BraTopia, an inclusive lingerie store in Calgary known for its personalized bra-fitting, is packed after hours at 6 p.m. on Oct. 30, with curious participants and eager organizers. Set up among racks of sportswear, swimwear, and shape wear are eight sensory stations.
The free event — Touch & Taste: A Seductive Exploration — features a sensory product at each station to engage with, varying from vibrators, flavoured lubes, feather ticklers and blindfolds, to temperature play and BDSM products. Some stations even present products that are not inherently sexual, but still present a body sensation, like candles, massage techniques, and ASMR.
As people wander from station to station, engaging with all their senses in an environment bursting with fun curiosity, Colette Hamon, president and CEO of BraTopia and French Postcard, is beaming with delight.
Hamon says events like these are a way for her to connect with her clientele and market intimacy devices for women – which has proven to be a difficult task.
“What we still societally cannot accept, and why marketing suffers for it, is female libido,” says Hamon.
One attendee, Robin Waters, says she didn’t have huge expectations but was curious about going. She ended up learning a lot about her preferences and walked away satisfied with the event and with the services BraTopia provides.
“I’ve been wearing the wrong bra forever,” Waters says. “People should come here and get measured. It was amazing.”
This is what Hamon, who calls herself a self-love entrepreneur, hopes for all attendees at the events she hosts. But Hamon hasn’t always been the confident and empowered woman she is today. Her career of self-love was inspired by the insecurities she once battled. From growing up influenced by weight loss programs to the pressure of losing weight after having a baby, Hamon’s body confidence has evolved through a journey of self-acceptance and challenging societal expectations.
Back when Hamon was preparing for her honeymoon, she was in search of a sexy and comfortable bra to bring with her but she had no luck. Later, while on maternity leave after her first child, the search began again for a comfortable sports bra. She believed this would be an easier feat, but was surprised that even this task was complicated.
“Then this starts the psyche, right? Women and their bodies. We have so many issues,” she says.
These difficulties inspired Hamon to open her store, BraTopia, where she can make the shopping process not only easier for women, but fun.
“I’m not the only person with big boobs. I’m going to fix this. I’m going to do this, and I’m going to do it better,” she says, recalling what made her want to open BraTopia in 2011.
When Hamon recognized the impact she could have on others when she was her “best self” – empowered and confident, she was inspired to continue her journey to help other women live their best lives. Hamon realized this included helping others explore and embrace their sexuality.
This realization stemmed from an interaction she had with an intimacy device company at one of her lingerie trade shows, who told her that 90 percent of her BraTopia clientele would never step foot into a sex shop. Hamon considered this information, and who her clientele are, and realized this statement was true.
“I would have a hard time, not now, but when I was younger especially, walking into one with the fear of who’s going to see me walking out,” she says.
Hamon highlights that this is because of the societal shame women feel around owning their sexuality.
“But men openly walk in and out of strip clubs,” she says. “I don’t think it’s the same level of shame or judgement.”
Hamon decided to start introducing intimacy devices at the BraTopia store, and once these products were available to purchase she could see the clients were interested. Shortly after, she realized she was selling women in their fifties and sixties their first toy.
“I just thought, ‘Wow, like, they’re missing out on life,’” she says.
The more devices she sold, the more Hamon could see the impact she was making. Most women don’t have safe, educational places to learn how to have positive sexual experiences. So, Hamon decided she would make the BraTopia store a safe and comfortable space for women in Calgary looking to explore their sexuality.
“Everyone goes online, but the first thing you find if you look for anything sexual is not necessarily educational. It can be, but it can also be triggering in what the content is,” she says.
But with media platforms attempting to block this sexual content, it’s difficult for Hamon’s BraTopia team to market their products online.
Wareewan Tangsupthawee, the marketing assistant at BraTopia, says marketing in her field is difficult because of the censorship of topics like sex, lingerie, and female libido. Her marketing content can be easily flagged online, and even banned, by algorithms that consider it to be violating platform guidelines. Tangsupthawee says this means she constantly has to be brainstorming creative ways to promote their products, while also ensuring their content adheres with all outlined guidelines.
To market intimacy products for women more freely, Hamon decided to launch her separate brand, French Postcard, where these products are available for purchase.
“The more educated women are about their sexuality, the more empowered they are.”