Love & Swans — Our Story

“What do you truly love?” Ivan asked her one evening.

The answer came instantly and sincerely: “Lingerie.”

That simple phrase opened her eyes. Maria had always admired the world of fine fabrics, lace, and delicate accessories. Even as a child, lingerie felt magical to her—something more than just clothing. It was at that moment she realized: this is what truly brings her joy and inspiration.

Thus, the idea for Love & Swans was born — a symbol of the love between Maria and Ivan, and a product of their shared creativity. Together, they wanted to create more than just a lingerie brand. They wanted to build something unique, something that would allow every woman to feel special. From the very beginning, they envisioned Love & Swans as a global brand, one that would inspire women and help them express their individuality.

Returning to the city, Maria was filled with excitement at the thought of opening a multi-brand lingerie boutique. But soon, this idea transformed into something greater. She realized their true path was to create their own unique brand, one that reflected their shared values. They didn’t want to take the easy road of buying cheap lingerie and reselling it for a markup. For them, quality always came first. Maria and Ivan decided they would design their own collections—lingerie that would serve as a canvas for embroidered stories.

“Now, when we create something by hand, we aren’t just making a piece of clothing—we’re creating an entire world. Our lingerie is not just an item; it’s a story, it’s art. Every set is a part of our soul, a way to express what can’t always be said with words. Every piece we make is infused with our love for art. Art is our true home, and lingerie is our story, one we’re ready to share with the world.”

My passion for lingerie and his incredible talent as a designer merged into a single project, one that reflected not only our professional skills but also our love for each other. Every detail, every stitch, every piece of embroidery wasn’t just work—it was an expression of the emotions we poured into creating something truly unique.

Even the name of the brand, Love & Swans, was steeped in symbolism. Swans, always associated with beauty, loyalty, and harmony, perfectly represented the vision we wanted to convey through our collections. My surname, Lebedeva—meaning "swan"—almost seemed like fate guiding us toward the perfect name. Everything fell into place naturally, as if destiny itself was leading us in the creation of this brand.

For our lingerie sets, we choose European mesh that gently embraces the body, Soft Touch elastic for ultimate comfort, and hardware that remains invisible when worn but adds a touch of elegance to each piece.

Our embroidery is a particular point of pride. We use Japanese glass beads and natural pearls to create intricate, one-of-a-kind designs. The embroidery thread we use is from the German brand Gunold, certified by OEKO-TEX, ensuring durability and safety. Each component undergoes rigorous quality control to meet our high standards.

We pay special attention to how our beaded embroidery interacts with the skin. Every embroidery is carefully backed with a second layer of fabric, ensuring that the beads do not touch the skin and cause discomfort. We understand how important it is for lingerie to not only look beautiful but also feel comfortable. The gusset of our panties is made from 100% soft cotton for maximum comfort.

Every Love & Swans set is the result of meticulous craftsmanship. The hand embroidery on a single set takes an average of 10 hours, and each detail is crafted with love and care. We take immense pride in our production process and in being able to offer our customers lingerie of unquestionable quality.

That same year, we made the decision to relocate our headquarters from Armenia to Istanbul. This move was not only strategic but also deeply personal. Ivan and I wanted to start a new chapter in Turkey, and Istanbul—with its rich culture and history—became a new source of inspiration for us.

We continue to work hard to ensure that Love & Swans remains a brand that allows every woman to express her individuality through unique creations. Lingerie is more than just clothing. It’s art, it’s a story, it’s a way to express who you are.

1. Being Local.

Our lingerie is hand crafted in a small workshop. L&S team are 95% female, from artist to top management. Our main principle is «win-win», so all employees get a fair salary.

Our beading embroidery is make by women, many of whom had little or no income. Our relationship can be described by the word "community", based on mutual assistance and transparent relations. We doing our business with love.

Embroidery on our sets is done by machine, although it is very similar to manual. This is our know-how, the result of more than 6 months of development. This allows us to remain local without resorting to procurement in countries where we cannot control the transparency of working conditions.

2. Focusing on Quality.

We use very high quality fabrics and materials. We believe, that quality is the best way to be sustainable. All our materials are OEKO-TEX certificated, which means they were made without using any harsh chemicals. Moreover, most of our materials are produced in EU, which helps us to reduce carbon footprint because of logistics.