Canada’s leading lingerie brand has a quiet secret: despite its unmistakably international feel, La Senza was born and bred in Canada. Thanks to a global, country-agnostic marketing approach, many devoted fans have no idea the brand has Canadian roots — and that’s a testament to just how universal its appeal has become.
La Senza is often mentioned in the same breath as Victoria’s Secret, and the comparison is fair. But far from being a limitation, it speaks to the brand’s ability to deliver on the same promise: lingerie that feels exciting, confident, and undeniably glamorous.
How La Senza Came to Life — and Evolved
La Senza was founded in the late 1980s by Canadian entrepreneur Laurence Levin. The first store opened in Montreal in 1990, built around a simple but powerful idea: accessible glamour. The brand offered women trend-forward, boldly styled lingerie — think the aesthetic of luxury labels, at a fraction of the price. From day one, the La Senza universe extended beyond bras and panties to include bodysuits, sleepwear, and loungewear, with accessories added to the mix in later years.
In 2006, La Senza was acquired by L Brands, the American retail giant already behind Victoria’s Secret. The shared ownership naturally brought the two brands closer in spirit — some product lines overlapped, and marketing campaigns occasionally featured the same faces. Over the years, La Senza campaigns starred names like Doutzen Kroes, Isabeli Fontana, Bianca Balti, Daniela Peštová, and Emma Heming-Willis.
Yet the brand was never simply a shadow of its American counterpart. Under the same corporate umbrella, both labels evolved in parallel — and La Senza had plenty of standout moments of its own. Among the most memorable: the 2008 Pussycat Dolls collection, designed in collaboration with Robin Antin, founder of The Pussycat Dolls. The pieces were crafted from premium fabrics sourced in Italy and Spain, giving the collection a decidedly elevated feel.
In early 2019, La Senza changed hands again, this time acquired by investment firm Regent. Now operating as a fully independent label, the brand is charting its own course in women’s lingerie and apparel. For longtime fans, the transition only adds to the intrigue — the collections have always delivered, and a new chapter of independence promises to be just as compelling.
Today, La Senza is available in thousands of stores worldwide, with a strong online presence making it easier than ever to shop the brand no matter where you are.
