About Studio Nu | Expert Design Consultant

Studio Nu is led by Intimates and Performancewear expert design consultant, Laura Flanagan. Laura has spent her career designing and developing women's lingerie, bodywear, swimwear, sleepwear, loungewear, and activewear for global fashion markets.

With a strong conceptual outlook and extensive industry expertise, Laura combines creativity with commerciality.

Through Studio Nu, Laura collaborates with a trusted network of industry professionals and specialist partners where required, ensuring every project benefits from the highest level of expertise.

Studio Nu HQ is based in a Grade II listed former cotton mill in the historic Ancoats neighbourhood of Manchester, UK.

Studio Nu offers three core services:

Trend | Design Fundamentals | Consultancy

With Laura as the design force behind Studio Nu, the studio brings over 15 years of experience within the fashion and apparel space. Having worked across retailers, brands, and suppliers, Laura has developed a comprehensive understanding of the wider industry landscape, from concept and design through to development and manufacturing.

Laura's international experience has seen her work for companies such as the Hanes Group, lululemon and Marks and Spencer in the UK, France, Hong Kong, Australia, and Canada, providing valuable insight into global markets, consumer trends, sourcing, and production.

Design studio in old cotton mill in Manchester

Expert Intimates and Performance Design Consultant

At Studio Nu, we are experts in what we do. We stay true to our specialist niche and remain driven by a genuine passion for the product categories we know best. By focusing our knowledge, we provide informed, relevant and inspiring design, development, and consultancy support.

The name Studio Nu draws inspiration from the French word "nu", meaning “naked” or “bare”. Inspiring a sense of natural beauty that comes from the reveal of skin defined by Intimates and Performancewear product.

Our specialist product categories include:

Design + Buying

Laura's experience extends beyond Design roles, having also worked within Buying functions across the fashion industry.

This dual perspective gives Studio Nu a strong commercial outlook and a deeper understanding of both the creative and business aspects of product development.

With expertise in range building, seasonal planning, product costing, and consumer-led decision making, Studio Nu is able to support brands in creating inspiring commercially viable collections.

Models walking down the catwalk in green outfits

Global Exposure

Studio Nu are constantly travelling to expose ourselves to global trends, international markets and the most relevant trade shows. This inspiration infuses into the services Studio Nu delivers. We work fluidly and flexibly around the world.

Trend Expertise

Trend is a speciality at Studio Nu and a genuine passion.

We are constantly questioning the why, the when, and what's next. By looking beyond the obvious, Studio Nu identifies emerging trends, shifting consumer behaviours, and future market opportunities, helping brands make informed decisions with confidence.

Our trend-led approach combines curiosity, research, and industry insight to uncover meaningful direction that can be translated into relevant, commercially successful product.

01
Studio Nu offers support across the following services:

Trend
Affordable, downloadable trend reports, as well as personalised, tailored insights built around your brief.

Design Fundamentals 

Are you an established brand or factory needing extra design support? Studio Nu has you covered.

Consultancy
 We remove the stress for start-ups and small brands—taking your idea all the way through to a fully realised collection. Let us guide you and navigate the production process together.
What services do you offer?
02
Do I need to be based locally or can we work virtually together?
Studio Nu is based at our design studio in Manchester, UK, but we operate globally, often working remotely around the world. All projects can be executed virtually, of course we would love to meet up if we are both in the same location!
We use digital design software and virtual platforms to deliver a strong and consistent service from any location.
03
How much will my project cost?
For all our services, Trend, Design Fundamentals and Consultancy, we work with project based pricing.

Our services are bespoke and every clients needs are different.

We will connect with you at the initial stage to understand your requirements and then offer you a personalised quote, giving you a full breakdown of the services you will receive.
04
How long will it take to launch my fashion brand?
Again, each project is unique and timelines will vary, we will provide you with a breakdown of the processes supporting your project and a clear finish date.

For the Consultancy services, most product ranges will take approximately 12 months from start to collection launch.

There are opportunities to shorten this timeline by embracing a faster development process, such as using an existing block or available fabrics — which can save weeks, if not months.
05
Can you help me find manufacturers and source fabrics?
Absolutely.

This is where Studio Nu can utilise our expertise and connections with Intimates and Performancewear manufacturers and fabric suppliers.

We are regularly visiting trade shows to see the latest fabric, lace and trim collections, as well as to network with specialist factories.
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What should I prepare before our first meeting?
In the application form on our website we will have already asked you to specify the stage your vision and brand is at, the service you are most interested in, your budget and when you would like to kick off the project.
We can discuss this further in our initial call, but don't worry, Studio Nu can guide you where you are not sure.

In addition to this, please be prepared to share your website or social pages, or if these do not exist yet sharing some inspirational images can be very helpful!