As Kat the Label celebrates its ten-year anniversary in 2025, founder Kate Nixon is taking a rare pause to reflect on a decade of growth and what it means to build something enduring in an industry defined by constant reinvention. What began in 2015 as a love letter to beautiful lingerie has evolved into a globally recognized brand worn by icons like Kylie Jenner, Charli D’Amelio, and Hannah Schönberg, while still staying deeply personal and grounded in its original vision.
INTERVIEWS
Based in Australia and led entirely by a female team, Kat the Label has carved a space for romantic, thoughtfully crafted intimates that speak to strength, vulnerability, and individuality. With community at its core and a strong stance on ethical manufacturing, the brand’s rise feels as intentional as its design, quietly rewriting the rules of lingerie without losing touch with the women who wear it.
In conversation with DSCENE Magazine’s Katarina Doric, Kate Nixon opens up about the realities of leading a brand through rapid growth, her personal experiences with infertility and endometriosis, and what it really takes to challenge an industry long shaped by male-led giants. From the emotional power of everyday lingerie to the evolving meaning of femininity, Nixon reflects on ten years of disruption, and what comes next.
Kat the Label celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year. What has surprised you most about the journey from launching in 2015 to becoming a globally recognized lingerie brand? – I can’t believe it’s already been 10 years! Being so deep in the day-to-day, I often have to remind myself to pause and reflect on everything we’ve built and achieved over this time.
One of the biggest surprises in running a business has been just how often you need to stay agile and shift direction. Just when you think you’ve figured something out, it’s time to pivot again. Whether it’s your Facebook ads suddenly underperforming or your content needing a fresh new take. It can be exhausting at times, but it’s also what keeps us sharp and constantly evolving as a brand.
Femininity isn’t fixed, it grows and shifts as we do.
You’ve been refreshingly open about your personal experiences with infertility and endometriosis. How has that vulnerability shaped the Kat the Label community and its evolution? – Opening up about my endo and infertility wasn’t something on my 2025 bingo cards, however as KTL has grown we’ve also built an incredible community that I thought could relate. I had no idea just how much so!
After my diagnosis I was shocked to hear the statistics around endometriosis and how many people it affects. I am lucky enough to have a silent version of endo that only appears to affect my fertility, however talking with our community and sharing stories made me realise how huge this diagnosis is and how little resources, education and treatment exists. The feedback from our audience was so supportive and incredible, and is something I am so proud of being able to support across our channels.
From the very beginning, you placed community at the core of the brand. What does community mean to you today, a decade into the business? – I know it can sound a little cliché to talk about “building a community,” but honestly, it’s always been at the heart of what we do. From day one, we’ve been co-creating alongside our customers and online community, whether it’s through products, content, or initiatives that truly reflect the people we’re speaking to.
There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a bride and her bridesmaids all in KTL before the big day. Being part of those joyful, intimate moments is something we don’t take for granted, it makes what we do feel really special.
We also love meeting our customers in real life. We regularly host pop-ups in both the US and Australia to create those in-person brand experiences, and my business partner and I are often there ourselves. Having those face-to-face conversations and seeing the connection firsthand is such a powerful reminder of why we started this in the first place.
Kat the Label is known for its romantic designs and timeless femininity. How do you define femininity now, and has that definition evolved since the brand’s inception? – Femininity isn’t fixed, it grows and shifts as we do. What began at KTL with a few lace bralettes has evolved into a considered collection of pieces, from bodysuits to robes, designed to move with our customers through every season of life.
Our goal has always been to create lingerie that makes people feel confident, beautiful, and ready to take on whatever the day brings. We believe in elevating your everyday lingerie. Providing customers the essential lingerie and sleepwear pieces that feel personal, powerful, and effortlessly wearable.
Many of your pieces are designed to empower wearers through beauty and comfort. What role do you believe lingerie plays in how women experience confidence and self-expression? – Lingerie holds a unique power – its like under armour. We live by the words “when my lingerie matches I feel like I have my life together”. Our pieces are designed for the wearer, never the male gaze. For me lingerie is a tool for self expression and quiet empowerment, helping our customers seek confidence.
Our pieces are designed for the wearer, never the male gaze. For me lingerie is a tool for self expression and quiet empowerment, helping our customers seek confidence.
You’ve managed to keep the brand personal and grounded while growing globally. What’s been the biggest challenge in scaling without losing the intimacy of your original vision? – Scaling the business has been both an exciting and daunting journey, like climbing a massive mountain and trying not to look down. From the very beginning, KTL has always had a global mindset. I grew up living in different countries, with friends spread across the world, so distance never felt like a barrier, it felt natural to stay connected across time zones and borders.
That same perspective has shaped the way we’ve grown Kat the Label. Expanding overseas never felt out of reach it was just a matter of figuring things out (with a lot of Googling!) and finding the right people to learn from and build with.
Even as we grow internationally, we’re still a small, hands-on team deeply connected to the brand. Expanding doesn’t mean diluting who we are, it means sharing our vision more widely. We’re proudly based in Australia, but we’re working towards becoming the world’s most sought-after lingerie brand, without losing the heart that started it all.
Sustainability and ethical manufacturing are core to your values. How do you navigate those priorities in today’s competitive fashion industry? – We know the fashion industry is far from perfect when it comes to sustainability, especially as a smaller brand with limited resources. But at our core, we’re committed to doing better wherever we can. We believe that consistent small, conscious steps in the write direction can create meaningful change over time.
We take a holistic view of our supply chain, making considered choices at every stage. From removing plastics and using eco-friendly packaging to partnering with Chinese manufacturers who follow BSCI initiatives and offsetting carbon emissions by funding green projects in Vietnam. The list is always growing as we learn and improve.
At the same time, we design with intention. Our pieces aren’t about chasing trends — they’re made to be loved and worn again and again. Because for us, sustainability also means creating something timeless.
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Your pieces are loved by cultural icons like Kylie Jenner and Charli D’Amelio. How does that kind of visibility affect your creative or business strategy, if at all? – Seeing our products on Kylie and Charlie has been an absolute dream! As those posts were not sponsored, it’s so incredible to see authentic partnerships with our influencer network as they truly love to wear the brand. Of course the visibility is extremely exciting and beneficial to the brand, it also often helps reiterate to me that we are on the right track and gaining momentum particularly in the USA so helps give us that credibility in a very busy market.
We’re holding our own alongside the established giants, and hopefully disrupting an industry that for too long has been shaped without women at the centre.
What are some lessons you’ve learned as a female founder leading a dynamic team in a space that’s historically been dominated by male-led lingerie giants? – I do have to laugh sometimes when I think about how many men have traditionally run lingerie companies. I think that contrast is part of why our brand stood out from the beginning.
From our products to our content, it’s clear we’re not here to sexualise the industry as it historically has been. Lingerie and sleepwear are things we wear every day, so why shouldn’t they be beautiful, comfortable, and fashion-forward all at once?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to trust my own way of thinking. Early on, I felt like I had to adopt a more traditionally “masculine” approach to succeed in business. But leaning into my own perspective and doing things differently has been the key to building a strong, values-led team and a brand I’m incredibly proud of. We’re holding our own alongside the established giants, and hopefully disrupting an industry that for too long has been shaped without women at the centre.
As you look to the next 10 years, what’s your ultimate vision for Kat the Label, and what do you hope your legacy will be? – As the last decade has flown by, I have no doubt the next ten years will pass just as quickly. Taking a moment to reflect on the past five years alone, the progress we’ve made is truly extraordinary. In the early days, I was doing it all. Personally fulfilling orders, managing our Instagram, handling customer support, and coordinating wholesale accounts.
Looking back, it’s incredible to see how far we’ve come, and it fills me with excitement for what lies ahead. The next ten years promise to be an even more transformative journey.
As a female-founded, led, and funded company, we remain committed to setting ambitious goals, breaking boundaries, and redefining the industry. Our vision is bold yet clear: to become the worlds most sought after lingerie brand.
