Dani St James: My inclusive underwear line will help trans women stay safe

Danielle ‘Dani’ St James is a self-proclaimed “gobby lefty,” well-known within the UK LGBTQ+ as an influencer, content creator, model and Chief Exec of @notaphaseorg (a leading charity that supports trans adults through community-focused projects, resource distribution, campaigns and corporate consultancy) who has now founded her own inclusive underwear and swimwear brand, @zoahofficial.

When, aged 17, Dani realised she was transgender, she used unsafe, painful tucking methods (including gaffer tape) to achieve a discrete and desired shape, making her feel she “wasn’t meant” for a world that “wasn’t designed” for her.

Through Zoah’s products, Dani seeks to fill a gap in the market for underwear and swimwear that support the unique needs of trans women, non-binary individuals and gender non-conforming people, something deemed essential by Mermaids. Each Zoah product is designed to provide the wearer with the ultimate confidence, comfort and silhouette, which also helps to keep the trans community safe.

The variety of people wearing Zoah products has fascinated Dani, which has included seeing them embraced by queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.

“I design with trans women in mind, but the fact that people of all walks of life love them means so much to me.”

“It’s also quite fab that the queens on Drag Race are wearing them, I love that.”

Reviewers have praised Dani’s underwear and swimwear, including:

“No more being restricted to bikinis with skirts, can just feel comfortable swimming without drawing eyes”

“the most comfortable underwear that I have worn since I started feeling gender dysphoria”

and

“the confidence they gave me to start being myself, so much love went into them, and being able to wear outfits that I thought I wouldn’t be able to wear before is such a confidence booster”

Find out more about Zoah here: @zoahofficial.

written by @raejoancreative