It’s what’s underneath that counts, especially at Curve New York—a biannual intimate apparel trade show that highlights lingerie, swimwear, lounge, and sleepwear from around the world. The program is all about inclusion, with products available for everyone and exhibits where every body feels seen. But this year, they took that initiative even further, partnering with Purple Strong to put awareness for domestic violence front and center.

Below, we spoke with one of the curators and founder Ellen Lewis (she/her) of Lingerie Briefs (with a note from Kirsten Griffin, the director of visitor promotions at Curve New York) about the show, the reason behind its theme, and the importance of their work on and off the runway.

Tell us a bit more about Curve!
KIRSTEN: For years, Curve has highlighted hundreds of intimate apparel brands and we always pride ourselves on discovering an assortment of inclusive, body positive, gender non-conforming, and empowering brands. From a brand that focuses its DNA on helping women recover from mastectomy surgeries to brands that celebrate sexuality and sensuality, empowering women of all shapes and sizes to feel their best when wearing intimate apparel is part of the Curve ethos. This year, we’ve partnered with a styling curator and Founder of Noblesse Oblige lingerie to highlight a variety of new-to-market brands that push boundaries and celebrate inclusive and unique designs.

Now, let’s talk about this year’s theme. How did choosing it come about?
ELLEN: Lingerie Briefs launched a new column on the website titled Survivor Stories back in July. I was then approached by Jacob Miller, who heads a business called Purple Strong. Purple Strong is a safe place for women and men to tell their stories. Jacob is also a photographer who does exclusive boudoir images for women who’ve found their way out of their debilitating situation, and he agreed to do the photography for my column.

What will be showcased at your exhibit?
ELLEN: There will be multiple meter boards where each one will showcase one of the models wearing lingerie. Each model is a survivor and has recorded a video describing their journey. The video—one hour long—is on a one hour loop that will play at the installation throughout the show. These are powerful images capturing the impact of lingerie as it elevates the individual’s state of mind.

Why is it important to have conversations about domestic violence in spaces like Curve?
ELLEN: Every one of the women to whom we have spoken have expressed how lingerie makes them feel empowered. Lingerie is a very personal element in a woman’s wardrobe, after all. It’s the closest thing to the skin and can be hidden or exposed. These women are all on a journey to recovery where lingerie might help.

How can we get involved if we can’t make the event?
ELLEN: If they would like to be involved, we’re asking for donations to The Domestic Violence Awareness Project. Or, they can contact me or Kirsten Griffin at Curve.