Va-Va-Voom von Tizz and Tonic

It all started with an Instagram post. Due to some reviews about eco lingerie labels, I discovered this loud and interesting label named Tizz and Tonic. After some digging I got in contact with Imke, one of the founders of the Bremen based label. In this interview, Imke tells us more about the first steps of Tizz and Tonic, the lingerie, her ambition and about her current hometown, Bremen.

Eco Lingerie made by Tizz and Tonic | Lingerie from Bremen, Germany | Interview | Foto: Tizz and Tonic | GROSS∆RTIG — Imke with a very popular image of herself :-)

Imke, could you please introduce Tizz and Tonic to us!

We launched Tizz & Tonic in March this year out of our small Bremen-based studio where all of our intimates are made. We – Yanna and me – are two Canadian girls with a strong desire to create eco-friendly intimates that have a punch of va-va-voom to them. We want to break the stigma that organic garments are often boring. We believe sass & attitude can go hand in hand with sustainable & organic products.

What is your personal background?

I’m a graduate of George Brown’s Fashion Techniques program & my sister has a Bachelor of Science with a focus on sustainability.

Why have you chosen to launch an own label?

We launched Tizz & Tonic on the platform of our expertise, love for the environment & passion for making women feel wildly good

Tizz and Tonics are eco intimates. But how eco are they?

All of our intimates are handmade by us using toxic-free prints & organic cotton in small scale production. We’ve just introduced three new textiles to our current fall collection which were printed in Berlin using zero water & toxic free dyes. Yay! Additionally, we’re currently having our organic cotton Haus Hoodies made in a small GOTS certified factory in Northern India.

What is, for you, the most difficult part in designing your „eco-intimates“?

The most difficult part of designing our intimates would be figuring out sizing. We want to be able to accommodate many different body shapes so all of our designs are made to be flexible fitting and not too ’structured“ i.e cupped bras. The biggest problem at this moment is that our sample size is quite small (size 36) and we don’t have access to larger fit models to create items past size L. We are working on that though – it will just take time.

Is there any label you’ve been influenceds by?

As for brands, there are so many wonderful vibrant brands in the world that I adore so it’s hard to narrow it down. I try to find most of my inspiration outside of fashion because I’m impressionable & looking elsewhere gives me a fresh perspective. I actually find a lot of my inspiration and colour combination ideas from interior design.

What is your favorite peace of Tizz & Tonic?

My current favourite piece is the so called „Surprise Pantys„. Our customers can select from three different cuts of underwear (Cheeky, Hipster or High-waisted), but they don’t know the actual print until it arrives at their door! We created this product because we know everyone deserves a little surprise once in a while and it gives us a nice chance to use out our ‚dead-stock‘ fabric (cottons we have extra of or leftover from previous seasons), introduce new prints that will be featured in the upcoming months and ultimately get creative.

An obvious question for me: Why Bremen?

I moved to Germany a few summers ago to get away from my life in Toronto and to do something new for a while. I always planned to move here because I have a lot of German family. My mom was born and raised in Münster but moved to Canada in her 20’s. Bremen was a good option because my family had a small apartment set-up for me and it’s a cool small city. It’s sort of the underdog of German places to visit.

What is your favorite spot of this German underdog?

My favourite spot in Bremen is a bar called Muchos Mas. The owner is from New Zealand but half Spanish. He’s young and well connected and it’s the spot to go to if you’re a foreigner looking for live music and easy Spanish tapas. Otherwise my favourite district in Bremen to meet others would be the Viertel. It’s messy, and loud and there is always something to do.

Thanks for your time, Imke!

Wanna know more about Tizz and Tonic? Then check out their website and online shop and discover this special Va-Va-Voom effect.