Karla Welch wants to make periods cool.
“Periods? Soon everyone will want one,” she quipped. “What happens if we make a period a superpower? Because it is a superpower.”
The expert celeb stylist, working with the likes of Justin Bieber, Karlie Kloss and Olivia Wilde, has been using her fashion expertise to create an accessible, sustainable menstruation product, while addressing period poverty with her brand The Period Co., which launched in 2020. Welch cofounded the brand with Sasha Markov.
The company sells period underwear in sizes ranging from XS to 6XL and in an array of styles, including boyshorts and an adaptive offering. Prices range from $9 to $28. The brand is now available in 1,200 Walmart doors and is expected to reach $20 million in sales this year, according to industry sources. The business has tripled each year since its launch.
The Period Co. underwear.
Courtesy
While period underwear existed prior to The Period Co., Welch knew that with her fashion background and passion for the category, she could create something better and more accessible.
“I knew that there was period underwear on the market without a doubt, but it was very niche,” she said. “It wasn’t the product I wanted.”
At the same time, Welch said she had become “obsessed with the amount of waste [she] was creating every single month.” From there, it was a “lightbulb moment” to create her own sustainable period underwear that also addressed a larger issue: period poverty.
“We don’t take huge margins because we want to have impact, because we want to make change, and we want to be accessible to people,” Welch said.
For starters, the price point was key. The Period Co. underwear is affordable in comparison to other options on the market; some are nearly $40 a pair.
In addition to this, Welch has ensured…