Ever watch a women’s underwear campaign and feel like it was putting on a show for the male gaze? One glance at Fortnight Lingerie, and you’ll see a distinctly different point of view. Created by the talented Toronto designer Christina Remenyi, the handcrafted-in-Parkdale label is undeniably sexy, yes, but every detail pays close attention to the desires of the women who’ll wear it. These are modern undergarments that make you feel like you, done with an appreciation for diversity in bodies.
“Lingerie has been shaping women’s bodies throughout history and is constantly changing. There’s definitely been an evolution from that bombshell look to a more natural, more easy, more comfortable fit,” says Remenyi, who launched Fortnight Lingerie in 2010. “When I started, it was all push-ups. I could never find a bra that didn’t have padding, so that was part of the reasoning behind going into this: making something that’s a bit of an alternative.”
Remenyi also wanted to offer an alternative to the traditionally narrow range of sizing available in lingerie. “I don’t claim we can fit everybody. But for so long, [companies offered only] A to DD, or 32 to 36. It’s always been challenging to find smaller backs with fuller busts, or larger backs with smaller busts. That just never existed. So women were being made to feel like their bodies are wrong or weird or abnormal, when really it’s just an issue of corporations not wanting to spend time and money on product assortment and [fit] education.”
To ensure her designs fit as they should, Remenyi came up with her own grading system. Typically, clothing is sized using a generic equation, she explains: “You start with sample size in medium, you do a math equation up, and you do a math equation down, and you get all your sizes.” But for Fortnight Lingerie, “we start with one sample in one size, develop that, and then we make another size at the opposite side of the spectrum, and then something in the middle. We have three fit models, and we’ll grade in between those sizes and create an equation.” With garments meant to feel like a second skin, precision matters. “Every millimetre makes a difference.”
Today, Remenyi is preparing to open Fortnight Lingerie’s very first store (913 Queen Street West), across from Trinity Bellwoods Park. Next month, she’ll also launch her second capsule collaboration with Misfitstudio, her long-time workout spot: four velvet rose-gold pieces you can move in. We recently dropped by Remenyi’s Parkdale studio, where the rapid-fire clatter of sewing machines provides an ongoing soundtrack, for the rundown on all her local haunts.
Misfitstudio
761 Queen Street West, Toronto, 647.271.9037, misfitstudio.com
“Our businesses are the exact same age—eight years. Amber started in a tiny little studio [on Dunn Avenue], which is where I met her. I really started getting into classes at her former coachhouse off Euclid. And I’ve been going ever since.”
Ride Cycle Club
2 Humbert Street, Toronto, 416.531.3100, ridecycleclub.com
“I’ve really been liking Ride. The energy rush you feel—it’s fun, almost like you’re dancing. You get that endorphin rush.”
F45 Training
Multiple locations across the GTA, f45training.ca
“I’ve been loving F45. I really saw results after doing it, and it’s a great way to spend time with a girlfriend, because you do the workout in pairs. It’s really fun.”
Restaurant Chantecler
1320 Queen Street West, Toronto, 416.628.3586, restaurantchantecler.com
“It’s a French-inspired restaurant. The food is just so good, so nourishing and unique and fresh and inventive. The menu’s always changing. You could never go wrong.”
Art Gallery of Ontario
317 Dundas Street West, Toronto, 416.979.6648, ago.ca
“It’s amazing to go on a weeknight or a day that’s quiet. It’s so peaceful. I’m a big fan of Italian Renaissance artistry. You can hear all these secrets about the stories behind each painting and the meaning of colours. I find myself drawn to contemporary work as well.”
Jumbo Empanadas
245 Augusta Avenue, Toronto, 416.977.0056, jumboempanadas.ca
“You can’t go wrong with any of the restaurants [in Kensington Market]. Jumbo Empanadas is my go-to. I get the beef empanadas and cheese empanadas. The salad is so simple and so delicious. I’ve tried to recreate it at home so many times, and I never get it right. And the corn pies are great.”
The Toronto Waterfront
“The fact that you can pick up a kayak or paddle board and just take that all the way across the water is beautiful.”
Devlyn van Loon
For stockists, visit devlynvanloon.com
“I really love Devlyn van Loon. She sells at Frances Watson across the street. Her stuff is very clean and minimal, and the fits are just exquisite. It’s natural-based fibres, so dresses, tanks, rompers. She has a tight assortment and does everything really well. It’s easy for lots of different women to wear.”
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