The past eight years have flown by like a whirlwind for entrepreneur, Kristy Chong. Since launching her now international brand Modibodi in 2013, the CEO of the Sydney-based company is celebrating the new year by launching a range of exciting new apparels all with the aim of helping women manage life’s leaks.
Below, she shares more about the journey so far, the challenges she’s faced, and advice she has for emerging entrepreneurs.
1. How has Modibodi evolved since its launch?
July 2021 marked Modibodi’s 8th birthday, and I couldn’t have imagined or be more proud of the company that we’ve become today.
We have customers worldwide across 65 countries, and products to suit all stages of life. I’m proud that we have maintained our ethos of being authentic, human, and taboo breaking – and that we are now making the shift to being not just a period underwear brand, but a brand of apparel for all of life’s leaks – including incontinence, breast milk, sweat and more.
In addition to Modibodi, we have expanded into many different categories and developed new brands to meet the needs of more people.
These brands include our dedicated teen range, Modibodi RED featuring briefs, swimwear, boyleg and sleep shorts, Modibodi Men – Australia’s first range of leak-proof apparel for men which features briefs and trunks to assist with incontinence and chafing and Modibodi Family which includes our maternity, postpartum and baby range, featuring reusable nappies and breastfeeding styles and briefs for before and after baby.
We’ve also shifted from being a predominantly e-commerce brand, to entering bricks and mortar stores. Last year, we launched a new ‘Basics’ product to Coles supermarket due to high customer interest and demand, and to make our product more accessible.
What hasn’t change is that we remain comfortable in our own skin and not embarrassed to talk about leaky bodies – because they’re part of life. People trust our product and love our brand because we keep it real. Real people, real bodies, real stories and real products that work and change people’s lives for the better, as well as being better for the planet.
2. What are your next plans for the company?
We are always striving to innovate and provide sustainable solutions for all bodies, and just this month, Modibodi launched the world’s first biodegradable period and pee proof underwear brief.
I’m also proud to say that Modibodi is one of the first Australian companies offering paid menstrual, menopause and miscarriage leave for its employees (10 additional paid leave days per year). These policies are in line with our commitment to talk openly and honestly about periods, to normalise conversations about menstruation and to remove any stigma and shame associated with a normal, natural part of life.
Our new Biodegradable Brief is the very first laboratory tested, 97 percent verified biodegradable period and pee proof underwear. After years of blood, sweat and science, we have taken steps to end the lifecycle problem of textiles.
This is the new way to period, and we couldn’t be prouder to develop a product that significantly reduces waste.
This launch is an extension of our commitment to invest in sustainable solutions to support and protect every person, through all life’s leaks.
We will continue to strive to do better for the planet, and now that our patented biodegradable technology has been developed, we’ll be looking to increase the sustainability of all our products over time, utilising the technologies we’ve developed.
At Modibodi, success not only means having products that are unparalleled in the market, but about developing a brand that has purpose, social impact, and leads the way in sustainability innovations.
We are all about creating a business that will give back. This is why we’ve created our Give a Pair program to help women in need who can’t afford period products. This program has been a great highlight for me as I wanted to give back and help women and young menstruating people gain access to sustainable menstruation products.
Our ‘Give a Pair’ campaign encourages support from our customers to donate via our website, which then facilitates Modibodi underwear donations to vulnerable and disadvantaged women across the globe. Last year, we donated 100,000 pairs to help 20,00 people in need worldwide. That’s $2 million worth of underwear.
3. Are you encouraged that more brands (even bigger brands) are leaning more toward sustainable/ethical product lines?
Absolutely! It’s very encouraging to see more and more brands put greater emphasis on sustainability. I believe it is a hard topic to ignore in 2022, and customers are beginning to notice now more than ever when companies are not genuine in their commitment to sustainability.
Modibodi has continued to see substantial growth year on year, which is proof of how people around the world are embracing period and leak-proof sustainable underpants and choosing to help protect our environment from damaging disposable hygiene items.
We hope the future looks greener and brings a sense of freedom and the continual normalisation of periods and bodily leaks.
4. Why was swimwear a natural extension of the Modibodi brand offering?
As Modibodi has grown, we’ve continued to expand into new leak-proof apparel categories as we maintain that no one should have to sit out due to life’s leaks.
In 2021 alone, we launched over 30 new and limited-edition products, including reusable nappies, a new maternity range, anti-chafing shorts, sleep shorts and a recycled range of activewear and leak-proof underwear.
We were the first to launch leak-proof swimwear back in 2017 which our customers were truly grateful for, so creating a new fun, fashionable, and recycled period and pee proof swimwear range has been a very natural progression for Modibodi.
This month, we launched our brand-new range of two-piece period swimwear made from 78 percent pre-consumer nylon. It comes in four new patterns, prints and colours and features reversible tops and our leak-proof bottoms can hold up to 10mls of liquid.
Each piece is chlorine-resistant, UPF50+ rated and available in three seasonal shades to mix, match, and ditch the disposables.
I love that this range as it has two-piece styles that has something for everyone – so we can all feel comfortable in our swim this summer.
5. What is the brand’s ethos toward swimwear and how women should feel?
We believe that it’s time for everyone to feel comfortable in your swim, even when you’re leaking, so we have created a range of swimwear that suits all shapes in sizes and all life stages. Our new range was created to help build confidence in our customers and remove stigma when it comes to periods and incontinence.
This is the new normal in swimwear, because unexpected leaks occur for most of us, and our swimwear should work better for our bodies. We want everyone to feel comfortable in their own skin and believe that no one should have to sit summer out because of periods and incontinence.
Modibodi is passionate about showcasing real bodies and challenging perceptions of ‘imperfections’, and this is showcased in our launch. Our Recycled Swim launch features images of some of our incredible customers, including a new mother who is three months postpartum, and person experiencing their period during the photoshoot.
As a brand, it’s important to us to be as authentic as possible to help normalise real bodies and real experiences.
6. How is this line intrinsically Australian in feel?
Not only is our new Recycled Swim range UPF50+ rated to endure the Australian sun, we’ve also designed the range to suit any beach or pool day this summer – which is a huge part of our daily life as Aussies. Our designs range in body confident colours including Sunset Orange, Animal print and Earth Green.
Each of the swimwear tops are reversible, meaning two swimwear pieces in one – adding to Modibodi’s belief in sustainable style. Made to suit any body shape, the new Recycled Swimwear range has a fast-drying absorbent lining and is chlorine-resistant.
Our styles have something for everyone, including a cheeky Brazilian Brief, a high-waisted style with a thick waistband, a classic bikini bottom style, and a comfortable wire-free crop top designed to suit a range of shapes and sizes.
7. What has been your most important lesson since starting Modibodi?
The biggest learning I’ve taken with me throughout my journey is to listen to my gut and back myself. Once I’d developed Modibodi, I sought some opinions as to how I should market this range of life-changing undies.
I was repeatedly told we’d need super glamorous models to make supposed unmentionable topics (menstruation and incontinence) tolerable to Australian consumers and the media. I refused to believe this was the only way we could have a presence in the market and from day one we’ve sourced everyday people from diverse backgrounds, mostly from our customer base, to help model and sell our products.
Ten years later, you’ll see every type of person, and all remain photoshop free.
I believe the best business decision I ever made was going into a business that celebrates and empowers women. Modibodi’s philosophy is that all bodies should be embraced and celebrated, and celebrating all individuals across the globe inspires me each and every day.
8. Any advice for young entrepreneurs aspiring to follow a similar path?
I believe to start a business you need to be curious and passionate enough about the idea that it will allow you to step into action.
To build that business you need to 100 percent persistent, have a hunger to solve problems and you need to get comfortable with the uncomfortable, as these strengths will allow you to overcome all the self-doubt, rejection, imposter syndrome feeling and continual challenges you will face along the way.