Women’s Month Spotlight: Le Bustiere and Julie Socher Photography

Women’s Month: Small Business BFFs

An Interview with Stephanie from Le Bustiere and Julie from Julie Socher Photography

In honor of National Women’s Month, we take a look at the women behind the businesses and how they empower each other and their clients.

What inspired each of you to start your business, and how has your mission evolved over time?

Stephanie: Before opening Le Bustiere 12 years ago, I was in healthcare and focused on my clients’ well-being. During that time, I saw so many women struggle to find properly fitting and supportive undergarments because they couldn’t find their size or didn’t know how to get the right fit. Having supportive and comfortable intimates can affect your physical and mental health! So, I founded Le Bustiere to create an exciting, luxurious atmosphere that offered fashion-forward styles, inclusive sizing, impeccable fit, and great service. That mission has also evolved to include helping our clients celebrate their inner and outer beauty and empowering them to feel beautiful and confident every day.

Julie: When I began my boudoir business 15 years ago, it was never just about photography; it was about transformations I saw unfold in front of the camera. I saw how many women felt they needed to change something about themselves before they could feel beautiful. I wanted to create a space where they didn’t have to wait. Over time, my mission has evolved into offering a deeply personalized, elevated experience designed to help her reconnect with her confidence and femininity. Boudoir photography is less about posing and more about presence!

How did your partnership begin, and what makes your collaboration so impactful for clients?

Julie: Our partnership actually began in the most organic way. I was photographing a client and couldn’t stop swooning over the beautiful lingerie she brought to her session. She told me about a new lingerie boutique that had just opened in her neighborhood and mentioned that she had shared all about her boudoir experience with the owner, Stephanie. I reached out shortly after, we connected instantly, and it felt aligned from the very first conversation.

What makes our collaboration so impactful is that it’s rooted in shared values. We both believe women deserve to feel confident, celebrated, and supported. When a client is professionally fitted and thoughtfully styled before her session, she walks in already feeling elevated and prepared. That confidence carries through the entire experience. Together, we’ve created a seamless journey that removes guesswork and replaces it with expertise, intention, and genuine care.

Women’s Month celebrates empowerment—what does empowering women look like in your day-to-day work?

Stephanie: To me, feeling empowered is about feeling good in your own skin, knowing your value, and meeting each day knowing who you are. It can be hard to feel that way every day. I always see lingerie as a foundation; it’s the first thing you put on and the last thing you take off, so it should also be a reminder of your worth.

Julie: Empowerment in my day-to-day work looks like creating a space where women feel safe enough to let their guard down and strong enough to take up space. It’s in the way I guide them with confidence and reassurance when nerves surface, and in the intentional conversations we have before they ever step in front of my camera. So many women arrive believing they’re “not photogenic” or that confidence is something they’ll have someday, after a milestone or a change. Empowerment is helping them rewrite that story and then seeing the proof in their finished images.

How does a professional bra fitting transform the way a woman feels before stepping in front of the camera?

Stephanie: A professional bra fitting creates the perfect foundation, ensuring everything fits flawlessly, offers the support you need, and is comfortable. You don’t have to do any guesswork about how something will look or feel. We take pride in offering the best and most beautiful styles that will accentuate your figure. When you see and feel how good you look in lingerie, that confidence will show in every photo. It’s not about wearing something for someone else to react to or evoking a reaction. It’s about making you feel good, and that will contribute to a successful photoshoot!

How do you help clients feel confident and comfortable during a boudoir session?

Julie: When you’re stepping into something vulnerable, it’s so important to truly know and feel comfortable with your photographer. That connection builds trust. I take time to understand her “why,” her nerves and hesitations, and what this experience represents for her. Since most of my clients have never done anything like this, I guide them through every phase. Providing detailed prep resources, outfit inspiration, and trusted places to shop like Le Bustiere, so they feel informed, supported, and fully prepared.

During the session, I guide her through each movement and expression in a way that feels natural rather than forced. I’m constantly observing the subtle micro-movements that reveal her essence, refining and directing in a way that feels fluid and intuitive. That guidance continues through the image reveal, where I thoughtfully help her select images and products that beautifully preserve this moment in her life.

What do you wish more women understood about investing in themselves—whether through proper foundation garments or a boudoir experience?

Stephanie: Many people think lingerie is just for special occasions, but that’s not true. We often don’t realize the stress that comes with wearing something uncomfortable or ill-fitting, and who needs more stress in their lives? Anything, including comfortable and supportive undergarments, that makes you feel confident and beautiful is an investment in yourself, and that’s never selfish.

So wear your favorite items every day and see what an incredible difference it can make. You’ll notice you have more confidence to do all the things you want in life, even some of the things you might have been afraid of. Investing in yourself will have a positive effect on your mental health and well-being; it always pays off in the long run!

Julie: I wish more women understood that investing in a boudoir experience isn’t about vanity, it’s about choosing to show up for yourself. We live in a society that often teaches women to be smaller, quieter, more accommodating, and to place themselves last. A boudoir session is a powerful way to push back against that narrative. It’s a decision to take up space, to be seen, and to honor the season of life you’re in right now without waiting for permission or a milestone.

When a woman allows herself to feel confident and at home in her own skin, that shift ripples outward into her relationships, her work, and her personal growth. It becomes more than beautiful photographs; it becomes a marker in time where she chose herself, and that choice has a lasting impact far beyond the images.

Hair and makeup credit: Renata Lynette Beauty. https://www.renatalynette.com/

Part 2 of the Women’s Month interview series is coming soon!