When Crystalla lingerie came to our attention, we were intrigued. Its primary point of difference is to heal and increase a woman's sense of wellbeing, and not just because their lingerie is beautiful to wear. The answer lies in secret pockets of crystals cleverly nestled within the underlines. While Crystalla wouldn't make it onto the front page headlines of The Ecologist, there is an ethical twist worth sharing. Crystalla has bucked the increasing trend of moving lingerie manufacturing overseas, where most of our lingerie is made. Crystalla, with strong ethics in mind, are adamant about nurturing UK manufacturing. Juliette Caton, Crystalla's founder took time out of her busy schedule to share her intimately empowering story...

Crystalla places pockets of crystals in its lingerie. Why?

Juliette: Crystals are believed to support your wellbeing and have been used for thousands of years for their vibrational healing properties. I was using crystals for health reasons and was advised to place them in my underwear to keep them with me all the time. At the time I didn't realise that this is quite a popular way of carrying crystals. However I soon discovered the inconvenience of accidentally losing them down the toilet or the embarrassment of having bizarre pseudo shaped nipples when they moved around! So I had the idea of creating a beautiful range of lingerie that allowed you to wear small polished crystals securely and comfortably. We have designed tiny secret pockets into our lingerie so that if you want to, you can choose a crystal which is going to boost your energy, or help you to detox, or help you remain calm in a stress time and keep it close to you by wearing it in your lingerie.

Tell us how the different coloured crystals work...

Juliette: Well they work very much like colour therapy. Our response to colour is enormous and that’s because it affects us on a vibrational level. Our 'aura' is split into several different areas from top to toe, known as chakras. These are spinning wheels of energy which all need to be in balance and spinning correctly so that our energy is balanced. Crystals can balance the chakras just as colour can.

What evidence do you have to support your therapeutic claims?

Juliette: Well they aren't my personal claims but I have certainly experienced the therapetic benefits of using crystals. I used crystals to support a very bad bone density issue I discovered. I was well into the osteoporosis range and my doctors told me that I had the bone density of an 80 year old and I was in my late twenties! I had implemented lots of natural remedies, exercise and diet changes but my bone density was still dropping. It was when I started using crystals that my bone density not only stopped dropping but actually rose very quickly. Crystals are scientifically proven to have a piezoelectric charge which is why they are used in computers, car engines, lasers and space shuttles and they have the most perfect structure of any physical matter. Crystals are atomically perfect and if subjected to heat, light, electricity or pressure, crystals are able to make small changes to restore their inner stability. Whilst science is yet to find out what actually happens during the crystal healing process it is believed that the natural harmonising quality of the crystal brings about balance within us. The effects which crystal users experience can be very powerful and it is very much an experiential process. If we had waited for science to prove that vitamin C could cure scurvy there would have been an awful lot of very ill sailors! Sometimes we just have to try things for ourselves.

What sort of reaction are you getting from the public and boutique buyers?

Juliette: Some of our customers like to keep crystals with them at certain times because they enjoy being able to boost their wellbeing or confidence or whatever it is they want a bit more of and that's why Crystalla really is lingerie that makes you feel your very best. The boutique buyers we have met are amazed by the jewel inspired colours of our ranges and are also impressed with the fit of our garments. For some people the crystal element is a very new concept but we have found they are keen to learn about it and for others they are already really into using crystals and are very excited about the invention.

I had one customer who I met at a Christmas Show who had used crystals for many years. When she came across the Crystalla stand she was almost beside herself that someone had designed a range of lingerie with her in mind. She enthused "I place my crystals in my lingere all the time but they keep moving around and I am continually embarrassing my children by getting caught with my hand inside my bra - trying to rescue my amethyst! Now I won't have that problem any more... I'll have to find something else to embarrass them with!". Other customers choose not to wear the crystals and just love the crystal inspired colours.

Do you think mainstream medical practioners are beginning to wake up to the power of alternative medicine?

Juliette: I do think this is something that is becoming more respected and understood. As a society we are being encouraged to think more economically, more environmentally and slowly people are considering ways in which they can feed, clothe and live more naturally. I think that this change of mind-set is really helping people to be more open minded to alternative ways of looking after themselves.

Crystalla manufactures all of its lingerie in the UK. Why is this so important to you?

Juliette: Hmmm, well, we used to have an enormous lingerie trade in the UK and then huge department stores and lingerie brands took off for the middle east for cheaper labour, cheaper production and larger profits. Personally I don’t want Crystalla to be made in a country where we have little or no control over the working conditions of our work force or the standard of our product. I am really proud that Crystalla is hand produced in the UK from the highest quality materials that have only been transported from as far as Europe.

Do you plan to use sustainable fabrics in your lingerie?

Juliette: Absolutely. Our first mission was to create a pocket that was able to hold, yet not allow to escape, a non-malible substance such as a crystal, which had never been developed before. This was a very expensive design and patenting process for a young, small company and we were unable to also afford the exploration needed to use sustainable fabrics in our first ranges. We also needed to begin by designing the Crystalla Pockets out of materials which the design team had understanding and knowledge of how they would behave. Obviously, our debut ranges used relatively small quantities and we have now started to look at sustainable options. As we grow, it is absolutely the only future choice for Crystalla. This really excites me.

What do you love most about this exciting new venture of yours?

Juliette: Oh definitely the achievement. It's a tough industry, with huge competition and I think that what Crystalla has to offer is something different. Lingerie that makes you look good and fits well is a given - but lingerie that can actively support your wellbeing and help you to feel great too is unique. And I love that!

And finally, what's your favourite colour and why?

Juliette: My favourite colour is green, it really attracts me and is the colour of our Malachite range. Green relates to the heart chakra, which for anyone who knows me makes perfect sense as to why it's my colour of choice.

Thank you Juliette - we love a good story at The GIN Lady. To find out more about their stunning debut collections, visit Crystalla Lingerie today.