When Alexandra Popa launched her lingerie brand, Bordelle, in London in 2009, she was simply looking to create something she would wear. At the time, she found that lingerie was either cute and romantic or overly focused on fit. She wanted to create something edgier and more opulent.
“I thought, ‘What is missing?’” Popa tells Observer. “Lingerie was very advanced in terms of molded cups and no seams and sports bras, but if I looked at what was there in terms of directional design or something that was experimenting with design with kink and done to a very high-end level with taste, there wasn’t really anything around.” She was particularly inspired to add tasteful bondage elements, like strapping, body harnesses and garters. It’s these features that have made Bordelle so recognizable.
Since then, Bordelle has expanded globally (Popa says California, New York and Texas are the top markets in the U.S.), and Popa is preparing to launch a swimwear collection early next year, in 2026. She personally tested the products while on holiday in Crete last summer and plans to continue testing them this year.
“It’s something that we have been asked for by our customers and by our wholesale clients for many years because we have such a specific, recognizable look,” Popa explains. “This has been in development for quite some time, so there’s been a lot of research, not only on the fabrics, but on the finishings. We’ve also thought about how we can tone down the look because Bordelle is all about strapping and 24-karat gold-plated accessories. How can we tone that down, but also translate it into swimwear? It will take you seamlessly from day to night, so you can be on the beach or by the pool or on the yacht, and then you can cover up with something and go to a party or go to the club.”
Bordelle’s popularity comes both from the ornate design, which includes elements like glow-in-the-dark thread and gold-plated hardware, and from the signature straps. The straps are decorative as well as functional, and came from Popa’s desire to have adjustable sizing on all of her products.
“That came about out of necessity,” she says. “I’m not technical, so I could have cut only so many sizes per style. I just thought, ‘Well, why don’t you just make it adjustable? Why are people not doing this?’ Initially, I only had sizes small, medium and large, but with a lot of adjustments on each style.”
Bordelle’s next collection arrives in June 2025. Popa plans to continue developing and evolving Bordelle, shifting its offerings and aesthetic over the years. The brand’s bridal line has become very popular, and Popa has found that women are interested in pastel and cream colors, as well as the original bolder tones.
“Initially, it was very much about body con styles, which was the trend at the time, and there were a lot more bodywear pieces I started with,” she recalls. “That’s still very much the DNA of the brand, but I also wanted to develop a more toned-down look for people. It has evolved and matured a lot with me, so now it has more of a generalized Bordelle look. It’s still very recognizable because of the adjustment and the strapping, but there’s definitely much more choice in terms of product and styles.”
Here, the London-based designer shares her essentials with Observer, from her favorite skincare to the must-haves from her own line.
