This store combines two things with bounce under one roof.
A new Bushwick emporium is hawking sexy underwear for curvy ladies alongside trendy sneakers — a combination the store owner says just makes sense.
“Sneakers are sexy, sporty, and a little bit edgy,” said Laura Henny, founder of the Rack Shack, which will celebrate its new Central Avenue storefront at a boozy Feb. 12 bash. “I love to wear sneakers with garters and high-thigh pantyhose.”
Henny — a self-proclaimed lingerie and running-shoe enthusiast — decided to create the store after moving to the Borough of Kings from her native Amsterdam four years ago, only to find there was a drought of foxy undergarments for women above a certain cup size.
She was shocked that mainstream lingerie outlets in such a diverse city only sold bland, neutral-colored bras in her size, banishing her to browse fun and flirty items from online boutiques where she was unable to get properly fitted.
“I thought, ‘In New York you must have so many different women in different sizes, you must have all the choices in the world,’” she said. “Then I came here and that’s actually not the case.”
Henny left her day job as manager of popular neighborhood eatery Bushwick’s Living Room to pursue her dream of helping women of every cup size feel both comfortable and sexy. And while she was at it, she decided to include her passion for sporty footwear in the mix.
She eventually hopes to amass enough stock so that she can coordinate the sneakers with the underwear.
“I would love to make a lookbook of girls from the neighborhood, real women wearing the lingerie paired with the sneakers,” said Henny. “That is still a project that I’m working on.”
The Rack Shack’s official opening celebration [155 Central Ave. between Willoughby Avenue and Suydam Street, (347) 915–0248, www.thera
