Inside Underlena, the Wellington store celebrating sensuality with luxury lingerie

“An intimate, comfortable space tucked away from the bustle of Courtenay Place.”

Maxine Kelly was in the middle of an Auckland lockdown when the idea for her lingerie boutique, Underlena, was born. Searching for intimates to wear when she saw her partner again, she was faced with exorbitant shipping fees and impossible returns. “The brief was comfortable enough to wear to dinner and hot enough to strip down to afterwards,” Maxine says. “I wasn’t looking for your usual suspenders-and-lace style of lingerie… but something more modern, well made and wearable.”

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With the driving concept of ‘sourcing sensuality’ (meaning finding pieces that evoke sensuality), Maxine brought together a collection of her favourite lingerie labels to create the Underlena online boutique. As the store expanded into the physical realm, Maxine made the move to Wellington – transforming her Courtenay Place office space into a cosy, intimate showroom. Below, Maxine shares the inspiration behind the boutique, and what makes Underlena lingerie so special.

Tell us about you. What’s your creative background?

My name is Maxine Kelly, I’m the owner of Underlena. I moved to Wellington from Auckland, New Zealand almost two years ago. I’m not sure I’ve ever really thought I had a ‘creative’ background. I spent about seven years as a marketing manager, but the part I have always enjoyed about any kind of work is writing and connecting with people… I’ve learnt that creativity is expressed in many ways. I’ve always loved cooking, which I think is a major cultivator of sensuality which really links into what I’m doing now.

How did the store get started? Talk us through the process and the challenges.

Underlena was the result of lockdown musings – I had been thinking about lingerie that I wanted to wear when I could see my beau again. I couldn’t find what I wanted here in NZ, without extortionate shipping fees and impossible returns. I wasn’t looking for your usual suspenders-and-lace style of lingerie (I’ve never known what to do with all of that!), but something more modern, well made and wearable.

The brief was comfortable enough to wear to dinner and hot enough to strip down to afterwards. I’ve always been interested in how we think about sensuality… so I felt like this could be something interesting to lean into. The idea of ‘sourcing sensuality’ – meaning finding pieces that evoke sensuality within the wearer on a daily basis (rather than just occasionally) – really became the driving force behind Underlena.

So I followed my nose (and the generous guidance of experienced friends and family) and ended up launching the business in May 2021, two months after moving from Auckland to Wellington (challenge: launching a business in a brand new city!).
Those first few months of Underlena taught me that people love a tactile experience, which of course is a no-brainer with lingerie.

I decided to convert the small office space I had leased into a showroom, [so] I could take appointments outside of my full-time office hours. This helped me lean into the idea of creating a safe, intimate space where people could try on these pieces in their own time. I opened the showroom in November 2021.

What were you trying to achieve from the project at the time? How has this evolved and what are you trying to communicate now?

The concept of ‘sourcing sensuality’ has become a real North Star for what I do. I think when I started, it was about bringing that vision to life in a purely online setting (post-COVID… [I thought] at any time we could lock down again), and now I’m really focusing more on how I can create that vision in a physical space. I’m looking forward to more collaborations with brands outside of Wellington – I spent a few days at the beautiful Gloria showroom in Auckland last year, which I would love to do more of.

Something else that has come up… is I’ve had several conversations with friends recently about the media environment that we grew up in as 30-somethings, and what that means for our body and self-image now. Some of that messaging can feel hard to shake.

And I think cultivating sensuality on purpose can lend itself to healing and help to develop a certain self-reverence. Of course, you don’t need lingerie to do that, but I do find that having something… that brings you back to yourself can be useful (whatever it is – enjoying the scent of a cup of coffee, really feeling the sun on your skin, etc).

How would you describe your store to someone who’s never seen it before?

Underlena is an intimate, comfortable space tucked away from the bustle of Courtenay Place. It’s where you can take your own time to discover intimates from international designers, like The Great Eros and Kye Intimates that are made with you and your body in mind. (And its appointment-only nature means that you can have as much, or as little, attention as you would like.)

What are you most proud of in your work on your store?

Honestly, having people try on several bras and being surprised that they love them all. They fit well, are made from beautiful fabrics and are something that they actually want to wear. That, and hearing the showroom is a safe space [where] people feel comfortable… that makes me proud.

Who do you think is most exciting in Australian/NZ fashion right now?

In the underwear space, I really love what Rachel Mills in Auckland is doing. [She’s creating] made-to-order basics that actually flatter the body, made from beautiful fabrics – think merino, silk jersey, organic cotton. On that note, I think the move to made-to-order is awesome, and something that is really being embraced by customers now. People don’t even bat an eye having to wait a moment for their pieces to ship. More broadly, the supportive community in Wellington – launching a business in this space has been incredible.

What about the Australian/NZ fashion industry needs to change?

How little understanding there is around how much it costs to manufacture a garment… and that people should be paid fairly for the work they do and the expertise they have built over a career (but of course – that is a global conversation too).

Dream Australian/NZ collaborators?

It was a dream to be hosted by Gloria last year, so I feel lucky already! I also worked with Wellington’s Nathan Taare of Of Body to create a scent for the showroom… but I’d really love to do a shoot with Holly Burgess, would love to collaborate with Rachel Mills (see above!) and host an event with sex coach Melissa Vranjes… the list goes on!

What’s next for you?

A lot is on the cards this year, it’s just a matter of figuring out how to make it all happen! Something I’m focusing on is offering the Underlena experience further afield – I would like to offer more appointments in Auckland, somewhere in the South Island, maybe even Australia at some point… but finding the right fit and space is important. I do feel like there is a lot of opportunity in this style of retail.

Browse the Underlena collection here.