Soft Sell
”I wanted Clétte to reflect the spirit of Hawai‘i in its own quiet way: effortless, natural, and rooted in beauty,” says designer Dominique Salas.
(All photos courtesy Clétte.)
Growing up, Dominique Salas was surrounded by underwear — quite literally. Her father spent more than three decades manufacturing undergarments for European and Australian retailers,
and their home in Hong Kong doubled as an unofficial showroom.
“I grew up with underwear racks in the house, Pantone swatches lying around, and family trips that often turned into casual market research at local stores with my dad,” she recalls. “When I’d ask, ‘Why underwear?’ he’d just say, ‘Everyone needs underwear.’ And honestly, he was right.”
That pragmatic mantra stayed with her — though the emotional resonance of underwear didn’t fully reveal itself until years later, when she became a mother. “After having two kids, I went through every phase of rediscovering my identity,” she says. “During pregnancy and postpartum, comfort was everything. I was buying granny panties from Amazon because the idea of wearing anything else just felt like a compromise of my well-being. But over time, I realized that I didn’t feel like myself anymore.”
Out of that quiet, deeply personal reckoning came Clétte, a line of undergarments that honors softness, strength and the layered experience of womanhood. “These pieces are the first thing you put on in the morning and they can set the tone for your
whole day,” Salas says. “I hope they help women feel strong, beautiful, and a little bit more themselves — whether they’re at a meeting, at a workout or folding laundry at home.”
Launched in 2024 and designed in Hawai‘i, Clétte offers a range of styles — from thongs to full coverage — along with bralettes. New designs, elevated bralette styles and a cotton collection are already in the works.
The brand is also a reflection of Salas’s global identity: her Dutch and Chinese heritage, early factory visits with her dad, and, most deeply, the ease and elegance of growing up in Hawai‘i. “Hawai‘i is everything,” she says. “It’s where I had the privilege to grow up and where I’m lucky enough to be raising my own children. The colors, the prints, the relaxed yet elevated energy — it’s all graciously inspired by life here. I wanted Clétte to reflect the spirit of Hawai‘i in its own quiet way: effortless, natural, and rooted in beauty.”
Eight months in, Clétte is already close to selling out of its debut collection. “At its heart, Clétte is a reminder: you can be both soft and strong, maternal and magnetic, busy and still confident,” Salas says. “Our name might not have a dictionary definition, but that’s kind of the point — you get to define it for yourself, just like we’re defining what underwear can be.”
(All photos courtesy Clétte.)