Clonezone’s Topher Taylor talks inclusivity
When people typically think of Clonezone, they think of the stereotypical images that are provided to us by the underwear brands we stock. The bronzed, rippled, muscular models with packed pouches and flawless skin – a mix of model agencies and careful retouching plays into an illusion which often alienates many people that are looking at our products.
I get it. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve sat in our boardroom and asked the brands to use a different variety of models. Trust me, if it were up to me, Clonezone wouldn’t use these images as much as we do but the truth is, we don’t really have the time and resources to photograph every range that hits our warehouse. I wish we could but we are a small team and professional quality shoots are time consuming. It’s definitely something we have our sights set on, however. Watch this space.
This is also why I LOVE it when our customers send us selfies, representing different tribes, body shapes, skin colours, genders, and abilities. Clonezone social media is often covered in these images. I often beg for them – as I know how important it is. As a young, sexually-confused boy, I was insecure about my physique as I came from the emo scene where being skinny was everything. I was slim but with a big bum and big thighs. I couldn’t find anyone else who ‘looked like me’ – especially advertising clothes.
¨You really don’t need a gym fit body to pull off fetish wear¨
Wearing skinny jeans was a mortifying experience next to people that seemed to be half my size. I hope that the efforts we make to encourage people to pose for us lets customers and followers know how our gear will look on them. You really don’t need a gym fit build to pull off fetish wear. You don’t need a flat stomach to rock a crop top, and you don’t need to be male to wear clothes from Clonezone.
One step Clonezone have taken as a brand, is to expand our own brand ‘Fetish Gear’s sizing up to XXL, fitting up to a 40-inch waistline. Since our new buyer took over, we take brands up to XL as standard. We include XS where available – especially with the American brands which have a tendency to come up larger than our European and Asian manufactured gear.
¨we are seeing a wave of different types of people showing off in gear¨
Clonezone have introduced brands such as Project Claude, Ruben Galarreta, alongside new arrivals from STUD and Barcode Berlin. So, we are seeing a wave of different sorts of people showing off in gear from our shops. And I love it.
I’m always encouraging people to send in selfies and I hope that anyone reading this will do, too. Please don’t be shy as your pictures might just encourage someone else to do the same. I actually have some projects coming up in 2019. For these I’ll be making an active effort to promote the different shapes of figure that wear Clonezone clothes. If you want to be involved or have suggestions, get into contact.
You can contact me at [email protected] or tweet us @ClonezoneUK
Also Read : Topher Taylor’s Clonezone guide to feeling your gay fetish fantasy in the winter months
Winter is coming! Which means it makes more sense to wrap up a little bit. And yeah, I know, that’s fresh coming from a shop full of barely-there briefs, jocks and accessories. But here at Clonezone we believe that you can easily ooze sex appeal AND flag your kinks whilst not being as exposed as usual. Sex appeal isn’t necessarily about showing skin, and our new drops from Nasty Pig prove that.
Nasty Pig was founded back in 1994 by partners Frederik Kearney and Frederick Kearney. It was inspired by gay and hip-hop culture and also by the underworld of New York City. Their designs blend the idea of sportswear and nightlife with fetish. The collections serve as inspirations to the Fashion Week catwalks of some the biggest designer names you’ve ever heard of. Their designs have been worn by the glitterati of the gay world as well as by Madonna. Read more ….
Also Read : Topher Taylor´s Clonezone guide to their latest range, including undies specially made for trans guys
Also Read : Topher Taylor´s Clonezone guide to their latest range, including undies specially made for trans guysIt’s easy for a brand to say ‘everyone is welcome!’ and ‘we have something for everyone!’. But how many people really put their money where their mouths are? We decided as a team that due to feedback from customers on email and social media. Many of our fashion ranges weren’t catering to people who didn’t fit into the Small to Large size range.
Trust me – I know how irritating it is. I have been answering the Clonezone phonelines for years and monitoring the customer services emails. I´m constantly feeding these sizing issues back to our brands and it’s not often that they get acted upon. I spoke to a particular brand about my frustration at the lack of diversity within their models. Read More …
