Leonisa Marks 70

03 February 2026

Founded in 1956 in Medellín, Colombia, Leonisa is a privately held global manufacturer with a vertically integrated footprint across the Americas and Europe. As the brand enters its 70th year, we spoke with Octavio Quintana, President of Leonisa USA, on what’s driving its next phase of growth.

Leonisa is celebrating a major anniversary this year. Looking back, which strategic decisions were most decisive in shaping the brand’s positioning and long-term growth in the North American market?

Yes, Leonisa will be celebrating our 70-year anniversary in 2026! Since entering the North American market, we’ve consistently made strategic decisions with long-term growth in mind. Early on, we recognized that American customers were more interested in our shapewear than our bras and panties, and we decided to adjust our offerings with that in mind. We continue to let customer feedback guide our design choices, and many of our bestsellers were developed directly in response to customer reviews. The growth we’ve achieved in the North American market is a direct result of our commitment to understanding how the needs and tastes of this market differ from South and Central America and adapting as needed. A brand’s portfolio is one of its most valuable assets, and the portfolio that we originally built for the US has helped us expand globally, too. From our US headquarters, we oversee the brand’s presence in Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and Canada, offering the same selection of items abroad as we do in the states. We’re always mindful of what we sell, ensuring that we offer products, and messaging, that resonate with local markets. But no matter where we’re selling, our focus is always the same: delivering high-quality pieces crafted from high-tech, innovative materials.

Innovation has always been central to Leonisa’s DNA. Which product categories or technologies have been the strongest growth drivers in recent years, and where do you see the next major opportunities?

In recent years, shaper shorts have emerged as Leonisa’s best-selling category. Our PowerStay Short went viral on TikTok and became our top-selling product of all time in 2025. This shaper short is made of our signature AirFlex compression fabric, which has become one of our most famous materials. This fabric is ultra-light, yet strong enough to undergo the process of thermofusion, where the fabric is bonded with heat instead of seams for a completely seamless effect. The result is virtually-invisible shapewear, which customers love. Shaper shorts are successful globally because they offer the best of both worlds: they promise tummy and thigh shaping while reducing thigh chafing, especially when worn under dresses and skirts. Shaper shorts exemplify the evolution of shapewear from big, bulky, full-body styles to super-light pieces that do it all, and we expect demand in this category to continue growing. Looking ahead, we see bodysuits with built-in shaping as a major opportunity. Our Boldly collection, launched earlier this year, features shapewear that can be worn either under clothing or on its own. Initially, customers were hesitant to try the pieces, but they quickly embraced the concept of shapewear that doubles as outerwear. This positive response has inspired us to create more multipurpose items, reflecting the growing consumer appetite for versatile, 2-in-1 solutions. We anticipate that visible, wearable shapewear will be a key trend in the coming years.

The market has also shifted away from heavy, traditional fabrics to lighter fabrics that may compromise effectiveness. We addressed this need by creating lighter pieces that maintain the same level of compression as their heavier counterparts, relying on innovative design instead of sheer force through fabric density. This balance of comfort and performance is what makes our products unique in the market.

As the brand celebrates its heritage, how do you balance legacy and innovation, particularly when addressing younger consumers while remaining loyal to long-standing customers?

Our target market has always included a wide range of ages, from younger generations to long-standing customers and everyone in between. Some styles have been in our catalogs for generations, but we also launch new styles every year, some of which go on to become new fan favorites. Pieces from current collections often appear alongside styles from years past on our bestsellers list, proving that truly iconic designs continue to resonate year after year. The balance between legacy and innovation is a delicate one to maintain, but it’s important to us that every generation of Leonisa customers receives the same level of service, quality, and technology we’ve always offered. It's also important to mention that the generations shop differently. Younger people are more comfortable shopping online, whereas previous generations tend to prefer to shop in person. By focusing more on our online presence, we’ve been able to attract a younger consumer base, many of whom found us on TikTok and Amazon. Never underestimate those two platforms: they’re great ways for more customers to find your products!

Distribution models in North America continue to evolve, from DTC to wholesale and omnichannel strategies. How is Leonisa structuring its go-to-market approach to ensure sustainable growth?

So much of our effort in previous years went into exploring digital platforms to find all the new ways new customers can encounter our brand. We have also expanded greatly through our wholesale partnerships. We’re highly selective in choosing our wholesale partners, conducting research first to ensure each partnership we form is long-term, sustainable, and mutually beneficial. Building strong relationships with our retail partners, and continuing to grow them over time, is always our top priority. We’re building brand awareness through our omnichannel strategy, which also helps the retailers we work with: when customers go to your store, they’ll know who Leonisa is because they saw us on TikTok, on Facebook, or on other digital platforms.

Leonisa recently won the Best Boutique Brand Awards in the Shapewear category, one of the most competitive segments in the market. What does this recognition represent for the brand, and how does it validate your product and retailing strategy?

Being recognized in the Shapewear category of the Best Boutique Brand Awards has been incredibly meaningful to us. It reflects that our wholesale partners truly understand what Leonisa stands for. This recognition affirms that we’re delivering on our promise to create products with broad consumer appeal that perform as intended. As more wholesalers discover and embrace our collections, we’re confident their customers will do the same. We appreciate that consumers are providing positive feedback about our products to the stores we partner with, and that those stores continue to vote for us to win this prestigious honor. We’ve won this award 3 years in a row and, each time, it’s driven us to self-improvement. We feel the pressure to outdo ourselves every year, and that drives continuous innovation and optimization.

As Leonisa marks this milestone, what message would you like to send to retail partners and industry stakeholders, and how does this anniversary set the tone for the brand’s next chapter?

Our vision for the future is simple: we want everyone in every corner of the world to know what Leonisa is and what our values are. At the core of our brand are empowerment, technology, and quality. Upholding those principles every day, in every process, sets the tone for our continued success. We owe our growth to the fact that our products are truly unique in the market. Our proprietary technology enables us to create high-quality products in-house, in the Americas, giving us complete control over the production process and allowing us to ensure the highest standard of excellence for every product we create. As we enter the next chapter of Leonisa’s story, we remain committed to moving forward with integrity, innovation, and a clear focus on delivering meaningful value to our customers and our wholesale partners.

Milestones that Shaped Leonisa
1956 – We officially became Leonisa!
On November 20, 1956, Confecciones Leonisa – a company dedicated to manufacturing women’s intimate apparel – was founded in Medellín, Colombia.
1960 – Our first bestselling bra as Leonisa
Leonisa created a cone bra (ref. 1000), which wasn’t just the first bra made by the company. It was the first bra ever produced in Colombia!
1968 – Going global
We started exporting our products to Costa Rica.
1970s – Expanding further
In the new decade, the brand expanded its presence to 12 countries in South and Central America. We also started developing our signature SmartLace.
1980s – Updated designs
We created strapless bras and continuously adapted to changes, both in fashion and in marketing.
1990s – New styles, same support
We created our signature Magicup and Midup bras and developed our first shaper panty styles.
2000s – New millennium, new us
We created the Air Bra, a bra with built-in inflatable padding for an airy boost.
2005 – Atlanta, GA
We established Leonisa USA! Our US branch is now one of the most successful.
2008 – We launched leonisa.com.
3 years after we came to the US, we launched our webstore to attract new customers in new parts of the world.
2009 – Taking shapewear to 4 new levels.
Our shapewear collection grew to include 4 compression levels: Super Comfy, Moderate, Firm, and Extra Firm.
2014 – We trademarked our fabric technology.
We established DuraFit, SkinFuse, PowerSlim, and SmartLace as part of our brand.
2016 – Our products became available through Macy’s.
We formed a partnership with the world-famous department store to reach even more people, through all their stores nationwide as well as their website.
2018 – We created our bestselling bra of all time!
Guided by customer feedback, we combined all the best features to create the High Profile Bra, which is still a bestseller to this day.
2020 – We partnered with Victoria’s Secret.
We joined forces with this legendary lingerie brand.
2023 – We won Shapewear Best Seller at the Best Brand Awards!
For the first time in history, we won the Shapewear Best Seller award in the US at the Best Boutique Brand Awards.
2024 – We won Shapewear Best Seller again!
Driven by the previous year’s success and the drive to outdo ourselves, we worked hard and won Shapewear Best Seller at the Best Boutique Brand Awards yet again!
2025 – We scored our third Shapewear Best Seller win!
We once again earned the prestigious Shapewear Best Seller award at the Best Boutique Brand Awards, which continues to inspire our innovations.
We officially trademarked our signature AirFlex fabric and also trademarked the name of our most popular shaper short of all time: the PowerStay short.