• by Sarah Mahoney , Staff Writer @mahoney_sarah, April 29, 2024

Knix, best known for period underwear, is on a new-product tear, announcing its most extensive swimwear collection that includes mesh as well as anti-chafe products.

As part of its latest growth efforts, Knix continues to blend its direct-to-consumer roots with wholesale expansion under ownership by Essity, the Swedish health and hygiene company. The product launches also come as the period underwear category tries to move beyond legal problems stemming from PFAS, or “forever chemicals.”

Knix recently hosted a brand trip in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to promote the new 30-piece swimwear line. The event for 60 guests of influencers, ambassadors and customers offered immersive experiences built on the brand’s core promises: confidence, connections, and community. Knix says the event is a first for any intimates brand, which included a live runway show and posing workshops.

In another move to gain more visibility – and move beyond period care – Knix launched the Sexy Mesh Capsule collection, taglined "Knix for Life." Actor Gabrielle Union appears in the campaign for the line, which includes bras, underwear and bodysuits. Her Instagram posts promise that the mesh items are “as comfy as sexy gets.”

The collection has the inclusive sizing that first put Knix on the map. And with the bodysuits, it takes the company deeper into the realm of “underwear as outerwear.”

But the fashion push doesn’t mean less focus on the practical. The brand also just announced an expanded Thigh Saver collection, in new lengths, contours and absorbency levels. The products aim to eliminate thigh chafe, the kind of hot-weather problem never hinted at by conventional lingerie brands. That honest product positioning is what has made Knix a favorite among so many women.

It also sells workout gear, including leak-proof leggings, sports bras, shorts, skorts and T-shirts.

Chief executive officer Joanna Griffiths started the Toronto-based company in 2013, and by 2016, it had become one of the best-known D2C brands, praised for disrupting the period-care industry. In 2019, Knix began experimenting with physical retail, operating pop-ups at Nordstrom and opening a few of its own stores in Canada.

In 2022, Essity scooped up an 80% stake in Knix for $320 million. The company is now expanding into wholesale, including Sporting Life, a Canadian chain.

Knix and rival Thinx, majority owned by Kimberly-Clark, recently reached legal settlements regarding the presence of PFAS in their products. Knix agreed to pay $1.4 million, with Thinx agreeing to pay up to $5 million.