150 Years of Chantelle A story of progress, innovation and quiet revolution

For 150 years, Chantelle has been supporting women – quietly, precisely and with a deep understanding of what lies beneath the surface. What began in 1876 in the Kretz family’s factories with the development of elastic fabrics, and heralded a new era in 1948 with the founding of Chantelle and the launch of the “never-rides-up” corset, is today an international creative studio that constantly reimagines lingerie: as an expression of freedom, intimacy and self-determination.

150 Years of Imagination

This anniversary is not merely a look back, but an ongoing dialogue between the past and the present. For Chantelle was never merely a part of history, but always a driving force within a cultural shift that is redefining the female body.

The art of liberating the body

The brand’s origins lie in innovation. At a time when corsets restricted the body, Chantelle developed materials that allowed for lightness, in the form of elasticity and movement. Where tension once reigned, flexibility emerged. Where form was dictated, adaptation began. This technical revolution marked the start of a new intimacy between body and clothing, one that does not control, but accompanies. It became clear early on what still defines Chantelle today: true innovation is invisible; it is felt, not imposed.

An aesthetic of the self-evident

Over the decades, Chantelle has developed a design language that eschews any form of ostentation. Lingerie that does not seek to take centre stage, yet finds its strength precisely in this. In the archived pieces, this ethos is evident in every detail: seamless constructions, the finest materials, functional elegance. Pieces that shape the silhouette without dominating it. That support without weighing you down. That are present and yet are almost forgotten. A philosophy that was formulated as early as the 1950s and remains true to this day: the best lingerie is that which cannot be felt and yet changes everything.

Between movement and posture

As society changed in the 1960s, the role of lingerie also shifted. Women began to redefine their bodies – independent, self-determined, and active. Chantelle did not merely respond to this change, but actively helped to shape it.

The focus shifted to the bra as a central element of modernity. Iconic collections such as Fête and Défi combined technical precision with a new sense of lightness, portraying women as they are: in motion, working, alive. Not as objects. But as the subjects of their own stories. This perspective continues to shape the brand’s visual language to this day: an aesthetic that shows the female body without staging it. Naturally. As a matter of course. Freely.

Diversity as a design principle

By the 1980s at the latest, it had become clear that Chantelle was not designing for an idealised silhouette, but for the reality of women’s bodies in all their diversity. Campaigns such as “Chantelle loves breasts… all of them” set an early example of inclusivity, long before the term became part of fashion discourse. The expansion of sizes, the development of adaptive materials and the continuous refinement of fits all follow a clear principle: it is not the body that adapts to the product, but the product that adapts to the body. This approach led, among other things, to the innovation known as SoftStretch, a virtually invisible, highly flexible material that adapts to any shape, thereby creating a new dimension of comfort and naturalness.

“Something more.” A manifesto for the future.

Today, Chantelle distils 150 years of experience into a central promise: Something more. A promise that goes beyond mere campaigns and is rooted in a mindset. In the ability to listen. In the willingness to constantly reinvent itself. And in the commitment to consistently putting innovation at the service of real needs. “Something more” does not mean defining women, but creating space for who they are and all their needs.

An archive, revisited

To mark its 150th anniversary, Chantelle is opening its archives and bringing them into the present day. 16 iconic silhouettes – each inspired by a different decade – are reinterpreted and placed in a contemporary context. A visual narrative bridging heritage and modernity. A subtle demonstration that true modernity is always an echo of history, and that history does not lie behind us, but forms the foundation upon which the future is built.