Contemporary and Luxe Lingerie Courtesy of Adina Reay

Want sexy lingerie? Of course, you do, and there’s one place to head: Adina Reay. It’s a thoroughly British brand and luxury too, available in the top tier such as Harvey Nichols and Net-a-Porter.

Founded by Sharon Lake, she’s passionate and detailed oriented, offering shapes that not only fit but flatter. And then there’s the luxe range of materials she uses which includes lace, tulle, and silk, naturally. We catch up with the designer to find out more about her brand and current collection. 

What are the core values of your business?
Uncompromising – on the design and quality of what we produce – sticking rigidly to our initial vision no matter how tricky it gets.

Passionate – about every detail of every product, of changing the industry view of what larger cup lingerie can also be.

Work with integrity – we aim to treat everyone with respect and honesty. If we get this wrong we are devastated. It’s important to us that everyone is treated fairly from manufacturers to customers and everyone in between. This includes ourselves.

Commitment to customers – we strive to make products that will make our customers feel amazing.

How would you sum up the aesthetic of Adina Reay?
We are fashion-led but the thread that runs through all of our collections is our love of the highest quality laces, embroideries, silks, and tulles.

Design-wise we focus heavily on quality finishes and free-from-fuss, modern, directional cuts. No bows!  

All of our bras feature slimmer straps, narrower wings, and fewer hooks and eyes than those normally seen in DD plus lingerie. Our styles are developed to fit the whole size range without making alterations to these. So what you see in a 28DD is the same bra as you get in a 38G.

What do you love most about your job?
We usually have a few tears at the photoshoot, seeing the lingerie in all its glory and appreciating it for what it is. Prior to the shoot, we are always casting a critical rather than an appreciative eye.

Do you have a particular woman in mind when you are designing?
We started Adina because I couldn’t find anything I wanted to wear so ultimately, only items I would want to wear go into production. I suppose that means we are making for women like me who don’t like being told what they can and can’t wear.

We also consider women below a DD. It’s important to us that these women would love to wear our lingerie so that what we are creating is not some sort of compromise. We strongly feel it does not need to be.

What collection are you working on at the moment and what is inspiring it?
At the moment we are working on Greta collection, this will be the first time we have included soft pieces including a robe and skirt. Our inspiration was Elizabeth Taylor on a bad day. Dishevelled elegance.

What are your favourite materials at the moment?
We are working with a delicate Leavers Lace for Greta from a 3rd generation lace mill in France. It has a tiny sparkle dot which catches the light beautifully. It’s just enough to reflect richness and luxury.

What has been your proudest moment to date?
Sheer pride with no anxiety attached/ Seeing my Mam rock our Jo range in her 70s. She felt and looked absolutely amazing.

Pride with anxiety, launching with Net-a-Porter, before this I’d never been able to buy lingerie from Net-a-Porter because of my cup size. The anxious part….waiting to see how well it was received.

Where can we buy?
Through our site www.adinareay.com, Net-a-Porter, Journelle, and Harvey Nichols.