I was first introduced to Fortnight about a year ago, and have since purchased six pieces (I wanted at least a dozen, but had to restrain myself). Designer Christina Remenyi founded the Toronto-based label in 2010, and has been spicing up women’s lingerie wardrobes across North America ever since. Gone are the awkward foam structures that always seem to have a mind on their own. Fornight’s gorgeous bras are all about intricate seam construction, creating the necessary support, while enhancing — not masking — women’s natural assets, in sizes ranging from 30A to 36F. Much of its inspiration comes from vintage lingerie, a time before mass-production, when lingerie was crafted with couture-like care. Each garment is designed and handmade in Fortnight’s Toronto studio, making sure their craftsmanship always meets the highest manufacturing standard. Fortnight not only fits like a dream, but is smart, sexy, and profoundly special. Along with the signature palette of hazy pastels, next spring, Remenyi introduces the first-ever line of basics, with best-sellers available in white, neutral, and black. In short: I’ve got a lot more shopping to do.

Do you remember the moment when you fell in love with lingerie?
I don’t know if there was an exact moment, but many of my favourite lingerie moments are from Carrie Bradshaw. Watching Sex and the City while I was in high school and university, and seeing a woman who had this unique, thoughtful sense of style really made a huge impact on me. She really was one of the pioneers of embracing lingerie as a layering piece with outerwear.

Lingerie is no longer made with the same sense of care as it once was. Fortnight very much reclaims that craft. What made you start the line?
Wanting to reclaim the craft of lingerie was absolutely one of the main reasons I started Fortnight. I found it very difficult to find pieces that were functional, as well as aesthetically fresh and fashionable. Lingerie requires such a high level of attention to detail that in order to get the best possible fit and comfort, it really does need to be made with a great deal of care. It was important to me to start a line that stood for this.

Each Fortnight bra is handcrafted with over 20 separate pieces in your Toronto studio. As your company grows, do you plan to maintain the personal touch?
Absolutely. The celebration of craftsmanship and tailoring, ethical production, and attention to detail is essential to the brand and we will continue to make them priorities as the company grows.

Your S/S 2014 collection draws inspiration from legendary mid-century female painters such as Helen Frankenthaler, Lee Krasner, and Georgia O’Keeffe. How does their work manifest in your designs?
These artists very much represent the woman we design for: Women who have an independent and thoughtful sense of beauty, along with a healthy dose of rebellion. Our photography campaign was also very much inspired by their creativity, rebelliousness, and love of nature. Arden Wray of the blog Boots and Pine shot the S/S 2014 lookbook at Artscape Gibraltar Point, which is an artists’ residence located on Toronto Island.

Fortnight is certainly too irresistible not to show off to the world. Underwear as outerwear: yay or nay?
Yay, all the way! I love the idea of lingerie as a form of self-expression.