Mandee Bence

Move over Victoria, it’s time for a new lingerie brand to steal the spotlight. We’re sick of seeing the same impractical designs and unattainable beauty standards duplicated a dozen times over on the catwalk. Now there’s finally a brand that showcases styles that are as comfortable as they are trendy. Chonies proves that a girl doesn’t need a padded bra or a lace garter to be hot—but that she can define her sex appeal on her own terms. Take a look at how L.A. designer, Mandee Bence, created every tattooed girls’ favorite panties and what made her decide to take a stand against society’s’ standard of beauty.

- Devon Preston

 Why did you create Chonies? I created Chonies because I dreamed of an underwear line that promoted body positivity for young girls, with fun designs that were different from the other brands out there.

Was there something lacking in the lingerie world at the time? Definitely. I was looking for something different—with cool graphics instead of lace, padding and underwire. Also, as a curvy, tattooed woman, I found it hard to compare myself to the typical “lingerie model” I saw in catalogs. So with my brand I vowed to use a variety of customer photos as advertising—including tattooed, plus-size and multiracial people.

How did you take Chonies from an idea to a successful brand? When I had the original idea, I ran it past my friend and mentor, Dom DeLuca of Brooklyn Projects Skateboarding in Los Angeles. He was one of the first people to put Chonies in his store on Melrose. I also turned to my business partner Victoria Velasquez, who helped me get started with a manufacturer and open up more accounts. It started growing quickly from there.