“Deadstock femme underwear”: Meet the family-run Melbourne label, Candy’s Lingerie
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTINA TANG
WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT
“The trashier, the sluttier, the better.”
After moving to Australia from China in the late ’90s, Candy Tan (who had opened her first retail store in China at age 16) began selling lingerie at Melbourne’s weekend market stalls. Known as the resident fashion girl back in her hometown, Candy launched her eponymous lingerie label with a selection of early-2000s deadstock pieces.
Evidently, the fashion gene runs strong in the Tan family. During the ongoing Melbourne lockdowns, Candy employed the help of her 22-year-old daughter, Christina. She helped to pivot the business to an online retail model, using social media to curate the playful, nostalgic brand image Candy’s Lingerie is known for today.
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The COVID lockdowns also brought the brand’s line of reworked pieces to life. Using deadstock pieces, Candy and her sister, Lisa, cut and sew old designs into new creations. “Mumma Candy and Aunty Lisa have poured their heart and soul into this business,” the brand’s website reads. “[They work] late nights [and] days on end, reworking lingerie that doesn’t sell into items that are wearable, flattering and simply beautiful.” Here, Christina speaks on the brand’s background, working with family, dealing with stigma and more.
Tell us about you. What’s your fashion background?
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Hi, I’m Christina and I run Candy’s Lingerie alongside my mother, Candy. Although I have been surrounded and consumed by fashion and lingerie my entire life, I do not have a technical background in the field. Despite having a deep passion for the industry, I took a rather traditional path and studied criminology and psychology at university.
Candy, on the other hand, opened her first retail store at 16 back in her hometown in China. She’s always been a fashion it-girl and was nicknamed ‘denim girl’ for being the first to bring jeans into town (iconic). When she migrated here, opening a retail store was always her goal.
How did the label get started? Talk us through the process and the challenges.
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Like many other small businesses, Candy started by doing weekly market stalls on weekends. Eventually, she opened her first location in Preston Market over 22 years ago while pregnant with me. Mum has always been incredibly hardworking. Being an immigrant, she’s struggled a lot to get to where she is now, often working seven days a week for months on end.
Before COVID, Mum’s store was just another market stall that heavily relied on organic foot traffic and tourists. The business was struggling during that time and she considered closing down. The lockdowns pushed for a significant transformation and rebranding of the business… With the power of social media, we’ve been able to grow significantly and move products that have been in our archives for decades.
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One of the hidden challenges growing up alongside Candy’s Lingerie was the shame and stigma of sexuality. My siblings and I felt embarrassed by what Mum did for work. There was and still is a deep-rooted shame associated with sexuality and being openly sexual… Being femme and a POC, I was hesitant to fully immerse myself in the business until recent years. Now that I’ve completed my studies, I’m extremely grateful to be given this opportunity to work alongside Candy and have gained invaluable experiences.
What were you trying to achieve from the project at the time? How has this evolved and what are you trying to communicate through the brand now?
Initially, Candy started this business as a means of survival. The majority of our stock is genuine deadstock, which we’ve had in storage since the early 2000s when Candy went on her buying trips, mainly sourcing surplus stock. She wanted to build an inclusive, accessible, and affordable collection of lingerie. We still pride ourselves in these values, however, in this modern landscape we are trying our best to be as sustainable as we can. Notably, our reworked range features pieces that are cut and sewn in-house by my mother and my aunt, Lisa who is an experienced seamstress.
How would you describe your label to someone who’s never seen it before?
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Candy’s Lingerie is a POC family-run lingerie retailer. We specialise in affordable deadstock femme underwear, sleepwear, fantasy lingerie and corsetry. We believe we have something for everyone at our stores… Our current shop motto is: ‘The trashier, the sluttier, the better.’
What are you most proud of in your work on your label?
Candy has always been open about how proud she is of me for growing our customer base and promoting our business. My official involvement with Candy’s began five years ago. At the beginning of COVID, I was unemployed and the lockdowns had forced us to close our stores. Candy came to me and said, “If you help me sell our stock online, I’ll let you keep the profits”. This urged me to start a Depop page, which quickly gained traction.
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Something I am personally proud of is our creative experimentation. Relinquishing the pressures of rules and restrictions, I have been able to freely explore photography, creative direction and styling. With Candy’s Lingerie, I have been fortunate enough to meet like-minded creatives and fellow business owners who continue to inspire me to create. Prior to my involvement in the business, I was always hesitant to pursue creative passions, however, the community in Naarm has fostered an incredibly welcoming space.
What do you wish you knew when you started?
The main thing I wish I had known when I started was the importance of developing healthy boundaries with work. I grew up living in a survival mindset household, watching my mum dedicate her whole life to her business and kids. I struggled with separating work and life, especially after opening our Fitzroy location, which I currently manage.
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I quickly fell into bad work habits and was consumed by the business, constantly working or thinking about work. I burnt out very quickly and came to the realisation that you don’t need to do everything yourself and that help is always there when you need it… I myself am still very young and figuring things out along the way, so I’m extremely grateful for the network of talented people around me who have given me advice and guidance – especially my mentor Kallista from Sexiaz Lingerie.
Who do you think is most exciting in Australian fashion right now?
Wackie Ju. I relate a lot to this brand being a queer POC myself, I immensely respect the way Wackie Ju creates pieces that pay homage to our Chinese culture.
What about the Australian fashion industry needs to change?
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Although it’s been great to see more QPOC visibility as faces in campaigns and shoots, I feel as though it doesn’t truly reflect the lack of representation behind the scenes in the Australian fashion industry. I would love to see more QPOCs in positions of power and at the forefront of creative and brand roles.
Being an immigrant-owned business, we understand the barriers to choosing a creative path that deviates from traditional norms. We understand what it’s like to be the only POC in white-dominated spaces and do our best to cast both QPOC talent and creatives behind the scenes when we create content for the brand.
Who is in your wardrobe right now?
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I am a shameless chronic shopping addict and hoarder. My current wardrobe staples… include Karlaidlaw, Club Venus and Issey Miyake. I pride myself on being a bargain hunter, so I often buy my designer vintage or secondhand. My recent purchases include Ann Demuelemeester, Maison Margiela, Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen. Although I don’t own any pieces yet, I have been wanting to purchase from Flowers Birds Market, a Chinese independent brand that I believe many are sleeping on.
How can we buy one of your pieces?
You can visit any one of our three locations. Our flagship store is located at 65 Johnston Street, Fitzroy. Our outlet stores are located at Queen Victoria Market Stall F16 and Preston Market South Block 104 – 106. We also have a website you can visit.
Anything else to add?
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We want to thank our loyal customers for their ongoing support, they have quite literally saved our small business. We are so incredibly grateful to be able to continue providing beautiful and affordable lingerie for your pleasure.
Browse the Candy’s Lingerie collection here.
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