“What are you working on right now” we ask. Abby answers, cooly and cheerfully (typical American): “winning a medal for the USA at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games!”
Olympics? Excuse me?
Yes. Abby is an Olympian (or will be this summer). She is also American (she grew up in a small farm town - Norrisville, Hartford). As captain, she leads a group of talented and strong women in their mission to win, show, or place at this summer’s Olympic Games.
As an X Girl, Abby often feels frustration walking into a lingerie store. She’s treated as an afterthought in the eyes of “the market”, treated as though bigger boobs are the price of entry to matter. The first Beija set she purchased (online) immediately became a daily wear and among her two favourite bras. Her other is the Ever Essential Bralette by Lululemon. We’re fans ourselves; we like their progressive vibe and are flattered to be considered peers in the eyes of our customers… not a bad accomplishment considering we have four employees and they have, oh, I don’t know, 4 thousand employees?
You know what we like the most? Beija is the bra Abby prefers when she wants to feel sexiest and most powerful in her own skin, when she wants to feel feminine and beautiful to and for herself. When Abby reached out asking if she could get more involved we were thrilled. You’re an American Spokeswoman for Equality for Women In Sport, you love our product, and you want to be photographed in it in a Beija-exclusive photoshoot? Absolutely!
How can we help you!?
Abby’s answer: “Please just support the upcoming push. The team are strong and we have the right vibe; we support each other. Our mission is clear and we pursue it without ego. At the end of the day, however, viewership figures drive conversation. Just tune in and support, please 🙏.”
::Google’s “how do I watch rugby?”:: Um… we’ll get back to you...
After the photoshoot we had a chance to sit and really talk with Abby. In the process we have talked at length about how our product makes her feel special, maybe for the first time. According to Abby, this is really important:
“The world would be a better place if all women had more confidence in their voice, bodies, and self.”
We’re a little humbled to think that we might give customers like Abby a little more of that confidence, every day.
As you might expect of an Olympian, Abby is a woman of precision. Her day starts with “a cup of coffee in bed” while she plans her day. “Then I make my bed, brush my teeth, and hit the road!” What’s in your bag on the daily go? “Dental floss and a scrunchie. My two essentials.”
Broken bones and a busy travel schedule mean that Abby doesn’t wear much jewellry. Nonetheless, she’s a woman of discerning taste and prefers quality over quantity. Her favourite piece? “I have the most exquisite engagement ring a girl could ask for. It’s the only piece of jewellry I wear.”
It is Tiffany’s. And confirmed: it is exquisite.
It is worth emphasising we love working with non models like Abby. There’s this amazing thing that happens in a Beija Backstage shoot; you can see it in the photos of Abby. After a few minutes our girls drop whatever they typically carry, whatever makes us feel odd standing in underwear, and they find comfort in their bodies and seem to enjoy it as though for the first time. I mean it’s just underwear! It’s just bodies! Let’s have some fun, right!? Abby found that fun faster than most. And that comfort is the source of her radiance. You can feel it.
There is a lot more to celebrate about Abby, but the primary reason we’re obsessed with her is that she serves a mission larger than herself in pursuit of a vision of gender equality for women. In service of blazing the trail toward a brighter, fairer world, Abby put on hold her personal dream of becoming a doctor to pursue national glory on the world’s stage. She climbs a difficult path and intends to use her captaincy of the US Olympic Rugby 7s Team (and whatever influence it affords) to serve the mission of making it easier for the women and girls who will climb after her. Said succinctly, her passion is “equality for women in sport.”
We spent a lot of time talking to Abby about what “equality” means, why it’s so important, and about her personal story of heroism, bravery, and tribulation (it’s is one worth telling another time). We left the conversation inspired ourselves to aim a little higher, climb a little harder, and be a little braver in 2020. We too have a vision of a fairer, more equal world for all women. We see our mission at Beija as critical to balancing the scales for all women, not just in how we perceive ourselves and our own beauty, but in every step of how our products are produced and the lives that we all touch every day.
Exciting things lie ahead. #watchthisspace
