go out there and check the quality. What another great, institution is Lenzing. Maybe you heard about, Lenzing Modal. So having Lenzing certification is also, a badge of honor for the mills, because Lenzing also has a very strict list of chemicals that they're allowed to use to process the eucalyptus, the bamboo, and other materials into the textiles. So I would also trust the Lenzing license as well

Kat 29:31

that's very helpful. Let's shift gears a little bit and talk about your brand and how you decided to design your brand, for women, when you think about underwear, you wanna find something that makes you feel good but also look good, like you said. And I think the immediate thought is, natural underwear, things that are safer are not as sexy. they don't look as beautiful. So how do you balance that? What is your philosophy around your brand?

Leila 29:54

for me, women equals beauty. One of the elements of the packaging in my brand is, like, this little card says that for us, women are the biggest source of inspiration in arts. And truly, if you go to the museums, whether it's Met or Louvre or Hermitage, most of the art pieces will be inspired by the beauty of women, you know, our amazing, wonderful forms, and it's always connected to beauty and joy and life and celebration. So when did we forget about that? I wanna remind women about this, like, joyful feeling once again of just being the way we are without, I'm smart, I'm educated, I'm beautiful, I'm fit, I'm this and that," you know? No. I am, thank you, just the way I am, and that's enough. So that's kind of the mission of the brand is to awaken this joyful, pleasant feeling of being. And we have two pillars. Yes, biological aspect is the foundation, and it's a non-negotiable for me. I feel like everything in our lives should be clean and healthy. We shouldn't even, like, talk about it. It should be a given. So once again, natural, certified and everything, we covered that. But then the best part is joy and fun that I want to bring back. I remember when I just started doing the project, I went to the stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's, and the department for underwear seemed so dull. It just like, plastic hangers so much stuff squeezed together. There was no color, there was no shape, there was no, like, ideas and creativity and inspiration. Everything seems so generic, even the lighting, this, white fluorescent lights. Everything made me feel so uncomfortable. I was like, don't wanna, try on this underwear. I don't, I don't wanna buy." I think the underwear should be an experience. You know, something you anticipate to receive this box, to unwrap this box, to touch it so that it feels silky even before you put it on your body. I want to remind, you are beautiful just the way you are. So all these elements are also, such an important part of the brand, and I guess partially it's linked to, like, my personal journey of my evolution and growth as a woman and self-worth. So I would say we have a very dynamic model where we, create designs that are pretty basic, but they're thoughtfully designed. So for example, our thong is a V-shaped thong. So a bishop's thong, it kind of snatches your waist. It's a little engineering trick, if you call it this way. But it's just a little thoughtful detail that makes things more fun. For bikini, I chose the high rise French cut because a lot of women who wear bikinis sometimes on their periods, sometimes after birth, or C-section, just covering a bit of belly helps them to feel more comfortable and extra support. So these little things, I believe, they ma- make the whole difference. And of course, if you layer it with very good materials, buttery soft elastics, and, very silky fabrics, breathable, light, cooling fabrics, that just makes you feel instantly like a queen. of course, the colors. I love having fun with the colors. Our basic color palette is, black, white, beige, and brown, but these are very nice shades that we created ourselves, same as our fabric, Lunaboo. And we are also gonna play with this idea of small capsule drops where Every quarter for now, and then hopefully every month, we're gonna drop two limited colors, and these are gonna be very fun colors. our next drop it's gonna be in August, but we have two amazing, beautiful, fun, summer, juicy colors. And the idea is to represent with these colors, yin and yang, or masculine and feminine in all of us. And once again, just bring by having fun, reminder of something balanced and beautiful in all of us. And the two beautiful energies that women have and should use, sometimes our delicacy, but also the strength. And also with these drops, I invite female artists some beautiful art piece that is going to go into the package with every order of the limited drop. I

Kat 34:17

Oh

Leila 34:17

to learn that only 2% of artists represented in American galleries were women.

Kat 34:23

う ん。

Leila 34:24

I don't know a single woman who is not into arts and doesn't like, creating something. when I learned it, I was like, "Well, we had the Me Too movement, so many fights around our rights, and still 2%?" I don't believe that it's merit-based. So I really wanted with my brand, although we're still a baby brand and probably the platform that we have is too small, but still give this tiny platform to a female artist and give them the spotlight. And bring their beautiful art in the house of every woman who buys our underwear. So every

Kat 35:00

Wow

Leila 35:01

a little project that brings a little message and a little art piece and a very beautiful, vibrant color to a woman. I believe that colors are linked to our brain, and the brain by perceiving certain colors can feel c- happy, excited, scared, uncomfortable. So by nailing the nuances and the chemistry of the human body and how we perceive the colors, I really wanna bring another layer of my brand and allow women just to feel more joy and have more fun. So it all goes down to one word, which is joy.

Kat 35:41

I love that. That's such a good and refreshing perspective to place on, an intimates brand, Like, you don't really hear that very often, and I love that partnership with artists. what are you excited about in the near future for your brand other than, like, the artist collaborations?

Leila 35:55

I have so much excitement for what's coming. I've never been so excited in my entire life about anything.

Kat 36:01

That's great

Leila 36:02

idea that I would have so much passion for fabrics. So, I position Luna Leyla as a textile-agnostic brand, because another observation that I made about the whole industry of natural underwear, most brands in they have one hero fabric. there is a brand that only makes hemp underwear, and there is a brand that only does cotton, or does silk or modal. So was like, "How can you do that? Why would you limit yourself?" So I went to China, India, Italy, Portugal, different places, and I was like, "This fabric is cool, and this fabric is cool," but I never could find the fabric that is like, okay, I'm 100% confident that is an amazing fabric. And also, as somebody who comes from tech, which is equals innovation these days, I was like, What if we make this fabric a little better? What if we add, a layer of performance, but not let's cover it with Teflon, you know, so it doesn't wrinkle But, like, what if we add a little bit of aloe vera or some rose in it? What would it make to silk?" So I started experimenting, and I realized that, part of the brand that I want to bring to life is actually our own textiles.

Kat 37:17

Hmm

Leila 37:17

the first collection, as you know, we have our Luna Boo blend, which is, super stretchable, and that's one of the most important things for me because when I talk to women, I realize even in one size, let's say women of the size small, there is no the same body. Everybody has different, distance between their breasts, different widths of their gussets. Everything is so unique. So having the fabric that is, like, stretchable and adaptive to the body, for me it was very, very, very important. Unfortunately for our next drop, the fabric that I am creating, it's already created actually. I cannot disclose it yet. but it's something very, very special because I managed to make it pretty stretchable and adaptive by making it 100% natural, no elastane, and fully biodegradable, meaning it's also good

Kat 38:11

Oh

Leila 38:12

Yes, so there are a lot of great developments also for the next year. For the Mother's Day, I also have something very special cooking. So if I could bring it all to life in one day, I probably would do that. But it actually takes, like, a lot of steps and- In the beginning, I was like, "Oh, I'm gonna cut the corners. I'm gonna optimize. We don't need four rounds of samples. We'll just go into production." Of course, I got burned, and now I'm so respectful to the craftsmanship and the production process because while AI is taking over the world, our underwear is still handmade, and the whole process is very manual, and it takes time. And on one hand, it's hard, especially because I'm so impatient, but on the other hand, slowing down and once again working with your hands and creating something step by step, it's almost like a meditation and a practice that brings so much value into this process and so much love for me, for my project, because it's not something that I do quickly. I know

Kat 39:19

Hmm

Leila 39:19

bring my idea for the Mother's Day slide, I'm already working on it, and it's what, eight, nine months before that. And I'm like already fully immersed, developing the designs, developing the new really cool fabric for our beloved mothers. So this part is actually very exciting and refreshing in our very high-paced world, just being slow and creating something with your hand, whether it's a sketch or the samples. And when you pick the fabric, you're always like touching these fabrics. You put it to your skin. You touch with your fingers. So the threads is the same. that's an incredible part. Once again, for somebody who was working in front of the computer for so long, having this experience of manual work, it's just a gift.

Kat 40:03

I can hear that excitement in your voice. You're so passionate, and it's very inspiring. I'm so excited to see what comes out for Mother's Day and, all of the, the innovation that you have planned. So since starting your company, how has your perspective on wellness and health changed for you? I know you'd mentioned that you're trying to bring more peace into decision-making, which can be hard as a founder and entrepreneur. What other things are you doing to ground yourself?

Leila 40:28

for me, I guess the most important thing is sleep. for the longest time in my life, I, I think I was sleep-deprived, and I never understood the importance of resting well. think only in India they actually explained to me like, "No, it's not like to push all-nighters. What is cool to give yourself nine hours of rest because this is how much your body need to recover the hormones. So if you wanna be a healthy woman, you gotta rest." So once again, this whole notion of like going out, drinking, waking up early, not good. So for me, the sleep is my number one ritual. Nothing is more important than my sleep. My mental health, once again, I am a woman. I'm a Leo. I'm so emotional. everything is a drama and I So having some grounding practices and a constant reminder of this basic principles of trusting the process, of allowing things to evolve and to happen is the Kabbalah. I'm so, so grateful. When I moved to America, the first year was tremendously hard for me as an immigrant, and then a friend of a friend told me like, "Maybe you should try the Kabbalah classes." And I went to their center on Robertson in Beverly

Kat 41:44

I've been there.

Leila 41:45

Really?

Kat 41:46

Yeah, I went to a couple of intro classes. I'm very into Kabbalah. It's helped me a lot in the last year or so just to balance myself and center myself.

Leila 41:54

Yeah. I can't recommend it... Once again, maybe it's not for everybody, but I really think it's a very powerful tool. My favorite part is it, it does not differentiate people by their culture or religion. It's open for everybody, and I think it's a very generous space that shares very, very important knowledge. So whatever you are capable, your vessel is capable to take in, it will provide whatever knowledge, and that's such a beautiful, powerful place. Kabbalah is a universal knowledge, if you have the desire, you definitely can find a way towards this knowledge. And the Kabbalah Centre that also now is in Miami, in Design District, is a place where I go once a week and just by being there around the books, the book of Zohar, around my teachers it gives me a lot of energy and motivation and just you know, keeps the right focus, the right intention in place. Because, you know, sometimes you can get lost in the game of the vanity for why

Kat 42:54

Yeah

Leila 42:54

certain things. So for me, going there is a very good reminder for why I'm here and why am I building this company. And, uh, kundalini yoga, I don't think there is anything else that can shut down my brain as the breathwork does. Because during certain exercises, even my stubborn brain has to give up and just like, give in, So kundalini yoga's been so helpful, to me. Yeah. Also my dog, I think it's my best friend. You know, my... I remember somebody in Kabbalah Centre send me the dog in reverse is God. And Well, I don't wanna, say too many good things about my dog. they're actually, like super, positive creatures, and it helps a lot. And, you know, just good elements like beautiful music and lights and candles and friends and books, things like that, museums. I think a lot about AI, but not as artificial intelligence, like aesthetic intelligence. And in the age when, you know, everybody's copying the trends on social media, I feel like being able to consume and digest a lot of art and, literary experiences and communicate your perspective on it is so, so important, and I don't

Kat 44:10

Hmm

Leila 44:11

and I don't want other people to lose it. So I practice and improve my aesthetic intelligence a lot, I hope, by going to museums and looking at art and listening to music and talking to people. that's what helps me being grounded. But overall, I'm not do people call it on the internet? A crunchy girl. I'm not. I do not want to get obsessed about wellness because it's just

Kat 44:36

Yeah

Leila 44:36

and honestly, like, every year we have, this new trick on how to be healthier. NAD, peptides, no. Like, once again, food provides everything my body needs. If there is a deficiency, I don't feel well, of course I go to see the doctor. But overall, I feel like the nature gives me everything to feel good in my body

Kat 44:58

I love what you said because I think wellness isn't about all of the trends and trying to optimize yourself, right? Most of the time it's just being quiet enough and still enough, like to your point earlier, to listen to what your body actually needs, and then you can... It'll tell you. You'll figure it out eventually, and you nourish it through the things that are free, like food and sunlight and good air. What is one thing that you hope the listener will walk away with today? What's one lesson that you hope they'll remember or take away with them?

Leila 45:26

mean, This project brought me close with so many women because, once again, I have to sit down and talk. You start talking about underwear, you go into all kinds of diseases and, you know, certain traumas. So it's a very personal niche, if we can say so. I just want to remind women how wonderful we are in our bodies and our shapes, and I would say go to museums and buy an art book and look at women from different eras and women who were considered the most beautiful women of their times. You won't see women with fillers and lips and hair extensions and thigh gaps and whatever, or, these booties that look so unnatural. Like, in Miami, we see a lot of it. see natural, normal beauty with a, a bit of cellulite, with normal fluffy hair. everything is natural, and this is beautiful, and I just want to remind women that we are beautiful the way we are, and we should feel good, and we do not need to deserve our worth because it's already been

Kat 46:31

Mmhmm

Leila 46:32

to us

Kat 46:33

Wow. That's a really great way to end. I really enjoyed this conversation with Leila because, I mean, you saw the passion that she has for her products, for the business, for fabric innovation. And while we talked about underwear, I think we also really talked about something a little bit deeper, which is how we care for ourselves in these everyday things. A few takeaways that I got from this conversation is, first, I loved Leila's perspective that something as basic as underwear can really still bring us a lot of joy. And Her brand is all about reminding women that we deserve products that feel beautiful, that feel good on our bodies and make us smile, but that are also safe to use. So I think it was a really refreshing way to think about something that just feels kind of basic and that we just, you know, throw on every day without thought. second, this conversation really made me pause and think about the fabrics that we wear. If you are curious about all of the information that Leila discussed, you can also pick up the book that she recommended. It's called To Dye For by Alden Wicker, and the link is in the show notes finally, I really appreciated the reminder that wellness is not always about the optimization and just adding more and more and more to our routines. She really pointed out that it's about slowing down. Eating your meals without any scrolling, without anything that's kind of occupying your attention other than the food. And then, of course, giving yourself enough sleep and trusting the process instead of rushing to the next thing. If you would like to try Luna Leila for yourself, we have an exclusive offer for Well Done listeners. You can use the code KAT15, that's K-A-T 15, at the Luna Leila website, link is in the show notes, for fifteen percent off of your purchase. And if you are listening around the time this episode airs in August, make sure you keep an eye out for her limited edition August drop because she will be featuring some new colors that are limited edition, so you don't wanna miss that. And as always, thank you so much for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend or leave a rating and review, and I'll see you next time on Well Done