Leonisa

Leonisa is a private Colombian clothing manufacturer specializing in lingerie, shapewear, swimwear, and underwear for men and women. Founded in 1956 and headquartered in Medellín, the company operates internationally, with distribution across Latin America, North America, and Europe. The company maintains production facilities primarily in Latin America.

History

Leonisa was founded in Medellín, Colombia, in November 1956 by brothers Joaquín Eduardo Urrea and Julio Ernesto Urrea. The company initially focused on women's undergarments and established its first manufacturing facility that same year. In 1965, Leonisa expanded regionally by opening a plant in Costa Rica to supply Central American markets. By the late 1980s, the company began its European expansion, starting with Spain, and subsequently entered markets in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy. In 1993, Leonisa introduced the "Magic Up" bra, aimed at enhancing bust appearance. In February 2020, Leonisa entered a retail partnership with Victoria’s Secret to make its shapewear products available via the latter’s online platform in the United States.

Products

Women’s intimate apparel

Leonisa has product lines for shapewear, bras and panties, including collections that meet specific needs, like

postpartum The postpartum (or postnatal) period begins after childbirth and is typically considered to last for six to eight weeks. There are three distinct phases of the postnatal period; the acute phase, lasting for six to twelve hours after birth; the ...

and post-surgical shapewear and sports underwear. In 2009, Leonisa introduced a brand that targets girls and women between the ages of 14 and 25. Leonisa features four different compression levels, each employing Leonisa's trademark compression technology. In 2012, the company launched a new line of smart fabric shapewear and post-surgical compression garments.

Swimwear

Launched in the 1990s, the swimwear line includes basic swimwear, one-piece swimsuits, control and slimming swimwear, push-up swimsuit tops, cover-ups, and other products.

LEO (Men's Line)

Leonisa launched its first men’s underwear line under the name Airell in 1975. The brand was renamed LEO in the 1980s. LEO now includes men’s underwear and shapewear, with varying levels of compression for athletic or aesthetic purposes.

Activewear

Leonisa produces activewear for both women and men under its ActiveLife and Leo ActiveLife lines. Products include leggings, sports bras, and performance underwear, often using shaping fabrics such as DuraFit and PowerSlim.

References

{{Reflist, 2 Lingerie brands Lingerie retailers Swimwear brands Underwear brands Clothing brands Clothing companies of Colombia Clothing companies established in 1956 1956 establishments in Colombia Colombian brands