Meet Kira Fisher, Victoria’s Secret’s VP of design who oversees VSX, Swim, Apparel, and Accessories. Fisher has been with the brand for over nine years, and we had the chance to talk with the industry veteran to discuss the newly relaunched Knockout Front-Close Sports Bra. Read on to learn about the inspiration behind the Bra, what collection its part of, distinctive design details, and much more.
What are the new/updated features of the Knockout Front-Close Sports Bra?
“This Bra is a reinvention of a Bra we developed in 2011, the number one Sports Bra at the time. What’s super special about the Knockout Front Close is the Bra-within-a-Bra, patented technology. With extra support, this is the ultimate high-intensity style. Basically, where you unzip it, you have an actual Bra in the interior that clips, which is great and lets you feel extra held in.
We updated the pads to have this injectable, perforated technology, which is also used in our Featherweight Max Sports Bra to make the pads more lightweight and breathable. The layers within the Bra could look intimidating, but that’s why we invented the super-lightweight pad technology and the lightweight plastic wire so that you don’t necessarily feel like you’re wearing all these layers, but you’re wearing it simply to hold you in more.
We had a lot of confusion back in the day about the functionality of the closure staying fixed. So, we made this one more intuitive. Now, you easily put down the barrel and clip it, and since there’s no other way to wear it, it takes out any room for confusion. Lastly, we added a turbo dry liner within the pad for quick-dry purposes, and bonded seams everywhere for comfort (sans chaffing or shifting). The Bra has significantly evolved over the years, and I’m excited to give it back to the customer with these modernized updates. It’s exciting to see it all come together.”
What activities is this Bra best for?
“It’s ideal for strength training, burpees, running, and jumping up and down. A lot of women with bigger busts feel very comfortable in the Bra because it gives them that extra support. It really helps to encapsulate you so that you can have reduced movement. However, people are also wearing this as an everyday option. Meaning, it’s great for people those with jobs where they are on their feet all day, whether that be nurses or associates in our stores.”
How long did it take to make the Bra? What were the must-haves in creating this 2.0 version?
“It took 1.5 years to develop this Bra. We wanted to be intentional about testing, so we had our internal team test it and then a wider group of consumer tests (over 200 people) within our database. They’ll go through a series of questions: Do you work out? What kind of workouts do you do? What feels great about this Bra? Does it move at all when on? Is the fabric comfortable? All these focus points help us to rigorously decide what to alter and define it as a low, medium, or high-support Bra.”
What should people wear with the Knockout Front Close?
“The Bra comes in nine different colors and can be paired with the VSX Elevate™ Legging (both in the light support and high support).”
How does the Knockout Front Close complement the rest of the collection?
“The Knockout Front-Close Sports Bra is part of our New Year, New Moves collection. With a new year, there is new inspiration to work out and thoughtful planning around the outlook for the year ahead. The Bra and collection center on well-being and putting yourself first. Our hero color for the Knockout is the Turq Oasis, a tranquil color meant to evoke the meaning behind the season—creating a sense of calm and feeling at your center to inspire the energy needed to complete your vision for the new year.”
What do you want people to feel like when they wear this Bra?
“I want them to always feel empowered. We’ve heard some customers express being uncomfortable when active because of their breast size—due to all the things that happen with displacement. And with a Bra like this, you can go and run, jump, and really be free—regardless of your chest size. I want this Bra to give them the energy they’re looking for. And I want them to feel like they can break barriers with that. I want them to feel like they can be everything they want to be in this Bra. Just having that mental wellbeing makes everything better. It gives you clarity on how to work better. It makes you a better person all around. I really love VSX, and I love that the Knockout Front-Close Sports Bra solves for all these things.”