System, which involved a last-minute scramble before her wedding day, how she tapped into crowdfunding campaigns to kick-start her brand and building a lasting legacy brand alongside her family.  From conception to creation Prior to launching Nuudi System, Azan had been working in the retail industry for over 20 years, specializing in fashion marketing. Like many a brand founder before her, Azan originally didn’t have intentions to design her own product, but found herself doing so after discovering a white space in the lingerie market.  As the Nuudi System CEO recalled: “I have always worked in retail, fashion branding and marketing my entire life, but I had not been a designer… But every great idea comes from a problem, and the problem was that [11 years ago] I was getting married and I couldn’t find what I needed to wear under my wedding dress.” Azan explained that due to the sheerness and cut of the dress design, she was unable to find the supportive garments she needed, and out of sheer frustration, ended up sewing something herself. The founder explained that she had used material that was atypical for bra designs at the time, but that helped create a supportive shape that felt like she didn’t even have a bra on. After the wedding, Azan began to question what else she could do with this fabric and went on to what would turn out to be a five-year journey to officially launching Nuudi System.  The fabric Azan had used to construct the bra she had worn on her wedding day was made from material typically used for hosiery products, which wouldn’t have been sustainable for long-term use.  It took several years of trial and error to develop the right ingredients, which are sourced in Italy, for the brand’s own specialty fabric, which is then spun, sewn and packaged in-house, in Nuudi System’s factory in Turkey.  The founder noted that having a factory that specializes in the production of Nuudi System stock-keeping units (SKUs) has been a critical aspect of the brand’s success.  As opposed to working with a factory that produces SKUs for multiple brands at once, Nuudi System is able to receive merchandise every week and can make manufacturing adjustments as needed if the brand needs to boost production for a specific item.  Azan explained that though her career path was primarily centered on marketing, she came from a family of manufacturers coincidentally specializing in underwear production, so, to an extent, the knowledge of the industry was set in her DNA. Having a factory in Turkey also turned out to be a boon for the brand in an era when so many small businesses are struggling to navigate the brutal realities of tariff hikes. Turkey, as opposed to the higher tariffs imposed on countries like China or Vietnam, has a baseline tariff of just 10 per cent on many products.  Finding the funds to build Nuudi System Five years pre-Nuudi System’s official launch onto the market, Azan invested a significant amount of time and money into the development of the product itself.  To help fund these efforts, Azan connected with several “fabulous angels” who were intrigued by the Nuudi System’s unique offering to the lingerie industry. As Azan recollected: “The first angel investor happened to be a friend of mine, and saw firsthand what happened when I took some Nuudi brads for some women to try, and they started screaming [out of joy].” Through angel investors, Azan has been able to raise over $2 million dollars, before going on to raise approximately $739,000 via Kickstarter and an additional $200,000 through Indiegogo. Within the first 30 days of business, Nuudi System was able to sell approximately $750,000 worth of SKUs.  This isn’t to say that everything has been smooth sailing for the lingerie brand since Nuudi System officially launched in 2019.  Azan disclosed that at one point, the brand had to significantly increase its marketing budget to cover increased ad costs, with an almost 500 per cent mark up, after Apple’s iOS 14 update, particularly with its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature, which significantly impacted digital marketing.  However, thanks to the evergreen popularity of Nuudi System’s SKUs, which appeal to a wide variety of customers, from those looking for wireless bra options to those needing a bra to coordinate with specific outfits, profits have steadily grown over the past few years. Not to mention, the brand has certainly benefited from its cyclical virality on platforms like TikTok. The Nuudi System founder noted that with one of the brand’s first TikTok posts, they were able to reach over 5 million views and ended up selling $60,000 worth of product in one day. What’s next in store for Nuudi System Similar to how she observed her family working in the manufacturing business, Azan has been steadily building Nuudi System’s legacy with help from her own family. In addition to working on everyday tasks, with the help of her two daughters, who were just teenagers when Azan created her first prototype for the brand, Nuudi System has been able to build a noteworthy social media presence. Azan explained that her daughters, who have both modeled for the brand in ad campaigns and in social media videos, help provide a sense of authenticity that has largely appealed to consumers to explore the brand.  Working alongside her daughters and her team, Azan plans to continue selling Nuudi System’s best-selling SKUs, like the multi-straped Tee System bra, in addition to launching additional products within the loungewear and swimwear categories.  In the meantime, the brand has plans to continue hosting pop-up shops and hosting community events with brands such as sexual wellness company Dame.  Eventually, Azan stated that she would like to see Nuudi System get acquired and find a good partnership that will help the company grow and get to the next level.