Cambaj Lingerie: Sustainability meets Femininity in Dubai
By ESTELLE PULESTON
Founded in 2022 in Dubai, Cambaj is a brand aiming to add elegance and femininity to the world of eco-conscious lingerie. Creator Magali Mercier, who has spent the past 12 years living in South East Asia, originally studied fashion design and pattern-making in Paris, and has always been drawn to the lingerie industry’s inherent (if not always realized) potential for sustainability.
“I love the idea of a product that never gets out of fashion,” she explains, commenting on the way these hidden-away garments are often less influenced by trends and seasonality than those we wear over them. She also loves lingerie for its ability to influence a person’s mood, as the first layer we put on each day, as well as how its history reflects the evolution of a woman’s place in society.
The name she chose, Cambaj, is made up of the initials of women in her family spanning five generations. It represents an idea of legacy, inheritance, and what we transmit across the ages. That means thinking about what we will leave behind and how we can build a better future for those that come after us, reflecting her commitment to responsible production and doing what she can to improve the lingerie industry.
All Cambaj fabrics and elastics are OEKO-TEX certified, ensuring they’re free from harmful chemicals. They’re also all either recycled (made from GRS Certified post-consumer waste, plastic waste and recycled polyamides), made with natural fibers that are responsibly sourced and replanted (such as the brand’s Tencel meshes and laces), or upcycled from factory dead stock (where a sustainably-made alternative was not available, such as the shimmery copper lurex of the La Fusion collection.)
If Mercier couldn’t source something sustainably – meaning responsibly-made and in low enough quantities that it wouldn’t go against the brand’s core ethos of producing slowly, locally, and in small amounts – then it’s simply not used. As a result, Cambaj is currently free from underwires, back closures, and cup padding, although she’s keeping an eye out for new developments.
“If everyone changes one small thing in their production chains one step at a time, the industry could really drive some meaningful changes,” she said, when I asked her how companies could work towards a more sustainable lingerie industry, “There are little steps that the industry should embrace collectively such as choosing better elastics. Our supplier of elastic produces their ‘clean’ range only for us and another brand. The other customers in their portfolio keep on going with the regular solution… If these brands were switching, prices would become more affordable for everyone, so responsible products would be also more accessible to the end customer.”
In terms of silhouettes, Cambaj offers dainty-looking bralettes, a variety of fuller-cut and lower-coverage bottoms, stylish high-leg bodysuits, and a minimalist, layering-ready range titled l’Intemporelle in sheer mesh which includes both a basic tank top and a chic backless catsuit. Rose-gold hardware and logo details add a feminine touch, and the color palette includes both versatile neutrals and bolder options such as vibrant pink.
For now, Cambaj is manufactured in a small local workshop in Dubai, and offers free at-home try-ons to anyone living in Dubai or Abu Dhabi in addition to shipping worldwide. Pieces are available from XS to either XL or 2XL (fitting US band sizes 30-42 and AA-D cups) and prices run from 240-825 AED, approximately $65-$225.
Contact information:
Website: https://cambaj-lingerie.com/
Instagram: @cambajlingerie
Email: info@cambaj-lingerie.com
