Spotlight On: Naomi De Haan, founder of Edge o’ Beyond luxury lingerie
For our first Spotlight On of the year, we catch up with the newly-engaged Naomi De Haan to hear more about what she’s got planned for Edge o’ Beyond.
If your partner is begging for a spicy night in, it’s time to give them a Valentine’s gift they’ll never forget. Edge o’ Beyond is the female-run luxury lingerie brand changing the way women dress their inner goddesses.
Founder, 27-year-old De Haan, started her company in 2013. The charming economics / French language graduate wanted to blend two of her interests – and no, it’s not the ones she studied – but instead, her passion for jewellery and lingerie. De Haan’s signature mark is designs with gold-plated rings. The London-based brand has seen incredible success abroad, especially in the U.S., and is getting ready to release its SS18 collection.
Tell us about yourself!
My Mum is Mauritian and my Dad is English, but I have always lived in the UK. This is one of the reasons why we produce all our lingerie between the UK and Mauritius. The brand is named after the house I grew up in in Kent, and each range is named after a family member, so the manufacturing sits well with the family theme!
You’re quite young to have already grown such a successful business. How did you start out?
I’ve always loved design. As I grew up, I was drawn to pretty lingerie and jewellery, so I decided to start a brand that merged the two. We are still the only brand to combine lingerie and jewellery. At the start, it was very hard to be taken seriously. First, at the trade shows when I was trying to order fabrics and components, then with manufacturers. I found that older men especially didn’t take me seriously. That was a challenge, but now we have great relationships with our suppliers and manufacturers. We are a young, all-female team and people respect that now!
We also just celebrated our third birthday, which along with our almost 90,000 followers on Instagram, has helped solidify our position, too.
What’s the best part about running a lingerie company? Do you ever try out the products yourself?
Of course, my team and I all love to wear EoB. It is particularly great that we all have a similar taste in lingerie and share the same vision for the brand. One of the best things about my job is that I can create exactly the kind of lingerie that I dream of, instead of having to search for something that isn’t quite what I wanted. I would never create anything that I wouldn’t LOVE to wear myself.
Why is it important to make time for buying lingerie?
Great lingerie can make you feel amazing, and it’s not just for the bedroom! It can make you feel confident and strong. For me, it is the most important part of my outfit, everything else is black and rather nondescript. Lingerie changes everything.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you can give other budding entrepreneurs?
If you have a strong passion and you have found a unique selling point, then go for it!
How do you want women to feel in your lingerie?
Empowered, beautiful and unique.
Additional reporting by Candice Lim
