Written by: Vivienne Decker

Nearly forty years ago, designer Gale Epstein made a lingerie set from embroidered handkerchiefs for her friend Lida Orzeck’s birthday. This set would become the inspiration for underwear phenomenon Hanky Panky. Hanky Panky bottoms are so popular, they sell an average of one panty a second all over the globe, covering tens of millions of bottoms every year.

The duo registered the trademark The World’s Most Comfortable Thong® and customers agree. Hanky Panky has become a multigenerational brand as their early customers are now grandmothers. Their celebrity devotees range fromRihanna to Cameron Diaz to Cher and one of their oldest adherents is Roslyn Harte, who at 91 still wears the Hanky Panky thong, but only the deep jewel tones.

“It all started with a gift,” Gale Epstein said. “Lida was having a birthday and I had started playing with handkerchiefs and reassembling them as lingerie. So Lida got a set, and we just figured that other people would like them too.”

Gale Epstein is the creative vision behind the brand. Epstein began creating clothing and accessories at the age of twelve and went on to study at WashingtonUniversity and Parsons School of Design. Lida Orzeck oversees the day-to-day operations. Orzeck is a Brooklyn native who graduated from Barnard and holds a doctorate from Columbia University in Social Psychology.

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