What makes something Iconic?
25 years of Pioneering Pleasure, courtesy of Coco de Mer.
There is always an air of excitement in London when Fashion Week beckons - new names to watch, heavyweights to measure, unforgettable moments in the making. It just so happens we are marking our 25th anniversary in the middle of it all - talk about an unforgettable moment.
With British heritage on the brain and impactful design very much on the agenda, who better to reflect on a quarter century of pioneering pleasure than our inimitable CEO and Owner, Lucy Litwack…
When I joined Coco de Mer in 2014, I found a brand I could develop into a pioneering space for female pleasure - so much so that I completed an MBO in 2017. Twenty-six years into a career in lingerie, I can say with total confidence: there is something very special about this brand.
Coco de Mer has always punched above its weight. It has been called niche, but it was always capable of more - a true, global luxury brand built around female pleasure. That has been the purpose since day one: to lift women up, shine a light on their pleasure, and celebrate the joy of being alive.
From art to culture, education to pornography, the female perspective on pleasure is still barely understood. Yet knowing and owning your own pleasure and sensuality can be life-changing - for happiness, for confidence, for relationships, for how you see yourself.
For us, lingerie is about redefining sexuality on our own terms. That’s why we shoot exclusively with all-female teams. Women's sexuality has been filtered through the male gaze for far too long, and it usually comes out reductive, performative - not authentic. Female pleasure is a deeply personal relationship a woman has with herself first, before anyone else. Shooting through the female gaze, and letting women choose how they are seen, is what makes it real.
Behind the scenes on the 2023 Icons shoot, with Charli Howard and Helena Christensen
"For me, the product is the souvenir of the experience – the token of the emotional connection to a brand." Lucy
In the late 90s, there wasn't a luxury space for premium erotica and pleasure - certainly not one built for women. Sex shops still meant seedy men in raincoats. Our Covent Garden boutique was the opposite: an emporium of exploration, a celebration of sensuality. Pleasure is emotional, so that's what our Home of Pleasure has always been about - a non-judgemental, welcoming space; every touchpoint considered to heighten the experience.
Our 2022 Icon Helena Christensen
Twenty-five years in, I have come to believe longevity is such an integral measure of luxury. Anyone can chase a trend; making something that still feels beautiful decades on takes real discipline, starting at the drawing board. Every piece is designed in-house, sometimes bespoke for retail partners who share that same appreciation for the considered and the unique. We work with the finest European fabric houses and first-class production, sourcing quality that simply can't be rushed.
Lingerie demands that kind of care - delicate on the surface, strong at the core, much like the women who wear it. I always ask: will this still feel beautiful decades from now? That question shapes everything, from the lace to the finish, because I want her to feel that consideration at every stage of her journey with us. That's quiet luxury - it doesn't ask to be noticed. It endures.
Our collaborations have marked real turning points for pleasure, both socially and commercially. They come from shared values and genuine connection - many of the women we work with were already loyal customers (I literally met Pamela Anderson on our shop floor!) There is a real sense of purpose in what we do, and our ambassadors speak that language fluently: sensuality and intellect in equal measure. I can't wait to launch collaborations that push things further still.
One of our most meaningful partnerships has been supporting the fight to end FGM. We're female-founded and female-run, and we want to reach as many people as possible with one message: female pleasure matters. FGM is a direct attack on that pleasure, so it's personal to us.
A woman must have the right to choose what happens to her own body. Female pleasure is not a luxury – it is a fundamental human right.
There is a statistic that really haunted me: 21 in every 1,000 women in London had been victims of FGM. Every seven seconds, a girl somewhere is at risk of being cut. It isn't religious. It isn't medical. It's gender inequality, plain and simple - an attempt to make sex painful, to disable pleasure, to enforce a subservient life. There's no science behind it, only harm.
Reading Waris Dirie's work and supporting her Desert Flower Foundation inspired me deeply. As Chair of the trustees of Nimco Ali's The Five Foundation, I hope to keep using our platform to raise awareness and push for change. FGM is about power and control - over women, their bodies, their sexuality. Until every woman has access to education and independence, that won't shift. Corporate partnerships help open the conversation to new audiences, and that matters.
The conversation is shifting, slowly. The work Samantha Niblett MP and Cindy Gallop are doing to make sex education a lifelong conversation is vital, and we are proud to back it.
So I'll end with the belief I hold strongest: female pleasure is not a luxury. It is a necessity. It is joy, health, equality, intimacy, education, fulfilment, progression - above all, a human right, and that should never be up for debate.
The momentum is building. Respect for female pleasure is respect for gender equality.
Our work is far from over. And with 25 years behind us, there's so much more delight to come.