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Queer clothing brand tomboyx, also known as the company that makes those rainbow sports bras that you probably stole from your ex, has appointed its first-ever Chief Creative Officer, cult fave designer Willie Norris.
In a press release announcing the news on Tuesday, the company said that in addition to building on tomboyx’s existing lines of underwear, swimwear, and loungewear, Norris will “introduce wholly new designs of her own under the moniker ‘tomboyx futures.’”
Speaking to Them over email, Norris said that she was drawn to tomboyx in large part because of her own experiences. “Underwear and swimwear have been lifelong challenges for me,” she said, explaining that as a child, she wore T-shirts in the pool and avoided exposing her body at the beach.
“Experiences like these stay with you,” she continued. “Many people, regardless of their identity, share similar struggles.”
But when the designer started transitioning, the search for comfortable underwear “became increasingly important.” That’s why when tomboyx approached her about the position, Norris “felt a mix of thrill and nerve — exactly what I’m looking for when I take on a new opportunity like this.” Norris added that because of the company’s existing focus on underwear and swimwear, the partnership feels “perfectly aligned.”
Norris is starting her tenure at tomboyx with a bang, namely the launch of the “tomboyx co-signers” initiative, which will become the brand’s signature ambassador program and editorial vertical. She described the initiative as a way to foster “playful and provocative collaborations with inspirational people that resonate with us and capture the spirit of the moment.” And who better to kick that off than Cole Escola, the nonbinary comedian and writer and star of the unexpected Broadway hit, Oh, Mary!, which just extended its run by nearly two months after breaking box-office records.
The initiative comes complete with an editorial shot by Hunter Abrams and Sam Lee. In one image, Escola plays the role of a cartoonishly hypermasculine model flexing in whitey tighties. In another, they’re posing with a black-gloved limp wrist, white cat-eye sunglasses, a turquoise headscarf with a pair of turquoise boxer briefs to match, and kitten heels to top the whole thing off. “Playful and provocative” are absolutely the words for the shoot.
As part of the initiative, you can score a pair of tomboyx’s briefs signed by Escola themself (in a shade deemed CharCOLE, naturally), with a string of stars hand drawn by Norris. At the time of writing though, there were only seven pairs left, so you’ve definitely got to move fast.
Norris was most recently the design director at the New York City-based brand Outlier. She’s additionally established a name for herself with WILLIENORRISREWORKSHOP, perhaps best known for those striking graphic tees that declare, “PROMOTE HOMOSEXUALITY” and “PROMOTE TRANSSEXUALITY.”
Of her collaboration with tomboyx, Norris additionally told Them that she is “thrilled to make my work accessible at a more affordable price point compared to my previous cut and sew designs.”
“I look forward to creating compelling, memorable imagery,” she said. “Above all, I’m excited to design for a diverse range of bodies and identities beyond the fashion crowd.”
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