Sexy Period rebrands, names COO

JULIE SYGIEL, CEO of Underbrella, co-founded the company (originally named Sexy Period) as an upshot from a Brown University entrepreneurship class / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL PERSSON
JULIE SYGIEL, CEO of Underbrella, co-founded the company (originally named Sexy Period) as an upshot from a Brown University entrepreneurship class / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL PERSSON

PROVIDENCE – Sexy Period – the startup maker of fashionable, leak-resistant undergarments – has rebranded to Underbrella to appeal to a broader clientele base, the company announced Monday.

Sexy Period was launched in 2011, the brainchild of CEO and co-founder Julie Sygiel.

Sygiel aimed to develop “the first line of truly functional and fashionable intimates,” according to the company’s release. Sexy Period is a line of women’s underwear designed to be worn as a backup in combination with regular sanitary routine and guaranteed not to leak.

The company noticed that their undergarments were being purchased not just by women for use during their periods, but also for use during yoga and fitness workouts, as well as by new mothers who experience light bladder leakage and by mothers who were selecting the underwear for preteen daughters.

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“After considering the expanding clientele base and its demand for new color, size and style options, the company is excited to launch Underbrella,” said the company’s release, adding that the company will be coming out with new product lines to accommodate broader uses for the garments. “The team has heard the voices of those they adorn and looks forward to new innovation and growth in the coming years.”

The company also named Rhode Island native Sharon Ruggieri as its new chief operating officer.

Ruggeiri, who recently completed an MBA at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management, will oversee finance, manufacturing and distribution operations.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Underbrella team,” said Ruggeiri in prepared remarks. “It never occurred to me that my MBA would lead me into the lingerie industry, and I couldn’t be more excited about helping to lead such an innovative and high-potential business right in my own backyard.”

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