Model is wearing the V harness, Garter belt, G-string (with lace) and Double Strap leg garters by ONYX Bodywear Model River Rusalka I Photographer Jamie Edgar Photography

For ONYX, the individual brings the product to life.

Feeling sexy should not be constrained to body types portrayed in the media. Everyone deserves the opportunity to embrace their divinity and sexiness within. Founder Sandra Haney introduces ONYX Bodywear as a, “Proudly inclusive, accessible, body and sex-positive Canadian brand. Each product is a statement piece - whether that be edgy/alternative or sexy is up to the customer.” Haney spoke with me about the story behind ONYX and their mission for body-positive lingerie.

When COVID-19 restrictions eased in B.C. this summer, I stumbled onto The Hive Home & Gifts, a boutique in Squamish with clothes and miscellaneous items from local designers. After noticing me gazing at the tantalizing strappy harness on display, a salesperson informed me that a woman-owned company crafted it in Vancouver. Sliding my fingers along the straps, I felt dedication in ONYX’s stitching. Compared to similar harnesses I had bought online, which held no grip and ripped after a night of dancing. The material was soft yet durable and also vegan as it was all elastic strapping.

Haney says “We stand by the quality and the fact our products can change for when your body changes.” The customer can adjust key straps so they can wear the harness for hours comfortably and fit it perfectly for their body shape. ONYX’s approach is creating products as one-size-fits-most as they can adjust from XS to XXL (or more) depending on the style.

Model is wearing Black choker, Criss-Cross cage bra, G-string (with mesh) and Cheeky harness by ONYX Bodywear Model River Rusalka I Photographer Jamie Edgar Photography

Haney’s story begins with a shopping trip for her 40th birthday. She ventured into various boutiques in Vancouver on the lookout for intimate fetish-inspired apparel - returning home with hundreds of dollars worth of lingerie. Unsatisfied with her haul because of inconsistency in fit and style- the customization process unfolded. “I looked at basically a pile of elastic, lace and mesh and thought I could make this myself!” She believes that some boutiques fail to supply quality, affordable lingerie that adapts to different body shapes. Budget-friendly items seem to be mass-produced packaged in plastic film or the more luxurious brands come at an exorbitant price. There was a gap in finding something in between with the strappy style she was searching for

Shortly after Haney met up with a long-time friend and former colleague Alison Palmer for their semi-regular bitch and stitch session. Haney mentioned the idea to make some harnesses or cage wear and together, designs for ONYX Bodywear began. Haney says that “ [we] shared a creative synergy that extended beyond our professional relationship and friendship, and ONYX was born out of that.”

ONYX’s humble beginnings as an Etsy shop producing sexy accessories for everybody. Haney never set out to create products for wholesale. However, that changed in 2018 when Palmer strolled into Your Open Closet, the sister-shop of Womyn's Ware, known for its sex-positive values including toys and sexual health items for folks hoping to transform their self-care routine. “A big thing we represent is that feeling sexy and looking sexy is healthy and good - for themselves - or however they want to do it,” says Haney.

Palmer was her business partner during the early stages - helping out with start-up, design and production up until 2018 when she left to concentrate on her full-time career. They remain close friends and ONYX still carries one of Palmer’s original designs: the diamond cage bra that makes everyone feel like royalty.

Needing a partner to help the business grow, Haney recruited her friend of almost 30 years, Marga Devam, to help. Devam is based in Edmonton and supports ONYX in design, manufacturing and sales

Model is wearing Black choker and the Criss-Cross cage bra by ONYX Bodywear Model River Rusalka I Photographer Jamie Edgar Photography

Despite the simplicity of their designs, the manufacturing process is time-consuming. “It takes a long time to assemble with a lot of attention to quality work and details - definitely not fast fashion and makes labour costs higher.” Before each harness reaches consumers, the ONYX team designs a prototype, adjusts, sews alterations and revises until they have a final product that meets their standard. ONYX’s website features a limited selection of cage bras, harnesses and garters - of several distinct designs that change once or twice a year.

"We are a small operation, so compared to some other brands we operate lean and produce many of our orders on-demand, so there is no wastage," says Haney. Currently, in addition to Devam, she has two part-time seamstresses sewing their products.

Pre-COVID, ONYX attended trade shows to help grow the brand and connect with consumers. Haney says people would commonly remark, “I love your stuff, but there is no way this will fit me!” She challenges them to try it anyway. After they try on one of our products they feel sexy, strong and empowered, “it’s a rush every single time - it just makes you feel so good when you see something you’ve made make someone feel that way.”

Haney recognizes that ONYX designs a niche product that will not fit everyone’s taste. The harness allure is more likely to interest a crowd looking for an alternative or edgy look. The stretch of the strapping does not work for those interested in exploring their kink for leather and bondage. However, strappy fashion is becoming more mainstream which also speaks for ONYX’s versatility beyond erotic fashion. Haney says, “you can wear [the harness] with your most utility, comfortable bra and daytime outfit, and it just takes it up a notch - so there is that versatility for boudoir and every day.”

You can purchase ONYX’s products at various brick and mortar shops in the Pacific Northwest, Alberta, the Midwest of the USA and even Kenya. Haney says “We are a local brand and our growth has been careful baby steps, but we are moving in the right direction.”

Model River Rusalka I Photographer Jamie Edgar Photography

ONYX

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Alexis Zygan

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Sanaz, also known as sunnie, considers herself a performance artist above all else. We sit on the rooftop of her modern minimalist apartment building. She prefers a more in-depth dwelling, although this is home for now. The sun scorches as we settle into the only semi-shady outdoor seats. sunnie fans me with her portfolio, tucked into a duotang, and casually lights a smoke. I pull out my cell phone, which doubles as a recording device. As I press record on a voice memo, I ask sunnie what inspires her as a handpoke artist working out of a private studio in Vancouver.

- - -

After rambling on about how “tattooing is the only thing [she is] good at,” we stop recording, pausing the voice memo. With the permanence of documentation no longer looming over, we talk about her course of life and self-perception. She divulges into how “even in this moment, i respond, am being responded to. i learned it - have a checklist of diverse ways of responding to surroundings. Some of it is how society wants us to respond. [Others are] how we want to respond to things. We are acting.” She assures me that “acting does not mean that it is fake.” sunnie refers to herself with a lowercase i - an indication of her humble nature.

sunnie’s story begins in Montreal: the city Vancouver residents move-to to fill the void. She pursued the Cell and Molecular Biology program at Concordia University. Her parents expected her to become a surgeon and purchase stability in the form of a single-family dwelling in Coquitlam. However, she felt a magnetic pull towards inducing paradigm shifts through the freedom and flexibility of analysis and creativity. “i am still a scientist!” she corrects.

sunnie graduated with a joint major in Art History and Studio Arts. In the same month of she graduated, she unexpectedly lost her studio apartment. After couch-surfing for weeks, a room was offered to her in a time of desperation, to temporarily sublet. This space would end up changing her life forever. “i fell asleep more on the living room couch than my temp bed /on that couch i got my first handpoked tattoo--on that red couch/ i did my first tattoo.” After sneaking a glance at a top-secret sketchbook, her roommate Lawrence identified her artistic potential in insignificant scribbles. While most aspiring tattooists begin by practicing on oranges and potatoes: he believed in her ability to such an extent that he offered his skin as a canvas. Although Lawrence was not the first person to encourage her to tattoo them; he was the first to succeed in convincing sunnie to experiment on human skin.

After graduation, sunnie continued to work in Montreal until being dismissed. The unexpected news instigated her to express a declaration of rage by meticulously smearing black-tar charcoal on pearl-grey paper. Stumped on how to pay bills amid unemployment, she put a portfolio together, priced her pieces, and decided to make handpoking her main hustle: “i could not go back to the red couch, i tattoo on a red bed now.” At that time, she had just moved out of her roommate's into a work-live studio. This space served as a liminal zone to strengthen her skills, while preparing for her eventual move to Vancouver.

As an Iranian immigrant, sunnie grew up isolated from the culture of tattooing. She didn't even know you could make a career in handpoking, and had internalized her parents’ disapproval of tattoos. That being said, the support and love she received from the handpoking community prevented parental perception from sabotaging her practice. sunnie emphasizes, “[these people] embrace, teach, and correct instead of criticizing me. [They] validate me, [and] check up on me. It is honestly other people that keep me going; people believe in me. i am blessed.”

sunnie started tattooing with a machine gifted to her by her roommate. However, the machine was too quick; a distraction that prevented her immersion into the present moment. sunnie explains that she simply “softly erases the skin,” to reveal art that has always been hiding underneath the surface through handpoking. Although she had no idea at that time, tattooing would not only give her financial stability, but also end up nudging her to take up other artistic practices, such as painting and poetry. She could easily stay in her room for days, allowing her abstractions to surface. As a tattooer - connecting with people was a necessity because it pushed her beyond her introverted inclinations. sunnie shares: “i connect with people, their secrets and essence — physical and philosophical — ink is accepting of me and others, of our space and taste. Tattooing is perhaps saving me from extreme self-isolation.”

When her time in Montreal adjourned, she moved to Vancouver due to her love for sushi and proximity to family and friends. When she first landed in Vancouver, she lacked the connections and funds to secure a tattoo space. Handpoking had become more than a career at this point; a way to stay sane while settling into a new environment. sunnie is grateful for the trust people had and have in her. Sharing how “[they] started inviting me to their space, for me to tattoo them/ i operated mostly by word of mouth/ same strangers would invite me to social things to talk tattooing/ now i am very shy.” To ensure hygienic protocols, she would thoroughly inspect the cleanliness of the space before beginning the procedure; packing her tattoo equipment into a grey and gold suitcase. She speaks fondly of an experience tattooing a client called Sean, in a van by the Spanish Banks. A year ago, she was invited by Vasia, an established handpoke artist, to join her studio space: an invitation she gracefully accepted. Stepping outside of her observant zone to socialize was worth the stress that came along with the interactions. From time to time, she still tattoos out of her client’s chosen space.

sunnie has been tattooing for three years now. Although she found her path in the arts, she considers herself “still doing surgery — although a little less bloody, i still heal — truly i work systematically/ i research — i’m thorough.” As a tattooer, sunnie approaches every project with pristine precision by first taking time before responding to every email, ensuring the subject aligns with her values and vision. Then, above all, she makes sure she feels intuitive inviting them into the ethereal space they will potentially co-create.

sunnie has learned a lot over the past three years. More than anything that she no longer needs anyone’s permission to pursue her passions - especially not her superiors. She considers her cultural background, “creating dissociation of identity/-- simultaneously cast aside and celebrated.” In the future, she hopes to tattoo more Farsi scripts on people - specifically قر, pronounced ghuur - “when your body subconsciously moves to the music/ we call that ghuuur! it’s magic!.” sunnie declares, “i am iranian/ i am a woman -my entire existence is political/ my art is an act of resistance towards/within the patriarchal system we live in- everything i do/call it art or not- this interview is an act of resistance -i am claiming my space, physical and philosophical, as an Iranian immigrant - a woman.”

sunnie

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Alexis Zygan

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Meet ONYX Bodywear: The Size-Inclusive, Vancouver-Based Lingerie Brand

Stop Asking for Permission: An Interview with Multi-Media Artist sunnie