Lembrassa

Lembrassa was a British lingerie and swimwear retailer founded in 2008 by Laura Cohen to serve women who often struggled to find well-fitting products in larger cup sizes. The business focused particularly on sizes from D through J, a segment that Cohen believed was underserved by mainstream high-street retailers and online stores. Cohen said that her motivation came from personal frustration when shopping for lingerie. She described repeatedly encountering larger cup sizes that were unavailable, out of stock, or difficult to obtain through conventional retail channels. Lembrassa was established as a response to that experience, with fit, availability, and customer service positioned as central parts of the proposition. The brand emerged during a period of heightened public discussion about body image, the fashion industry's use of very thin catwalk models, and the cultural influence of the so-called size-zero ideal. In that context, Lembrassa presented itself as a retailer oriented toward the needs of ordinary women rather than a narrow fashion-industry standard. Its founder also wrote published commentary about the difficulties faced by larger-busted women, including advice on bra fitting and the claim that many women wear the wrong size. Lembrassa adopted an international online-retail model. Rather than maintaining separate country websites and price structures, the company used a single worldwide website and a common sterling price, allowing customers in different markets to purchase through the same platform. This approach reflected Cohen's view that the internet could make the world function as a local shop, although the available reference material does not establish the full range of countries served or the company's later operating status. The retailer attracted press attention both for its specialist product focus and for wider issues affecting small businesses. Coverage discussed the difficulties that new companies could face when seeking start-up support, while other commentary highlighted customer frustration with the limited size ranges available from conventional retailers. The available sources do not provide reliable information on Lembrassa's current ownership, management, financial performance, physical locations, or whether the business remains active.

Lembrassa was founded in the United Kingdom in 2008 by Laura Cohen. Its creation followed Cohen's dissatisfaction with the experience of buying lingerie as a woman requiring a larger cup size. She reported that high-street and online retailers frequently lacked the relevant sizes or left customers waiting for stock to become available. The business was therefore designed around a specialist need rather than a broad general-market fashion proposition. The retailer concentrated on lingerie and swimwear for women with larger breasts, with a stated range extending from D to J cup sizes. Its proposition combined access to a broader specialist size range with an emphasis on fit and service. Cohen's public commentary on bra sizing reinforced this focus. She wrote about the difficulties larger-busted women encountered and offered guidance on obtaining a better-fitting bra, arguing that incorrect sizing was widespread among consumers. Lembrassa developed against a wider cultural debate about body image in fashion. Around 2010, discussion of size-zero models, airbrushing, and the representation of women in fashion received renewed attention. Lynne Featherstone, then an equalities minister, announced plans to bring the fashion industry together to discuss body confidence among young people. Although Lembrassa was not itself the source of that national debate, its founding rationale closely overlapped with concerns about the exclusion of women who did not fit a narrow fashion ideal. The company presented its specialist retail model as a practical response to the gap between fashion imagery and the needs of many customers. The company also pursued an international e-commerce structure. Rather than creating distinct websites and localized pricing systems for each country, it used one worldwide website and a single sterling price. Customers from different parts of the world could therefore access the same online storefront and price structure. Cohen described this model through the idea that the world could function as a local shop. The available material does not establish the specific markets, delivery arrangements, or later development of this international operation. Lembrassa attracted further attention because it illustrated the obstacles confronting small businesses during their early stages. Reporting referred to the difficulty of obtaining start-up support, while discussion of the business also emphasized the commercial opportunity created by poor size availability in mainstream retail. Its customer-service focus was another recurring theme, particularly in relation to shoppers frustrated by limited ranges in conventional stores. The supplied references do not document a later acquisition, public listing, major product expansion, executive succession, financial results, or a confirmed current operating status. Consequently, Lembrassa's present ownership and activity remain unverified in this dossier.

• 2010

  Larger discussion of body confidence and fashion representation

  [1]Lembrassaen.wikipedia.org

  Public debate surrounding size-zero models, airbrushing, and body confidence provided a wider context for Lembrassa's emphasis on serving women outside narrow fashion-industry sizing ideals.

• 2008

  Lembrassa founded

  [1]Lembrassaen.wikipedia.org

  Laura Cohen founded Lembrassa in the United Kingdom to provide lingerie and swimwear for women with larger busts, particularly customers seeking D–J cup sizes.

A specialist, customer-service-oriented lingerie and swimwear retailer focused on fit and availability for women with larger busts.

• Lingerie · 2008

  Larger-cup lingerie

  Lingerie was Lembrassa's core category. The retailer was created to address the limited availability of bras and related lingerie for women with larger breasts, with the cited target range extending from D to J cup sizes. The proposition emphasized access to suitable sizing, fit guidance, and customer service rather than only fashion styling.

• Swimwear · 2008

  Swimwear

  Lembrassa also sold swimwear as part of its specialist offering for women with larger cup sizes. The available reference material confirms the category but does not identify specific collections, product names, brands carried, or technical features.

• 2008

  Launch of a specialist larger-cup retailerStrategy

  Background

  Laura Cohen reported that mainstream high-street and online retailers often failed to keep larger cup sizes available, creating a gap for a dedicated specialist business.

  Action taken

  Lembrassa was established to focus on lingerie and swimwear for women with larger breasts, particularly in approximately D–J cup sizes.

  Aftermath

  The retailer attracted media interest for its specialist customer base, service orientation, and broader relevance to debates about the representation of women's bodies in fashion.

  Source

• Single international website and sterling pricingStrategy

  Background

  The founder favored an open online marketplace that could serve customers across national borders.

  Action taken

  Lembrassa used one worldwide website and a common sterling price rather than separate country websites and localized price structures.

  Aftermath

  The model enabled customers from different countries to purchase through the same online storefront, although the available sources do not document its geographic reach or long-term results.

  Source

• Lembrassa attracted attention for specialist larger-cup lingerie retailing[1]Lembrassaen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Media coverage discussed Lembrassa's focus on serving women whose lingerie sizes were often unavailable through mainstream retailers.

• Lembrassa highlighted start-up support difficulties for small businesses[1]Lembrassaen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The company received attention in connection with the challenges small businesses could encounter when seeking support during their launch phase.

• Lembrassa discussed customer frustration with limited retail size ranges[1]Lembrassaen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Coverage associated with the retailer addressed consumers' frustration when high-street shops failed to carry suitable larger cup sizes.

1. 1Lembrassaen.wikipedia.org