ON THE COVER

THE SISTERHOOD BRA

WELCOME TO THE FUTURE DREAMS Sisterhood

WEARING A SOFT, SUPPORTIVE AND COMFORTABLE BRA AFTER BREAST CANCER SURGERY IS ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY AND NORMALITY. BUT FOR SOME WOMEN, IT’S A LUXURY THEY CAN’T AFFORD. FUTURE DREAMS’ SISTERHOOD PROJECT AIMS TO GIVE EVERY WOMAN ACCESS TO A POST-OP BRA. ARE YOU READY TO JOIN THE SISTERHOOD?

Breast cancer doesn’t respect wealth. But, like everything in life, it’s without doubt much harder to deal with a diagnosis if you’re facing financial challenges too. Here’s how we’re trying to help...

Join our sisterhood

words LOUISE COURT photographs SIMON EMMETT artistic director KORNELIA CHARLES

It was while speaking to panels of breast care nurses across different hospitals that Future Dreams heard many devastating stories. Some were of women who couldn’t even afford the bus fare to travel to hospital for their chemotherapy.

Often, breast cancer meant they were unable to work, which meant they were unable to earn. And so their financial worries simply piled on top of their health concerns. For them, buying a vital post-surgery bra was just a pipe dream.

As many of you will know, finding a comfortable post-surgery bra is difficult, even if you can afford to try and then buy. For those women battling to make ends meet, it can be a nightmare. Faced with the choice of getting something for their children or paying for a new bra, there is only ever going to be one winner. And it won’t be the sick mum who already feels guilty about not being able to provide.

Instead of being able to wear a comfy, specially-designed new bra, some women are forced to cut and customise old ones, pulling out uncomfortable boning or snipping away areas that rub on sensitive scarring.

Which is why Future Dreams is working with lingerie brand Naturana to create the Sisterhood Bra range, supporting women at this difficult time.

There are two lines in the Sisterhood Bra collection. Firstly, a beautiful range of four post-surgery soft bras of which 20% of profits

‘FACED WITH THE CHOICE OF GETTING SOMETHING FOR THEIR CHILDREN OR PAYING FOR A NEW BRA FOR THEMSELVES, THERE IS ONLY EVER GOING TO BE ONE WINNER – AND IT WON’T BE THE SICK MUM’

go to Future Dreams. If you can afford to buy a bra, choosing from this range will help fund the charity’s vital work.

The other bra, available in cream and navy, is for the woman who has not had breast cancer and is simply looking for some stunning lingerie. For every one sold, a post-surgery bra will be donated to a woman who can’t afford to buy one.

The message is simple. Treat yourself to some beautiful lingerie and help a woman who needs your support – literally!

HELP A WOMAN WHO NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT... LITERALLY!

To launch our Sisterhood Bra, we worked with acclaimed photographer Simon Emmett, whose work often appears in magazines such as Vogue and GQ, and asked breast cancer survivors and celebs to model the Naturana underwear. First our ladies, all of whom have undergone breast surgery, model the Sisterhood post-op bras

Sisterhood

‘I WANT TO RECLAIM MY BODY AND SAY, THIS IS ME NOW’

– LESLEY FINNEY

‘I FEEL SEXY, I FEEL FEMININE, I JUST FEEL REALLY NICE’

– CLAIRA HERMET

‘I FOUND IT REALLY DIFFICULT FINDING THE RIGHT BRA AFTER SURGERY, PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY - LOSING YOUR BREAST , IT’S PART OF YOU, IT’S BEEN WITH YOU FOREVER’

– HELEN ADDIS (RIGHT)

‘WOMEN WHO HAVE BREAST CANCER SHOULD STILL BE ABLE TO HAVE A “FEEL GOOD” EXPERIENCE AND THE CHOICE TO WEAR BEAUTIFUL LINGERIE POST-SURGERY’

– SARAH MOUNTFORD (LEFT)

‘MY FITTING EXPERIENCES POST-SURGERY WERE VERY DISHEARTENING. I HAD A PARTICULARLY BAD EXPERIENCE AT A HIGH STREET DEPARTMENT STORE - I FELT LIKE THEY WERE ALMOST TOO SCARED TO FIT ME AND UNSURE ABOUT WHAT BRA WAS SUITABLE FOR ME’

– KATE COURTMAN (LEFT)

Sisterhood

‘I AM A SECONDARY BREAST CANCER THRIVER, I STAND STRONG AND LIVE MY LIFE TO THE FULLEST’

– JENN CRONJE (RIGHT)

PROUD TO SUPPORT THE AMAZING WORK OF

FUTURE DREAMS

‘BRA SHOPPING IS NEVER THE SAME AFTER BREAST SURGERY. IT’S A STRUGGLE TO FIND PRETTY BRAS BUT THE SISTERHOOD BRAS MAKE ME FEEL BEAUTIFUL AND FEMININE AGAIN’

– CLOVER LEWIS

We’re grateful to these amazing celebrities, photographed by Simon Emmett, for modelling the Sisterhood Bra range for women who have not had breast cancer, and to Stephanie Dolker, co-owner of Naturana.

STEPHANIE DOLKER

Co-owner of Naturana

‘The Sisterhood Bra campaign is something we feel very strongly about. We are acutely aware that a well-designed bra gives women a confidence boost. We’ve been making bras for 100 years, that’s all we do. Unfortunately we can’t save lives or cure diseases, but if we can make someone’s life a little better by gifting them a bra, that is a wonderful thing. When Future Dreams took me to some of the London hospitals to speak to the breast care nurses, I realised how many women can’t afford a mastectomy bra as they prioritise their family over their own needs. By working with Future Dreams on this amazing project, we have the chance to change a few women’s lives for the better in a tiny way. And that is something I’m extremely proud of.’

AMANDA BYRAM

TV presenter

‘Just because you haven’t been affected by breast cancer doesn’t mean we can’t all get together and be part of the same team. We are sisters – we are all together in this journey called life!’

Sisterhood

FAYE TOZER

Steps singer who has supported her mum through breast cancer

‘Women are at their most vulnerable post-surgery and they all need something supportive and soft next to their skin. Not only supportive in a fabric sense, but something to feel more secure and confident and to help them deal with that time. It’s important we have this togetherness and if this campaign can be part of that, let’s do it.

‘It gives us an opportunity to gift a bra to somebody who needs it. This underwear is really fab – it’s super comfortable and I felt really lovely doing the photoshoot in it. If we can give anybody the sort of confidence that I felt today, we are doing the right thing.’

CLAUDIA-LIZA ARMAH

TV newsreader

‘I think it’s really important for women who have not been affected to reach out by doing something really simple – buying one of these beautiful bras and in return getting a bra to a woman who has gone through breast surgery, who can’t afford one and needs it the most.’

Both Sisterhood Bra Shoots – BTS Team and thanks to: ALI PIZARDEH hair stylist, GRACE HATCHER hair stylist assistant, AMANDA GROSSMAN make up, EMMA WELSH Nail technician, JULIA BABBAGE Nail technician, TRACIE CANT hair, CRISTIANO BASCIU hair, LIZ PUGH make up, PENELOPE MEREDITH Styling, MONICA HARRINGTON Lingerie expert, Special thanks to HELEN LISLE-TAYLOR at Premier hair and make up, JO ELMAN Catering, SASSY STUDIOS With special thanks to GABI BESEVIC-SIMPSON and AUDREY CHARON at CLM and MARTIN ROACH and ANT SHURMER

Sisterhood

JACQUIE AND CHARLOTTE

Sky sports presenter Jacquie Beltrao is being treated for breast cancer again after first being diagnosed in 2013. She came to the shoot with her friend, Good Morning Britain‘s Charlotte Hawkins, and they spoke of the importance of women supporting other women.

Jacquie says of her first diagnosis, ‘It was really hard to tell my friends and work colleagues I had breast cancer and I felt I had failed. The first person I told at work was Charlotte and she was the first person I showed my new boobs to. You can make a really big difference by saying to someone – I am here for you.’

‘It was devastating when Jacquie told me she had breast cancer,’ says Charlotte. ‘As a friend I felt powerless, I just wanted to help her – this special person to me, who I loved. It’s difficult as a friend when you are trying to help and you want to do what you think is the right and the best thing for them.

‘In the end you just have to show them you are there and you want to support them.’

The bras go on sale in January 2021. For details of where to buy them, please go to futuredreams.org.uk