Kusha Kapila launches innerwear brand UnderNeat

Content creator and social media influencer Kusha Kapila has officially launched her innerwear brand, UnderNeat, after months of organically building anticipation through social media content. Focused on women’s innerwear, the brand aims to solve common fit and comfort issues often ignored by mainstream lingerie brands.

Kapila’s content strategy didn’t start with a product push. Instead, she built a narrative around the everyday discomfort, awkward fits, and unspoken frustrations women face with innerwear. Through humor, cultural nuance, and personal anecdotes, she reframed the conversation—shifting it from merely selling a product to solving real problems.

Her launch strategy resonated deeply with her audience, where 45.67% of her followers are beauty enthusiasts, 22.26% engage with art and entertainment, and 10.4% follow her for fashion content, according to Qoruz. With 4.2 million followers and an impressive engagement rate of 3.69%, her content-driven marketing approach led to immediate traction.

Before the brand’s official launch, UnderNeat’s Instagram page had already amassed 123K followers. Within 24 hours of the announcement, it gained 177K more—an extraordinary leap without any paid promotions. This success stemmed from a nine-video series that explored common innerwear dilemmas, prompting candid discussions among her predominantly female audience (72.75%), many of whom fall within the 25-34 age group.

Kapila’s “What Are You Wearin’ Under?” series originated from a simple but relatable question asked in the comments of one of her reels. Instead of a straightforward response, she created engaging videos explaining various innerwear solutions tailored for different outfits. She blended humor, Bollywood references, and even featured her mother to make the content more authentic and engaging. As a result, her average post garners 185.8K likes and 406 comments, with a stellar engagement rate of 4.45%.

UnderNeat’s launch was backed by Ghazal Alagh, co-founder of Mamaearth, who has experience in scaling D2C brands. The marketing strategy relied heavily on social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter, incorporating behind-the-scenes  (BTS) content, interactive discussions, and humor-driven videos.

"We are live now!  Hooray! Use code UN10 to enjoy 10% off your first UNDERNEAT order — because confidence should always come with comfort. " that the ad text reads. 

link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DH0E_RDyHaO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

The Business of Authenticity

Unlike traditional D2C brands that prioritize product distribution before community engagement, Kapila built demand first, allowing the audience to feel invested in the brand before its launch. The strategy mirrors the growing trend where creators use content as the foundation of their business rather than relying on conventional advertising.

UnderNeat’s success is not an isolated case. Influencers like Orry have previously leveraged this method. Before launching his merchandise line, Orryshops, he embedded his catchphrases like “I am liver” into content, ensuring a seamless transition into monetization. Similarly, he subtly incorporated brand partnerships into his content before formal promotions, maintaining authenticity.

Industry Experts Weigh In

Vaibhav Gupta, Co-founder of KlugKlug, highlighted a key challenge in influencer marketing: “India’s influencer marketing scene has a massive gender mismatch. Big brands are pouring money into 20K-50K female content creators, but 94% of these influencers have a majority male audience. Brands think they’re reaching women, but they’re actually pitching to men who just came for the reels. And let’s not even start on the brands burning cash on influencers with fake followers. It’s not marketing—it’s modern-day alchemy, turning budgets into digital dust.”

On whether all D2C brands should adopt this approach, Gupta added, “Every marketer says the Indian creator economy will hit ₹2,500 crore by 2027-28, with the organized sector at ₹1,800 crore. Instead of pouring in more money, fix the leaks—₹600 crore is slipping through the cracks. Stop the FOMO-driven marketing—just because Brand A is spending doesn’t mean Brand B has to follow.”

Adding to the discussion, Ayush Shukla, founder of Finnet Media, highlights how the landscape is evolving: “Products are getting commoditized. The real challenge now lies in distribution and niche-focused storytelling. Creators like Kusha Kapila are demonstrating how storytelling drives deeper engagement than traditional ads.”

A Changing Consumer Landscape

The shift towards creator-led brands is backed by data. A BCG Snap Gen Z report states that Gen Z already drives 43% of India’s total spending and is set to contribute nearly $2 trillion in the next decade. Additionally, 80% of Gen Z prefers visual content, while 77% engage with immersive experiences like AR. This digital behavior is fundamentally different from Millennials, who still engage with traditional social feeds.

Saket Jha Saurabh, Director of Content and AR Partnerships at Snap Inc., previously told e4m, “Gen Z engages in ‘shopcializing’—sharing shopping experiences through Snaps or video calls. With 76% open to trying new brands, social media has become an indispensable platform for brand engagement.”

The Future of Creator-Led D2C Brands

Kapila’s launch of UnderNeat is a testament to the power of community-driven brand building. By tapping into everyday struggles and addressing them through humor and relatability, she ensured her audience felt seen and heard—before even asking them to buy.

With a high audience credibility score of 82.52% and a Delhi-Maharashtra audience split of 22.53% and 26.18%, respectively, UnderNeat’s success is not just a fluke. It’s a shift in how digital-first businesses create demand before launching products. As e-commerce brands face market saturation and declining consumer trust, creator-led ventures like Kapila’s are proving that authenticity and content-driven engagement are the future.

UnderNeat’s tagline says it best: “Confidence should always come with comfort.” And if Kapila’s trajectory is anything to go by, comfort—both in products and branding—might just be the next big thing in influencer-led businesses.