Feminist Fashion For Tomboys

Borrowed-from-the-boys fashion is having a moment – you see it in every boyfriend shirt or slouchy jean Madewell sells – but for some women it’s not a trend. Seattle’s TomboyX is for that woman.
Designed to outfit women who don’t feel comfortable in feminine women’s clothing, TomboyX’s collection of apparel, underwear and accessories was inspired by the Sally Rides and Katharine Hepburns of the world. We chatted with founder Fran Dunaway about the line, who her team designs for, and what’s next for the groundbreaking brand.

First, what prompted you to start TomboyX? Was there a particular anecdote that inspired you, or were you tired of not finding what you were looking for?TomboyX was founded by Fran Dunaway and Naomi Gonzalez in February of 2013. Naomi and I formed this company because, as tomboys, we were frustrated having to choose between feminine women’s clothing and ill-fitting, unfashionable men’s clothing. We realized that we couldn't find any well-made, stylish, menswear inspired clothing - let alone undergarments - that were made for and fit women. We set out to make classic cool clothing with tomboy style—clothes made for a woman’s body, but with features typically found in menswear: a looser fit, and quality fabrics, with creative attention to detail.
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There were many stories from our friends frustrated by the same lack of options; in particular, one of our good friends Carma, who happens to be one of Seattle’s finest – a bada** police officer. Years ago she found that boxer briefs were the most comfortable under her uniform. She couldn’t find women’s boxer briefs so she would wear men's boxer briefs while on the job in Seattle. But there were a few things about them that just don’t work for a woman’s body - like that extra fabric in front. [They aren’t] made for a woman’s curves, so they would ride up or tug in all the wrong places. We listened when she said “And while you’re at it, can you make a waistband that is soft and lasts as long as the underwear?” We had our marching orders and set out to do right by her.

Our design and production team started with a super soft, silky waistband. Once that passed muster we started on finding the right fabric and fit - for real women in sizes XS to 4X. We went into production on two styles, a 6” long version which we named after Carma, the “Good Carma”. Keeping with the police officer theme, the 4.5” version we call the “Feeling Frisky”. In May we introduced a “Bobbie” which is also 6” but instead of buttons they have a racing stripe down the sides.

Aside from Carma, who were you designing for originally and why?For women like Amelia Earhart and Katherine Hepburn. Women who are just more comfortable in clothes that don’t skew ultra feminine or super masculine.

Who helped get things off the ground?I was frustrated by the lack of clothing options for women like me, women who are most comfortable in clothing that isn’t feminine yet isn’t masculine either. More in a space between the two. Naomi got tired of hearing me complain and one day she asked ‘how hard can it be to start a clothing line?’ And off we went.

We thought the spirit of what we were trying to do was captured by the name Tomboy. We wanted to be an exchange of sorts so truncated Tomboy Exchange to TomboyX.

We knew what we wanted to provide women with, but we first wanted to test the desire for tomboy style within this huge market to see if it would resonate. So we ran a Kickstarter campaign, and not only was the tomboy style successful -- we raised $76,000 in 30 days -- but we also quickly recognized that we had tapped into an emotional component that a cross section of women and girls from around the world relate to and identify with. Whether it's all day every day or every once in a while ,they love identifying as tomboys and the independent spirit it represents. And they are hungry for a brand that authentically sees them.

Who runs the line now? Who are the go-to people who help keep everything running?TomboyX is a small, dedicated team of 6 employees, including the two co-founders, Fran and Naomi. The most exciting common thread amongst everyone on the team is our excitement for the brand; their enthusiasm, drive, and passion to meet a previously unmet need; and their real belief in the brand. We aren’t kidding when we say our tagline which is “by tomboys, for tomboys.”

Specifically, [my] background is in media strategies and advertising. Naomi is a small business owner and was the massage therapist for the US Women’s Olympic soccer team. Barb is our experienced and talented designer. She brings over 20 years of fashion industry experience to the team. Julie leads our product development and sourcing.

We also have two fearless interns working with us. Marjorie spent four years working in Strategy Consulting in the defense and national security market after graduating from Dartmouth College. And despite only just finishing her sophomore year of college at George Washington University in DC, Keiko brings incredible ideas and energy to our team.

And then, of course, like many start-ups we have many individuals who have supported and continue to support us along the way, including advisors, mentors, friends, and investors.

What are the pieces you started the line with? How has it evolved since then?We originally set out to clothe tomboys from head to toe: shirts, jeans, and accessories. Then we started hearing this mantra… boxer briefs, boxer briefs. No one makes boxer briefs for women? We started to check around and every time we searched women’s boxer briefs at other retailers we were astonished at what we’d see! Our customer is all about comfort and the so-called boxer briefs for women were anything but. So we got busy and in September of 2013 we introduced TomboyX boxer briefs. The results were overwhelming. Customers and the community were so excited about the boxer briefs that we sold 2500 pair in [under three] months. What’s more, our reviews have been outstanding. Since that time, we’ve been expanding the boxer brief styles, colors, and sizes – we’ve got many more patterns ready to go, samples already done and ideas exploding in our heads.

So in all, we are a clothing and accessory company that allows women to embrace their inner tomboy by providing comfortable, well-made, fashionable clothing that isn’t super feminine. The anchor product remains the line of women’s boxer briefs in a variety of sizes and colors, but our other items are very successful.

Where can customers buy the line?Customers can go to tomboyx to shop. We’ve also been spending a significant amount of time and energy trying to connect with our customers on a more grassroots level by sponsoring a number of U.S. LGBT Pride festivals, roller derby, community events, and other festivals. It’s really rewarding to interact with our customers so directly. We also recently partnered with WA Girl Scouts recently during their record breakingIndiegogo Campaign. We get great feedback, get to be involved in causes we really care about, and get to introduce even more women to our mission and products.

Who do you think finds TomboyX to be a go-to line for their wardrobe?Women who want comfortable, quality clothing that expresses who they are. We aren’t in the business of fast fashion and we are serious about taking good care of our customer. Our reviews reflect that we’re being true to that, and we are honored that women are feeling it.

What's the most surprising demographic you've found shopping the brand?For only being a 2-year-old company with the overwhelming majority of our ads only on social media, we are really excited that we’ve reached women in over 30 countries, from all walks of life and from 10 years old to 80. They get the spirit of the brand, and that’s exciting.

If there's one mission the brand has, what is it?Great question! We have been overwhelmed with how much our brand is resonating with women around the world and we are excited to be taking a stance about what we care about: anti-bullying; anti-stereotype; pro-individuality; anti-conformity; pro-gender spectrum; anti-judgment; and pro-humanity.

"Athleisure" is a trend that's big right now in mainstream fashion, and TomboyX seems to fit into that trend inadvertently. Have you seen a jump in popularity because of that?We are such a nascent company that I can’t really attribute our popularity to a particular fashion. We aren’t really in the fashion industry, per se, except the fashion of owning your inner tomboy spirit and expressing who you are with confidence and style. That being said, we do recognize that the timing is right for a clothing company that empowers women from the inside out. We aren’t trying to show women how to be cool – we honestly celebrate how cool they already are.

What's your ultimate goal with the line?To affect the conversation about what it means to be a woman today. We want to celebrate the tomboy spirit in all women and we want to do that by empowering them and honoring what it means to be comfortable in your own skin -- from the inside out.

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Why Embroidered Fashion Is Stitch Perfect

EVEN IF YOU were temporarily dumbstruck by the appearance of Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, there was something else you couldn’t fail to miss: the label’s persistently exquisite use of embroidery.

After several collections marked by flora, fauna and abstract motifs rendered in a rainbow of thread, it’s fair to say that Valentino’s design duo, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, have cornered the market in embroidery since arriving at the label in 2008. While their opulently, they’ve applied embroidery to more unlikely pieces, too, like the fisherman sweater. Floral-stitched, that sturdy staple looks fresh and newly luxe.

Undoubtedly they’re leaders of the pack in embroidery’s resurgence, but the pre-fall and fall collections were awash with what Linda Fargo, a senior vice president at Bergdorf Goodman, terms “stitch-witchery.” Sharing the common thread are old-guard brands like Gucci, youngish London labels such as Christopher Kane and Simone Rocha as well as nicely priced ones like New York-based Sea.

It’s a direction that feels right for right now. After seasons of normcore and minimalism, such beautiful and tactile clothing resonates. “At a certain point you can only wear so much clean and austere fashion. The pendulum has to swing toward the dazzle of incredible surface interest,” said Ms. Fargo.
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While the Valentino duo takes a relatively traditional approach, Mr. Kane approaches embroidery more subversively. The London designer currently offers a black leather motorcycle jacket festooned with sweet pink flowers and curling green stems. In short: not your grandmother’s embroidery—though granny might admire the rather pretty handiwork. “I like to challenge perceptions, mixing the femininity of embroidery with unexpected pairings,” said Mr. Kane.

His fellow Londoner Ms. Rocha, one of the industry’s edgy new darlings, also likes to nod to tradition while turning it on its head. In her fall collection, that strategy took form in nude tulle dresses embroidered with flowers in chunky cotton-blend yarn instead of slender silk. The look is a far cry from the, which until recently were the calling card of many up-and-coming British designers. The handcrafted effect, said Ms. Rocha, adds warmth and distinctiveness. “It was about trying to make something feel special,” she said, “but also a way to do something quite playful.”

Another way to give embroidery new life is to work old-world motifs on streamlined, modern pieces. Russian designer Olga Vilshenko landed on that strategy when she launched her namesake collection four years ago. The result: traditional Eastern European crisscross and chain-stitch embroideries on unfussy, wearable dresses, skirts and tops. “People want to see a forgotten beauty,” said Ms. Vilshenko. But they also don’t want to feel like they’re in a costume. Her clothes, she said, are “a link between yesterday and today.”

Indeed, the history of embroidery is long, going way back to ancient China and India. It’s something London’s Victoria and Albert Museum seeks to unravel in a coming exhibition, “The Fabric of India,” which opens on Oct. 3. Co-curator Divia Patel pointed out that many of the pieces in the show were designed to connote status, wealth and glamour. Clearly some things haven’t changed much in the course of centuries. Consider the fortune required to own a heavily worked Valentino frock.

Still, wearing embroidery needn’t bust your budget. Look to American label Sea, which offers sweet embroidered smock tops for just upward of $200. “The market is saturated with sameness,” explained co-designer Sean Monahan. “Using embroidery allows us to give our customer something unique.”

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Madonna Taps Gucci, Moschino for Rebel Heart Tour Costumes

Throughout her long career, Madonna has enlisted the world’s top designers, most famously Jean Paul Gaultier, to collaborate on the costumes for her globe-trotting tours.

She’s again recruited a murderer’s row of fashion talent for her latest, the “Rebel Heart” World Tour, named after her 13th studio album of the same name.

On Wednesday, she revealed exclusively to WWD the designers who made the cut, including Jeremy Scott and Alexander Wang. And add Madonna to the Alessandro Michele fan club: the Gucci creative director also pitched in.

Related Story: Madonna’s Red Carpet Looks Through the Years

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Just like she’s been teasing her setlist on Instagram for months — yes, “Vogue” and “Holiday” will make appearances on the tour — Madonna has also been posting snippets of looks she’s been working on with her longtime costume designer, Academy Award-nominated Arianne Phillips.

Ahead of the tour’s opening in Montreal on Sept. 9, she is revealing the full list of designers today: Fausto Puglisi, Prada and Miu Miu, Swarovski and the Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran are the others. She’ll show sketches at a later date.

The pop singer’s predilection for some of these names has been evident for a while: she wore Scott for Moschino to the Costume Institute gala in May, on the red carpet as well as to various after parties, for instance. And she was also in full Moschino regalia in her last video, “B**ch I’m Madonna,” where Wang made an exuberant cameo. Before that, she was spotted around town wearing the platform moon boots from Wang’s fall show, practically straight off the runway.

Curiously, Versace, in whose 2015 advertising campaign Madonna appeared, is not involved in this tour. Phillips, who has been nominated for two Oscars, including her work on Madonna’s own “W.E.,” is marking her sixth tour with Madonna and will also contribute costumes.

Some of the other designers, though, like Michele, are more surprising, underscoring the singer’s knack for spotting new talent.

Slideshow: Madonna’s Concert Tour Costume Designs Through the Years >>

Long before pop acts fraternized with fashion designers, it was Madonna who asked Gaultier in 1990 to design costumes for her famous “Blonde Ambition” World Tour. He delivered the now iconic coned bra and the two have since collaborated on several tours, on 2001’s “Drowned World,” 2006’s “Confessions” and 2012’s “MDNA,” which included a reinterpretation of their best-known garment.

Previous tours included costumes from Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Christian Lacroix — he designed the crystal-studded corset that opened the “Reinvention” tour in 2004 — and Riccardo Tisci, who designed the costumes the singer wore during the halftime show at the 2012 Super Bowl.

“People say everything has a limit,” Tisci told WWD at the time, “but limits do not exist with Madonna.” With today’s news, that still seems to be the case.

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The New Avant-Garde: Four Fashion Brands to Watch

MARQUES‘ALMEIDA

The duo behind this London-based label, Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida, met a decade ago in their native Portugal before heading to London’s Central Saint Martins to pursue master’s degrees in womenswear. While researching their joint thesis collection, they looked through ’90s issues of i-D and The Face and had an epiphany: Nearly every shoot featured denim. Inspired, the pair cut raw indigo fabric into oversize tops, slashed-open pants and one-sleeved dresses for their fall 2011 debut. “Jeans feel lived in,” says Marques, 28, who defines each collection’s mood while Almeida, 29, is the technician. “That seems more special to us than an expensive fabric.” Their frayed creations—which this season evolved to include brocade, ’50s-style silhouettes and denim in richly saturated hues—struck a chord with idiosyncratic retailer Opening Ceremony. They also impressed a jury composed of couturiers like Karl Lagerfeld, Phoebe Philo,  who handed them this year’s LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers, which offers 300,000 euros ($330,000) and mentoring to the winner. Says Marques, “We want to create a product that feels valuable but accessible at the same time.”
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JACQUEMUS

Self-taught designer Simon Porte Jacquemus, 25, often looks to his late mother and to his own childhood in the village of Brame-Jean, in southern France, for inspiration for his experimental designs. “I grew up running barefoot in the fields and swimming every day,” says Jacquemus, who founded his Paris-based label in 2009 when he was 19 years old. His process is similarly free-spirited. Of working on his fall 2015 collection, he says, “I was like a kid, cutting up pieces in my studio”—which he then rearranged into deconstructed designs like a patchwork wool and cotton dress with a shirt sleeve across the front. The designer frequently posts personal photographs to his and Facebook feeds. “Sometimes I feel like a blogger because I’m on the floor in my studio taking a picture. I’m very connected to my generation,” he says. So far, it must be working: His line is carried at 85 locations including Dover Street Market, the concept stores owned by Japanese brand Comme des Garçons, for which Jacquemus once worked as a sales clerk.

THOMAS TAIT

Canadian designer Thomas Tait, 28, has been on an upward trajectory since trading his hometown of Montreal for London: In 2010, at 22, he became the youngest student ever to graduate from Central Saint Martins with a master’s degree in womenswear. The next February, he launched his self-named line out of London, and just three years later, in 2014, LVMH awarded him the inaugural Prize for Young Fashion Designers. Tait, who describes his aesthetic as “the glamorization of horror,” draws inspiration from touchstones like the 1990 satire Edward Scissorhands, artist Gregory Crewdson’s photographs of banal American life and the films of Italian director Dario Argento. The results are precisely executed designs with slightly surreal details, like oversize trouser cuffs or a leather jacket’s elongated sleeves from this fall’s collection, and even a print composed of blurry screen grabs from favorite Argento films.“I started the brand with absolutely no money and no idea what I was doing,” says Tait. “LVMH gave me hope about the future.”

VETEMENTS

Parisian label Vetements, the seven-person design collective led by 34-year-old Georgian designer Demna Gvasalia, has quickly gained momentum since launching last year. Gvasalia—who studied economics before graduating from Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts and designing for Louis Vuitton and Maison Margiela, where his six cohorts also worked—blends motifs from hip-hop, street culture and his own friends. “We work on clothing that people recognize,” says Gvasalia, whose collection is now sold in 80 stores. “Then we put it in a context of being modern so they see it in a new way.” For this fall, that means utilitarian uniforms that play with proportion and scale: cargo pants paired with bold-striped sweaters, and deliberately oversize trousers and suit jackets. “It’s a lot about attitude,” says Gvasalia. “The woman I dress is the ultimate designer of her clothes and her style.”

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Ashley Nell Tipton, 'Project Runway's' First Plus Size Designer, Talks Visibility For Plus Size Women

I swear I heard a collective gasp from the body positive Project Runway fans of the world when the show announced its groundbreaking choices in the casting for this year's program. The 14th season of the fashion design competition would be featuring in the U.S. franchise. So, yeah. That was a pretty memorable day.
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​Just over a year ago, beloved host Tim Gunn — the only thing on PR more delightful than Heidi Klum's adorable accent — told The Hollywood Reporterthat he'd like to work on a season of the show that featured only. It made perfect sense: The plus size fashion industry is arguably on fire right now and much of that is down to über talented, bloggers, and models paving the way to inclusivity. In fact, the worldwide and it continues to grow exponentially, especially amongst a younger demographic.

Plus size women can be such important influencers in fashion and these days they are stepping up to take their rightful place as trendsetters. Ashley Nell Tipton is undoubtedly poised to turn heads and make history by gaining a spot on a show as iconic as Project Runway. From the moment I first saw her debut collection making its rounds on Tumblr, I knew that her style was different from anything currently out there. Her vision and risk-taking prompted me to chat with Tipton via email about her journey to Project Runway, her design ethos, and the best (and hardest) parts of being a young designer.

Tipton began designing in high school when she was just 16 years old. "What sparked me to start designing was my freshman year when I had to design an entire wardrobe for the characters of my high school play Grease," Tipton writes. "I first remember being interested in fashion when I got my first job at Torrid when I was 16."

The designer has also revealed that because of her size, which drove her to pursue her dream of designing. "When people told me that I couldn't do something, I wanted to always prove them wrong," she told People. "That comes a lot from people always bullying me because of my size, and not thinking that I could do anything to impact the world or inspire other people."

Eventually, Tipton started noticing the distinct lack of bold, fashion-forward designs available for plus size women — the types of clothing that she'd like to wear herself. "I believe trendsetters and taking fashion risks with designing are gaps that exist in the plus size market," Tipton says. "Of course being plus sized myself and being an active member of the plus size fashion community affects the way I design and think about fashion because I think about what I want to wear and what other [plus size] women want to wear."

After studying design at fashion college and creating a debut collection that would make waves all over social media, Tipton received her big break by being invited to show at Full Figure Fashion Week. The interest in and enthusiastic reception to her work led her to create, having no doubt that she wanted to work on expanding her own brand rather than working for a retail chain or established designer. It hasn't been an easy feat, though.

"As a young designer, the biggest challenge for me so far has been creating my dream business. Especially with being so young and not having the financial stability to make a successful company just yet," Tipton explains. She describes the journey to this point in her career as a "roller coaster" that took "a lot of self encouragement and being creative."

It is Tipton's love of fashion and the plus size women who crave more of it that has kept her going throughout her struggles. "My inspiration that pushed me to keep creating fashion and designing is seeing all the clothing that is being made for the plus size women and has inspired me to make clothing that is missing in this industry," she says. The pastel-haired designer has an amazing network of support as well, citing her family, friends, and followers as her biggest champions. "They are the ones that keep me going because they inspire me to believe in myself."

Tipton is beyond excited for the opportunity to appear on the show and to see what that may mean for her line and her career. "The most exciting part about being on Project Runway so far — besides all the exposure I'm going to get — is getting critiqued by Tim, Heidi, Zac, and Nina. This is feedback that no one can get in the industry unless you pay for it," she explains.

However, nothing is more important than the message she wants her stint on the show sends to viewers. "I would like everyone to embrace who they are in this world, do what they want to do, and not let anyone take that away from them!" Tipton also hopes that people understand her passion and that it drives them to chase their own. "I hope viewers are inspired to chase after their dreams no matter how big they are, and don't let anyone or anything stop them. I would like them to know my tears are not tears of weakness but tears of passion."

No matter the outcome of the show, Tipton's appearance is definitely about more than a prize. It's a step towards visibility and more importantly, towards having another voice for plus size women in the fashion industry. A voice for all the fun, funky, fat babes craving beautiful clothes attached to a beautiful message.

Project Runway premieres Aug. 6 and will air on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Lifetime. Personally, I'll be watching Ashley Nell Tipton and cheering her along, tears of passion and all.

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