Katy Marks, an award-winning architect and cancer survivor, has created a one-cup bra called “Uno,” designed for women who have undergone a mastectomy. The product is a revolutionary design that celebrates the asymmetry of the body, with a range that extends to FF/G cup sizes and open-source patterns available for download around the world. The Liverpool-born designer is one of 14,850 women who undergo mastectomies annually, with two-thirds opting not to undergo reconstruction.
“I just want some clothing that I can wear with the body I have, and if no one else is going to make it, then I will,” says Marks. Uno aims to fill the gap in the market, as most post-op lingerie is unsupportive and often designed to conceal the loss of a breast in line with societal beauty norms. Marks used her architecture background to create affordable and accessible bras that celebrate asymmetry and reject the idea that the loss of a breast equates to the loss of feminine identity.
Marks’ passion for the project comes from a personal experience of struggling to find clothing that worked with her body’s new shape. By re-framing lingerie design as “architecture for the body,” she set out to create a design that incorporates her unique approach to the structural design of buildings in the bra. The beachwear range includes one-cup bikinis made from recycled ocean plastics.
“Creating Uno has made me feel that it is possible to look in the mirror again and feel like myself,” says Marks. Her design provides a stylish and supportive alternative to post-op lingerie that will empower women all over the world to embrace their bodies, no matter the changes they may undergo
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