Sinéad O'Dwyer is coming to infiltrate your knicker drawer

Sinéad O'Dwyer is best known for her sexy, criss-crossing bodysuits, but now, she’s coming for your knicker drawer. Today, the London-based designer drops a new line of intimate basics and baselayers – think second-skin knit bodysuits with cuts that would make 80s aerobic fanatics blush, skimpy ribbed tank tops, and super-soft, full-coverage briefs. Each piece is emblazoned with naughty little motifs of bows and buttplugs, as well as O’Dwyer’s signature logo, so if you opt to let a pair peek out of the top of your jeans Miu Miu-style, people will know full well who you pledge your allegiance to when it comes to your panties.

The line was a long time in the making, given O’Dwyer knew she needed to get them just right. As ever, the way they fit was the biggest hurdle, with the designer not giving up until she got them truly perfect. “They’re very soft organic cotton that grows with you but are also form-fitting without constraining,” she explains. “I love the way they stretch over the body and have this sensual transparency to them, as well as the way the ribbed sections hug your curves, from the under-boob right around to the lower back. It’s so sexy.”

Where O’Dwyer’s main line harness-y knits retail for over £1,000, this new line makes her label all the more accessible – in the same way that she is one of the few designers really considering and catering for people with larger bodies, now, she’s also making sure fans with more diminutive bank balances can get their hands on her stuff. “The new garments feel very in-keeping with the quality and craftsmanship of the brand, while offering something that is easier to wear and buy.” For those who already have O’Dwyer designs in their wardrobes, the collection adds a new element and can be layered over or under existing styles. 

When it came to debuting the offering to the world, O’Dwyer once again linked up with bestie, casting director Emma Matell, and NY-based agency No Agency. Bringing together a diverse group of friends of the brand, she asked that they slipped into their looks and self-shot a series of photos in whatever setting and pose that felt best to them, with the images they submitted becoming the campaign. The result is something of an update on the old American Apparel ads, only instead of overtly catering to the male gaze like they did back in the mid 00s, they feel bold and powerful, in places, and soft and intimate in others. 

“Involving our community was important right from the start,” says O’Dwyer.”We wanted them to feel alive and part of the women’s intimate home spaces when they launched, so asking the models to self-shoot was a really beautiful way to do this. Initially Emma and I discussed casting our London-based community, but then we decided to broaden it out. And working with No Agency felt very natural and in-keeping with their erotic vision and the women they represent.

Check out the collection in the gallery above and head here to get your hands on your own pieces.