After ten years of doing costume design for films and New York theater, Daphne Javitch began Ten Undies. "I come from an academic family," Daphne told us. "My dad is a retired comparative literature professor and my mom is an activist. I call her the Michael Moore of Connecticut. I was the black sheep because I’ve always been interested in clothes and the beauty of the physical world."

"I went to acting school, but I couldn't be myself as an actress. But through clothes I can still participate in telling a story; even more than fashion, I love personal narratives."

"Part of being yourself without being afraid is having a sense of humor, so when you have a confrontation or you regret an embarrassing moment, you’re able to move through it."

"I'm on the hunt for Prada sportswear from the 90s;  those super minimal clean lines with technical detail that are clearly not made for going jogging. I'm hopeful the sedation of fashion will create a whole other art. We need to go beyond the clothes because the clothes aren’t saying enough. It’s about what people do with clothes and how they respond to them."

"I collect white T-shirts and I’ve always loved a white button-down. I have a boyish body, so now I’m  looking into poplin structures with interesting details. I’m simple. I don’t know how to use makeup so well and I don’t wear a lot of jewelry."

"I had no idea what I was getting into with Ten Undies. I just thought, 'Gosh, I really want a navy blue pair of cotton underwear.” I’m obsessed with imagery from the late 70s, like An Unmarried Woman with Jill Clayburgh and Diane Keaton in Annie Hall when she smokes pot and leaves her body. I began to wonder, “Where's the underwear that you bought at Woolworths in New York during the 70s. They were cute, kind of sexy, but simple, straightforward, everyday underwear."

"There’s romantic possibilities with underwear."

"Beauty makes you want to look again. There’s something rare there."

Daphne was photographed and interviewed by Elisa