Bombo peels the skin to color your underwear

Material with moisturizing properties, vegetable dye made from plants or vegetable waste, such as avocado or onion skins... The young Marseille brand Bombo is launching its underwear that respects the body and the planet .

These three dream of a world where everyone loves their body and the planet. Fanny, Laurine and Noëllie want to believe that it is not just a utopia. By creating the Bombo brand of basic underwear, these young entrepreneurs have decided to combine nature and harmony, plants and the quest for meaning.

This new little label from Marseille, launched at the beginning of September, is committed to eco-responsible fashion. “We were very interested in fashion, especially second-hand. We realized that for underwear, it was not only difficult to find, but the process was a little more complex. We thought it would be interesting to use a material that really respects the skin,” explains Laurine, one of the co-founders of Bombo.

A reference to one of the names given to the goddess of witches "Bombo, the triple", the three-headed witch. “In our project, we wanted to have a feminist scope. So, as there are three of us, this name sounded good and it was in line with the values ​​we hold.”

Fanny, Laurine and Noëllie, the three co-founders of the Bombo brand. © Bombo.

The magical powers of Seacell

For a year, the Bombolistas worked on the product cycle, from material to manufacturing, with the aim of developing basics that respect the skin and of the environment. They rely on Seacell, a cellulosic fiber created from eucalyptus wood pulp (from FSC-certified sustainable forests), enriched with seaweed powder.

Seacell comes simply from the contraction of "sea" and "cell" in reference to the sea and cellulose. "It's a fabric that has moisturizing properties, which is why we thought it would be interesting to use it for women's intimacy. It is also strong, very flexible and soft,” continues Laurine.

The algae used contain vitamins, trace elements, amino acids and minerals. These substances activate cell regeneration on contact with the skin and the moisture it naturally releases. An invisible asset to relieve skin diseases (eczema, psoriasis), reduce inflammation, soothe itching... "That's why we fell in love with this material".

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At present, the Bombo basics are made in a workshop in Portugal, which makes it possible to produce in small quantities and limit surpluses. "It's a workshop that attaches particular importance to the well-being of employees, and it's also a way for us to favor a reasoned and independent distribution, to promote fair prices and free ourselves from the rhythm of sales and collections", assures Laurine, while mixing, with a large wooden spoon, a particular mixture.

Second skins

This is the last ingredient of the Bombo brand: vegetable dye. According to ancestral know-how, vegetable dyeing uses pigments naturally present in plants to color fabrics. "We use, among other things, chlorophyll pigments, it gives green, logwood, for purple, reseda which gives yellow", lists the young woman. The other particularity is the use of food waste, such as avocado skin for those who like to see life in pink, onion skin which makes it possible to obtain yellow.

Fanny took professional training to learn this technique of yesteryear, “and we did a lot of research to stabilize our recipes”. After the fiber cleaning phase, move on to the fixing stage using white vinegar, salt or even alum, before plunging into the decoction. Each underwear is thus carefully dyed, “in the washing machine or in a pan”, in their premises located in Buropolis.

A collection network with local producers, market gardeners and restaurateurs

For supplies, the "Bombo team" is currently targeting a few primeurs and is setting up a collection with certain Marseille restaurateurs, such as Ta & Co, in Castellane. The Mexican will thus be able to put back all his “offcuts” of onion skins. The entrepreneurs hope to be able to build a network by also relying on local producers and market gardeners in order to obtain more quantities.

For now, Bombo pieces can be found online. Before opening their e-shop, the trio tested their basics on a wide range of women throughout the summer. “We asked them to wear them, wash them, abuse them. We have changed some colors, but we have had excellent feedback on the dyes which are very good outfits. We also wanted to test the comfort, to see if it suited all body types, because we also designed them for that. We offer 4 sizes (1, 2, 3 and 4), but that actually covers sizes from 34 to 48”.

Vegetable dyeing workshop open to the public

Ultimately, the ambition of the young women is to open a workshop-boutique, in which a sorcerer, a magician and a fairy, will be able to carry out their dyes while selling their wares. A place that will also be open for workshops to introduce as many people as possible to the technique of vegetable dyeing. “Vegetable dyes have been pushed aside, overtaken by synthetic dyes in the race for industrialization. Today, they are slowly but surely coming back to the fore, as an ecological solution to the pollution and toxicity of synthetic dyes”.

Practical exercise starting this week, since Bombo is settling in a pop-up at store N°6 in Marseille from November 18 to 27, with a launch party scheduled for this evening and dyeing workshop open to the public on Saturday November 20 . The opportunity to meet these three beloved witches. Those thanks to whom stripping has never been so natural.

Practical information

Pop-up at boutique N°6, boulevard André Aune – 13006 Marseille from November 18 to 27, with a launch party on the 18 from 6.30 p.m., and dyeing workshop open to the public on Saturday November 20. Instagram @bombo.love

Dyeing workshop with Paulette magazine on November 24 at Buropolis.