Urban Outfitters announces its partnership with Parade for an 18-piece intimates collection, becoming Parade’s first retail partner. The collection includes bralettes and underwear with 4 UO-Exclusive styles in bold, full spectrum color and fun prints that Parade is known for in its best-selling fabrics—Silky Mesh and Re:Play. 100% of the Parade collection is made of certified-recycled materials and Parade is the first-ever carbon neutral underwear collection to launch at Urban Outfitters. Like all of Parade’s collections, 1% of all sales will be donated to the Trans Law Center.a

Ahead of the launch, we sat down with Parade's CEO and founder Cami Tellez to learn more about how she started the brand and her thoughts on the partnership with UO.

Tell us a little bit about your background and how Parade came to be.
I started Parade because I was disillusioned with the one-dimensional cultural script of the underwear category that I grew up with. I didn’t see myself reflected in the products or brand vision of what was available at the mall when I was young. I realized we were ready for a new brand that instinctively understands that underwear could be sustainable, inclusive, fun, expressive--and most importantly, for everyone. So I dropped out of Columbia University when I was 21 to start Parade because I felt like I had a vision for the future of the category. I wanted to write a new underwear story in full color–and we have.

We could imagine your job gets stressful in addition to being fun and rewarding. What keeps you passionate and motivated?
Building a generation-defining brand is incredibly difficult–but it’s my dream job. I’m motivated by making a contribution to this important and highly emotional category. I’m incredibly proud of the way Parade has begun to shift perception of size inclusion in America, to the vision of equity in fashion, and the standards of sustainability in e-commerce. I know that because of Parade the next generation of brands that our children will grow up with will be more inclusive, more sustainable, more accessible to everyone.

We’re obsessed with the cast of our campaign. Parade is known for their impressive (and inclusive) community. How would you describe the Parade customer?
We are a community-first brand meaning, before we even launched, we had over 300 ambassadors who truly co-created the brand with us–they helped informed everything, from color, fit, mission, impact and where we spend our time. They’ve truly built Parade alongside us. Today we have over 25,000 brand ambassadors who share the same values as us.
It inspires me to see so many people posting pics in their underwear as an act of self-expression every day. It’s not just about people with 100K followers but people with 500-1000 posting for the first time in their underwear because they feel confident and sexy in Parade. I think its changed the face of the category because it’s no longer about the male gaze—it’s about celebrating yourself and we love to support that as a brand.

So Urban Outfitters is Parade’s first retail partner! That’s huge! Can you describe how this partnership began and why you’re excited about it?
Urban is all about community– it’s important for us to partner with like minded brands as we grow Parade and UO has the same passion for music, art, culture, fashion and community that we share. We’re truly thrilled to bring a collection that encapsulates the Parade brand with bright colors, fun prints and our best-selling fabrics to 25 UO locations so people can experience us IRL and shop the collection online.

What advice do you have for other aspiring young entrepreneurs?
Learn to thrive in risk and swing for the fences. My parents are immigrants, and they always tell me that we live in one of the only countries in the world where it’s okay to try things and fail. You absolutely cannot be afraid to fail or lead from a place of fear. You have to be fearless for your category, your customers, and for what you think is right in the world. Everything else will come.

What’s next for you and Parade?
We have some really exciting collaborations with some of the biggest brands in the world coming over the next year. We’re also really excited to launch some of the biggest categories that our community has been asking for–stay tuned!

Butterflies or fruit print?
Fruit!

Dream campaign star?
Aaron Rose Philip, who is actually in this campaign! Such a dream. I’m so thrilled that she decided to take part after being a fan of Parade for so long. YAY!