Inside Else's Atelier in Istanbul

A few years ago, while I was choosing the brands that would become Primary, I visited Else's atelier in Istanbul.

I spent the morning watching the women who cut, sew and construct every piece by hand, at the tables where a bra moves from pattern to finished garment. In the afternoon, I sat in on the design room, and saw a collection being built in the stage before it has a name — swatches pinned to the wall, samples half-finished, decisions still being made in front of me.

One thing has stayed with me since. The strap elastic, the waistband, the hook and eye, and the fabric itself are each made and dyed in separate factories. A new colour is not one decision — it is four, made to match exactly across four different materials. A small feat of chemical engineering, before it ever becomes a bra you can buy.

I also spent time with Ela and Cenk, the couple behind Else. We talked at length about what they care about most in a garment — well made, sized inclusively, chic without being fussy, and genuinely comfortable to wear. It is rare to meet founders who hold all four of those at once, and rarer still to see it carried through so consistently, collection after collection.

I have followed Else from Bare through to Bella, and now to Anemone, and I look forward to each new collection the way you look forward to hearing from a friend doing good work.

Bella, Anemone and Bare Minimal — the newest arrivals from Else — are open for preorder now, if you would like to see where this story leads next.