LES REBELLES #007: Makeda Scille
When two trailblazers of comfort and style come together, magic happens—at the heart of the spellbinding collaboration between Hanky Panky and Les Belles is a creative visionary who turns everyday essentials into wearable gold. Today, we’re thrilled to sit down with Makeda Scille, the brilliant design director behind Hanky Panky’s unmistakable flair. From reimagining the classics to ushering in modernity, Makeda played a pivotal role in creating this match made in fashion heaven. Get ready to dive into the inspiration, process, and creative chemistry that brought this dreamy pairing of panties and tights to life in our exclusive interview.
Regarding design collaboration, what excites you most about blending Hanky Panky’s iconic lingerie designs with the unique aesthetic of Les Belles Tights?
As an intimates brand, expanding our offering to hosiery seemed like a natural progression for us. By partnering with a best-in-class hosiery brand such as Les Belles who have a fantastic anti-rip and adaptive no-roll bands made this collaboration a no brainer. Now customers can get the best of both worlds and have a match back to our Signature Lace products.
How do you see Hanky Panky's core values aligning with those of Les Belles Tights, especially in terms of comfort, style, and inclusivity?
To quote Les Belles fabulous CEO, Cecile, she wears tights for herself first and foremost, for her own pleasure, and to add power or sensuality to whatever she is wearing. At Hanky Panky, we are the first layer you put on and believe that women should be free to feel comfortable in their own skin regardless of what they are wearing. We should dress for ourselves first and foremost and feel our best, even on sneakers and sweats kind of days. We hope this collaboration will further amplify this objective to make women’s of all ages, shapes and sizes feel their best, always.
Hanky Panky is a cult classic in the lingerie world. How do you balance maintaining the brand's legacy while incorporating fresh ideas, especially in a collaboration like this?
As a legacy employee of 14 years leading design strategy, trend, color and print I have had the privilege of working alongside our co-founder Gale (Hanky Panky’s original Designer). It is important to me to maintain what she built that allows the brand to become a cult-favorite and to keep her heritage alive. It is equally important to ensure the brand remains relevant. I love to shake things up by pushing outside of pre-existing boundaries to bring fresh concepts and ideas to the table. While we started fairly simple with a staple piece for this collaboration, we hope to launch additional options in the future that further amplify intimates inspiration in hosiery.
The lingerie and hosiery industries are constantly evolving. What trends do you see emerging in the next few years, and how does this collaboration align with those trends?
There is a continued shift towards comfort. The impact of Covid 19 continues to shape our landscape. Women are opting not to sacrifice comfort for beauty, and why should they have to? Why can’t you have both? You absolutely should! Additionally, many big name brands have raised prices causing some customers to opt for more reasonable alternatives including dupes. While we don’t encourage duplication, we understand the need for obtainable luxury and making great quality, long-lasting products that are accessible to all. This collaboration offers precisely that; premium quality, comfortable products designed to make you look and feel good at an accessible price point.
