Meet Claire van Beek, co-founder of Moodies BV, a brand redefining comfort, confidence, and sustainability with period-proof underwear, swimwear, and bladder leak products. With her partner, Miguel Koerts, Claire has taken a bold leap into a market that was once misunderstood—and she’s here to tell us all about the journey, the challenges, the growth, and what’s next.
A personal discovery turned purposeful business.
“I started my business in period underwear, swimwear, and underwear for bladder leaks, together with my partner Miguel Koerts in November 2021. We ran into Period Underwear and discovered that it was already a hit in Australia, and many girls and women were fans of the product. In the Netherlands, it was hardly offered, and when I tried it out myself, I also became a fan. We then decided to make a business out of this product.
The main challenge we faced initially was that most women had never heard of the product, and when they did, they were somehow disgusted. So, we had many barriers to overcome.
We started with a lot of explaining through influencers (let others tell the product’s advantages), branded content, and created a 40-day trial for a first buy. So women could try the product risk-free, if not happy, then money back.
Within a few years, numerous competitors entered the market. On the one hand, that was frightening, but on the other hand, it raised product awareness that grew very hard. Now, almost all women in the Netherlands have heard about this product. We put great effort into our positioning — who we are, what we promise, and how we distinguish ourselves from competitors. We have found our position now, but it is a continuous process. And our communication changed from explaining to branding, as we now need brand awareness.”
Getting started: strategy and purpose.
“We started with a collection for teenage girls and a collection for women, and created a webshop with professional photography to stand out.
Girls were our primary focus, as we resolved a problem for girls who did not want to change pads at school. They can wear our underwear for at least 8–10 hours. We focused on people with high sustainability standards who would likely try this out. Each pair of undies saves the planet 150 pieces of pads or tampons.
The mothers of girls and the sustainable women became our ambassadors. We added swimwear and found an even larger group to solve the problem. As we discovered that many women were using our undies for bladder leaks, we created undies with the material in the gusset every day that worked even better for this kind of leak. Here we are helping a new group with a taboo issue to go through life more distinguished.”
Growing a brand, building a community.
“We use email flows that explain more about the product, how to wash it, and other interesting facts on sustainability, and so on. Also, we make many lovely photographs and videos to entertain our community. We also inform them through blogs and mailings about women’s issues like hormones, the cycle, women’s specific diseases, and others.
And from the start, we donate 5% of what we sell online to reduce Period Poverty.”
Lessons from the journey: A mistake turned insight
“The biggest mistake was switching from a small advertising agency to a larger one last year. As a small, growing business, we need an agency where we can get in contact throughout the week. We then changed back to a small agency that fits us better in the field where we are.
In many ways, we have become more lean and mean in spending and are continuously considering our spending.”
Proud milestones
“We started with leak-free swimwear in 2023 with one bikini as a trial, and it sold out in a few weeks. This year, we will introduce new models, colors, and prints.
We also introduced underwear found by young women, such as our Thong and Hipster Lace.”
Advice for women thinking about starting a business
Claire’s advice is simple but powerful:
“Find a product or service you are passionate about, and it will make the ride worthwhile.”
What’s next for Moodies?
“We are looking for B2B partners in the Netherlands. We are searching for an investor to help us grow, and we want to move on to other countries besides The Netherlands and Belgium.”
From tackling taboos to building a brand that makes a real impact, Claire’s journey with Moodies is one of passion, resilience, and purpose. Whether you’re just starting or dreaming about launching your own business, let her story inspire you to follow your instincts—particularly when solving problems that matter.
