As I sit down with Sylvia Shoshan, a soon-to-be graduate in MA Fashion Journalism and Content Creation, it’s clear that this isn’t your average student project. NIPS Magazine, her brainchild, is a bold and refreshing take on a subject often overlooked or misrepresented: underwear. Dedicated to the intimate layer of our wardrobes, NIPS explores the fashion, politics, and cultural significance of lingerie through the lens of the female gaze.
NIPS sets itself apart as more than just a glossy celebration of lace and silk. It’s a thoughtfully curated space that balances trends and oddities with meaningful cultural commentary. Featuring interviews with lingerie brands, a 90s underwear model, and even New York’s go-to for vintage slips—an old friend of Jean Paul Gaultier, no less—this all-female-led magazine seeks to redefine how we view and talk about lingerie.
I was eager to learn more about the inspiration behind NIPS, the challenges of tackling a subject steeped in societal taboos. Through our interview I had the privilege to learn more about how this project reflects a broader conversation about identity, empowerment, and change.
I started by looking at things that I was already interested in, and wanted to find a subject that didn’t exist in magazine form yet that had a meaningful message. I’ve loved collecting unique lingerie for a while now and supporting small brands, so I felt like I already had a base of knowledge, which made the process easier. I did some research into the relationship between women’s underwear, female identity and feminism and found it really fascinating.
A big part of the early stages was talking with my friends about the underwear they liked, and I found that so many of them didn’t really know where to look anymore for brands that supported their preferences, like comfort or sustainability. I thought NIPS could become a go-to space for all these kinds of underwear discussions.
The creative process very much stemmed from these conversations with friends, and collaboration was a huge part of it. Finding other women who were passionate about the idea and had something to share really brought it together.
There’s so much to this, I think. To some extent, you can trace women’s emancipation through the underwear worn at different times. For example, the restrictive corsets of the Victorian era, the hyper-feminine bullet bras of the 1950s, and today’s emphasis on female-first comfort and inclusivity. It can reflect what’s important to women, such as sustainability, personal expression and gender identity – or what society and men expect of women and how they’re viewed. Today there are so many offerings that reveal positive societal shifts and I’m curious to see where it keeps going.
The main challenge was making sure people didn’t misunderstand the message and think I was creating a ‘Playboy-esque’ magazine. NIPS was created not to objectify women but to empower them. Historically, magazines focused on the male gaze often used contour garments to appeal to men through sexualisation, but that’s not who we’re speaking to. Our focus is on women—celebrating their choices, comfort, and identity. It didn’t bother me too much when men misunderstood, as they’re not the target audience, and it actually gave me a chance to explain how underwear can mean so much more for women than just something for sexual appeal or practical ‘granny pants.’ There will always be conversations about sexualisation when it comes to underwear, which is why I think it’s so important to have spaces that show it’s not just about that.
It mostly happened by accident purely because of the nature of the subject and its target audience being women, it just made sense. I wanted to involve people that were genuinely passionate about the idea, understood the vision and had something to contribute. But on shoots it was especially important to me that we had an all-female team so that the models felt comfortable as it is a vulnerable and intimate position to be in. I wanted the environment to be relaxed and everyone to feel as though they could contribute too. I had an amazing team, and it was a lot of fun being on set with a group of girls. I think it made the content all feel more authentic and less sexualised, really capturing the women.
Yes, I get so carried away with it! I would love to create a website that could be a community for women and a space to promote women’s health charities for example. There are also so many interesting people in the industry to talk to that need a space to connect with our target audience, and I think NIPS could offer that. I actually have a list of small brands and creatives I someday hope to collaborate with.
Start from a place of existing interest and passion. It makes the process much easier, and I think creates a more authentic output. When it came to interviewing people, I was able to hold a conversation and ask insightful questions more naturally as I already had a base of genuine interest and knowledge.
Also, find a community that shares your passion and don’t be shy to reach out to people, even if you think there is no chance of them ever responding, you’d be surprised! People generally love to help and share their own knowledge where they can. I think it’s also hard as a young creative to build up your work, people are always looking for exciting opportunities to collaborate on, so don’t be shy to reach out.