Mariana Hernandez of White Rabbit — On a Mission to Empower Women

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by Doris Hobbs[/x_text][/x_column][x_column bg_color=”” type=”3/4″ style=”padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_text]Mariana Hernandez, the co-founder of White Rabbit, a New York e-commerce lingerie startup, is making everyday underwear for today’s modern women. The former PricewaterhouseCoopers consulting manager realized early on what was needed to produce a product line which empowers women. “We seek to provide a great product at a great value all the time, so that a busy woman never has to worry about getting her underwear,” says Hernandez.

Mariana Hernandez, Co-Founder of White Rabbit

The Difference: Eco-friendly and Fair Trade

White Rabbit, an eco-friendly lingerie brand for women, consists of a collection ranging from panties and bras made with bamboo rayon — best known for its softness, durability, breathability and natural antibacterial properties – combined with extra stretchy lace bands and superior craftsmanship. Mariana states “It took a long time to get the product just right and to find the perfect balance between fabric weight and stretchiness.” Too many times, a bra or panty is similar to the next, however that is where Mariana redefines the comfort of such an essential piece of daily wear.Since 2015, the 29-year-old entrepreneur has aimed to strengthen the brand by partnering with an NGO in Mexico City called Fabrica Social, a fair-trade social enterprise that provides design and business administration training to indigenous women, helps them place their products in the marketplace and become self-sufficient. “Since we started White Rabbit, we knew we wanted to help empower women somehow,” states Mariana. A percentage of every White Rabbit sale goes towards supporting female textile artisans working with Fabrica Social.

After the development of such a brand, one question that comes up often is the name. For Mariana, she dug deep in her frustrations to find quality fabrics. “I thought about the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland and how you’re always chasing that white rabbit.” Mariana continues by stating, “You are chasing the White Rabbit like you chase sales or deals for high-quality, yet affordable intimates, but with us you catch the White Rabbit.”

The Driving Factor

She also adds, “I created White Rabbit as a go-to solution for functional, comfortable, everyday underwear. As a consultant constantly on the road, the last thing I wanted was to spend time on weekends shopping for underwear. White Rabbit solved my problem of finding reliable everyday underwear. I hope that every woman who discovers it finds that they never again have to worry about finding perfect underwear.”
A native of Mexico now living in New York, Mariana, who designs all of the shapes and styles, grew up wanting to be a female entrepreneur. “I’ve always been inspired by my parents who both run their own businesses — I always wanted to do the same,” she sates. With no retail experience prior to creating White Rabbit, Mariana has done what many young entrepreneurs must do, self-teach. “Being an entrepreneur can be draining, but you have to keep reminding yourself of what you want to accomplish and keep trying.” states Marina.

And from countless conversations with new and past clients, Mariana has become inspired by the positive feedback she has received since her start. These customer stories come from thousands, if not a larger community empowered by the comfort and distinctive details that White Rabbit curates with each design.

Photos provided by White Rabbit[/x_text][/x_column][/x_row][/x_section]