San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
A SURVIVOR’S LINGERIE LINE
Intimate apparel designed to wear during treatment or after mastectomy
Mill Valley’s diminutive jewelry and home accessories shop, Poet and/the Bench, was the venue for a recent lingerie trunk show, and the late-afternoon sun cast a radiance in the small space as patrons perused the meticulously tailored undergarments on display. Many of these women, breast cancer survivors in all stages of treatment and recovery, knew that these intimates were tailored just for their needs in a way that only a fellow survivor could create.
Everviolet’s lace and cotton pieces were set up in the back of the store, away from the flow of patrons who were also there to support shop co-owner Bonnie Powers, whose experience with cancer began 20 years ago when her sister was diagnosed with her first breast cancer.
After being monitored for more than a dozen years (and treated for melanoma), Powers tested positive for the BRCA2 hereditary mutation. Deciding not to gamble with her health, she underwent a double mastectomy five years ago. “I wanted to preserve my life,” she says.
Whether proactive or reactive, a woman’s journey from diagnosis through recovery is unique, yet universal in the sense that breast augmentation or removal affects one’s sense of femininity. Until very recently, there was almost no variety of mastectomy bras, and many had to be ordered through one’s doctor or medical supply outlet.
Dissatisfied with options, Everviolet founder and cancer survivor Keira Kotler decided to pause on her career as a fine painting artist and delve into the world of apparel design. It was in 2013 — right around the time that Victoria’s Secret decided to ignore more than 120,000 signatures from potential customers requesting a line of mastectomy bras. The Marin resident was a year out from her bilateral mastectomy and remembers: “When I read that they didn’t want to take on the challenge, I vowed to solve a problem that they didn’t want to address. I already had the idea and I knew I had to do Top: Cancer survivors Keira Kotler (left), Everviolet founder, and Bonnie Powers, co-owner and curator of Poet and/the Bench, outside Powers’ Mill Valley shop. Middle: Kotler speaks with customer Lisa Joss at the launch event. Above: Everviolet’s line is designed for women in treatment for cancer and related issues.
this.”
The first collection, which is sold online, consists of bras, panties, a camisole and robe ($30-$120). Details like holes for chemo ports, a hidden pocket for drainage tubes, cup liners
that double as prostheses holders, and extra-wide straps that soothe pain points address different stages of healing. But you wouldn’t know this by just glancing at the pieces. They’re soft, giving and beautifully
subtle.
Kotler spent more than a year with patients testing prototypes and incorporating feedback. Lisa Joss, who was at the trunk show to buy a couple of bras, was at the end of her
treatment when she was asked to be part of Kotler’s focus group.
“Up until two months ago I was still providing suggestions and I’ve been blown away with her attention to detail; she took everything I said into consideration,” Joss says.
“It would have felt so nurturing to have these items when I was going through my treatment. These pieces make you feel good, not secondhand.”
Joss was particular about asking for a post-surgery bra that provides support on the sides of each breast, a spot that is often permanently altered after augmentation or reduction. “She did it in all of her bras. The support feels like a gentle hug,” she says.
Inclusivity is one of the most talked about themes in fashion today, but Everviolet takes that theme and flips it. Though the intimates can be worn by anyone, Kotler is targeting women with specific needs.
“Survivors should feel special, and we created these garments for these women,” Kotler says. Even the models on the brand’s e-commerce site are either in treatment or survivors, and many have shared their story on the site’s blog.
The brand’s name stems from Kotler’s study of color psychology and appreciation for a plant that never wavers. Violet, which has a reputation for swaddling royalty, was picked for its connection to the spiritual world.
“It’s the color of our inner world,” she says. The brand’s prefix represents the evergreen plant, a sturdy and reliably solid specimen. “This brand is for someone whose exterior has changed in a way that they couldn’t have predicted, but her spirit is intact, if not stronger than before. For those of us who have been lucky enough to survive, there’s a lot of power and pride that comes from navigating that journey.”
Sophia Markoulakis is a Peninsula freelance writer. Email: style@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sophiamarkoulak