The Thirst is REAL at Unleashed LGBTQ - AussieBum, Grindr, ADDICTED, & RIDE BodyWorx Join Line-Up
Unleashed LGBTQ Virtual is proud to partner with some of the hottest brands to bring you virtual fashion shows, topic discussions, and happy hour panels. Still thirsty? We got you! Here’s a few brands you can expect to see at Unleashed LGBTQ Virtual…
AussieBum celebrates 20 years.
AussieBum: This premier Australian underwear and swimsuit company has reached worldwide success and notoriety by making some of the sexiest mens apparel over the last 20 years. This virtual fashion event will showcase the latest products from their 2021 spring/summer collection. Fashion show will be followed by interview with founder and CEO Sean Ashby.
Grindr is renowned for being the world’s largest gay dating app. With such success, Grindr has learned a lot from a marketing standpoint. While large companies have been eager to show support to the LGBTQ community, for example: ads with gay couples, Andy Kraut explains from his own professional experience In brand partnerships, how many companies today have steered clear, and in some cases, discriminated against businesses like Grindr. Even with large audiences and preferred demographics, many companies are still reluctant to advertise with the tech giant. Advertisements obviously use sex to sell, So why not gay sex?
ADDICTED, the world famous Barcelona based, swimsuit, underwear, and athletic brand has always had a reputation for top-notch quality products, immaculate ads/marketing, and beautiful models. What's in store for 2021? Well, check out the online store, hun. Also, be sure to register to attend Unleashed LGBTQ Virtual, where Addicted will be hosting an exclusive online fashion show that will no doubt leave you wanting more. (Addicted yet? You will be.)
Sliquid- RIDE BODYWORX Part of unleashed lgbtq happy hour
RIDE BodyWorx has grown from a lube manufacturer, creating some of the highest quality lubricants on the market, to a lifestyle product powerhouse, producing grooming products, shaving cream and beard oil. partnerships with Rocco Steele and Buck Angel helped propel RIDE to new levels of recognition. RIDE Bodyworx Also shows its commitment to creating high performance products for diverse consumers. T-LUBE, is a water-based personal lubricant created for trans men based off of tEstimony and personal experience. Bravo! 👏🏽
See full line-up of brands, speakers, and performers here.
Unleashed LGBTQ creates a space for brands, entertainers, and LGBTQ professionals to connect. ATTENDEES can see the latest products, services, and campaigns entering the LGBTQ market including apps, fashion, media, non-profits, travel/desTination, and more.
Unleashed LGBTQ Virtual will host keynote speakers, panels, and performances from some of the biggest names in LGBTQ film, television, & music.
Register Here.
Shedding Light on Dark Room Collection- Interview with Paul McNulty
As an avid underwear shopper, I’m always excited to see new brands and products as they come out. I’m blessed to live in Dallas, TX where the shops in the gayborhood are plentiful and offer a wide selection of undies, swimsuits, jocks, and fetish gear.
While browsing Instagram, I came across, none other than Dark Room Collection. This thirst trap of a post was modeled by two beefy, bearded guys: Paul McNulty (@djpjm1) and Andres Santana (@thesan_edin). So, would a sophisticated lady like myself fall for this trap?
A second later I was on the website. I was pleasantly surprised by their fresh take on, umm… everything. I found at least five items I absolutely had to have right away. Being a London-based company, it took a bit longer to get here, but in the end, it was definitely worth the wait. I fell in love with the fit, materials, and design immediately. But what I loved most was that Dark Room Collection is owned and operated by the two gorgeous models I saw on the website. Not only are they a couple in business, they’re engaged to be married.
Yes, Paul and Andres, pictured below, are obviously hot AF but also ambitious AF. The two saw an opportunity to enter a market and make their mark and they did just that. Respect, queens.
I got a chance to chat with Mr. Paul and learn how he and his sexy fiancé, Andres, came up with Dark Room Collection. Here’s what he had to say. Enjoy. ;)
Andres- @thesan_edin (left) & Paul- @djpjm1 (right)
Weslo: How did you come up with the idea for Dark Room Collection?
Paul: It all started with a calendar of myself that Andres shot back in 2016 (for 2017) It was done in a Dark Room setting. From there we released prints from the calendar and then a t-shirt from it. As things progressed we kept the Dark Room name and expanded on doing jockstraps, etc.
Weslo: How is Dark Room different than other gay apparel brands?
Paul: We model all our own gear. If we wouldn’t wear it ourselves we won’t sell it to our customers. We are completely hands on with it from photography, design, and even postage and packing- all done by ourselves!
Weslo: What has been the public's response to Dark Room?
Paul: Out of the gate, very positive!
Weslo: So it wasn’t difficult to break into the market?
Paul: We have been very lucky. We kind of fell into doing the brand. We both already had a big social media following and had been working with parties around the world while gogo dancing. So we already had the connections to sponsor the parties and a big target market reach for promotion! We just had to make sure we got the products right!
Weslo: Do you have a favorite product/design that you offer? What is it?
Paul: All of the brand new Violation Collection.
Violation Collection 2020
Weslo: Do you have any other favorite gay apparel brands?
Paul: We always love to browse around BOXER shops when we visit Berlin and Barcelona.
Weslo: Where do you get your inspiration for your designs?
Paul: A lot of the time we will have a look at what fetish gear we own and put our spin on it.
Weslo: You own and operate Dark Brand with your husband, Andres— what is that like?
Paul: Great. We definitely make a good team and have completely different skill sets that compliment each other very well.
Weslo: Has traveling as a dancer helped you spend the word about Dark Room?
Paul: 100% - most of our market is in the U.S. Around 80% of our orders. So it’s been great to get around and meet our customers. Last year I made it around to Dallas, New York, PTown, LA, LongBeach and Minneapolis - we always seem to get a spike in customers once we have visited that city!
Weslo: What do you hope to accomplish with Dark Room and what can we expect to see in the future?
Paul: We would love to still to be around in 10 years and have some of our own shops in some of our favourite cities around the world.
Well, there it is. Enjoy the eye candy that is Paul and Andres in the photos below and follow the link to find your next circuit party gear once the Covid-19 gives us our lives back.
Wesley Smoot
Staying Busy and Slaying Henny! - Rising star Stevie Boi is not letting quarantine slow him down
May 5, 2020
Dallas, TX
New York based designer Stevie Boi has gained incredible momentum in the fashion eyewear scene with SB Shades. At just 30 years old, this Augusta, GA born designer has used his over-the-top sunglasses to style some of the biggest stars including Madonna, Ke$ha, and Amber Rose. While this is exceptionally impressive, Stevie Boi is no one trick pony. He owns and operates clothing brand SK8T, and is author of Shade Built my Empire, a book about brand identity and building a business from the ground up. In his self-titled vlog, Stevie Boi, he travels the world showcasing his brand and interacts with other fashionistas making stops in Iceland, Paris, and cities all over the U.S.
Even with so much accomplished, Stevie Boi knows it is imperative for any rising star to keep their momentum if they want to have a lasting career. So when a global pandemic like COVID-19 strikes, what does he do? One word:
Werk!
We got the chance to chat with Stevie Boi about his time in quarantine and some of his latest projects. And yes, he has been staying busy. So if you’re tired of being asked “Are you still watching?” then keep reading. Stevie Boi’s work ethic is enough to make any queen hop off their throne (couch) and get back to work on those passion projects.
Weslo: What have you been doing since the quarantine started?
Stevie Boi: Work! But also lots and lots of cooking. I wanted to use this time to focus on a new book. So with that being said, a cookbook seemed like the logical next step. It’s something I’ve always wanted to sink my teeth into, lol. So I figured, why not? I have also designed two new lines.
Weslo: Yas! What’s the name of this cookbook and what makes it different?
Stevie Boi: My book is titled Stevie Boi Eats presents: Season to Taste. It’s a personal take, based on my travels around the world. I have some unique recipes I’ll be dishing out from my time in Europe, and being the Georgia peach I am, I’ll be fusing them with some southern recipes.
Weslo: Can we expect these recipes to be accompanied by some fabulous photos?
Stevie Boi: Yas Queen! 80% of the book will have photos and I’m excited to say I am working with Michael Antonio and Nikon Don, some of my favorite photographers. Because of this pandemic, we have put our shoots on hold but that won’t stop me from working on everything else I can get done in the meantime.
Weslo: What do you plan on accomplishing with this cookbook?
Stevie Boi: Most of the public knows me for my design work and for being a video personality. But if you really know me personally, you know I love to cook. I think this will introduce that part of me to the world. I have been cooking my entire life. I can’t wait for the day I get to do tours and pop ups at book stores. That seems like so much fun.
Weslo: You also mentioned you have been working on two different lines during the quarantine. What can you tell us about those?
Stevie Boi: I have been working on my current line is SK8T, of course, but I have also recently decided to plan out my next two years of collections. One of them is incredibly vibrant. I think Betsy Johnson would love it, lol. The other line is Olympic-themed and features lots of gold tones. Can’t wait for you to see it!
Weslo: Sounds fun and ambitious. Is the Olympic-theme collection workout apparel?
Stevie Boi: Its a mix of athletic gear and high fashion, same but separate, lol. You’ll know it when you see it. ;)
Weslo: You were part of film that was to be screened for SXSW 2020. We know it was canceled due to COVID-19. What can you tell us about that project?
Stevie Boi: I had a small role as a model in the film. I was promoting my P!NK Collection. I actually still haven’t seen the film myself but I know it will be fab!
Weslo: Do you have any tips for our readers on how to stay motivated during this quarantine?
Stevie Boi: Yes! I would suggest finding three hobbies a day. I like to start with cooking breakfast in the a.m. I start designing until the late afternoon and meditate before bed. I have also been using a humidifier during quarantine to improve air quality, it really helps me relax. Lastly drink lots of water! I like to add lemon and cucumbers. I love to detox at least three days out of the week.
SK8T by Stevie Boi
Wolf Daddy Apparel
Wolf Daddy Apparel started off like many social media pages. Providing motivational quotes and positive content was the initial goal of founder, David Stowe. David said he was known in the community as someone who would “literally give the shirt off his back.” And if I may say, with that body, seeing him shirtless will not get any complaints, at least not from any of the queens I know. David was convinced the next logical step was to create Wolf Daddy Apparel.
“As I worked through this, It seems to me that many clothing brands have lost some of their originality and no longer draw the attention of those seeking new ideas. In some cases, profit has trumped quality on brands with the customers losing the value they originally enjoyed, leaving them to search out new brands of higher quality and purpose.”
His mission became clear. To provide quality apparel at reasonable prices with personal messages that resonate with you. Just as WolfDaddyTX shares motivational messages and new ways to look at old problems, it is hoped that the Wolf Daddy logo, designs and slogans remind you that there are always positive ways to view, set and achieve your goals & your dreams. Some of our designs are edgy and humorous, but that's O.K. It never hurts to laugh a little bit while starting new conversations with old and new friends.
David stresses the importance of being proud of who you are. He is one who understands what it takes to be ones best self and hopes he can spread his positive message through his products.
Learn more about Wolf Daddy Apparel at:
www.wolf-daddy.com
And join his pack hotties as he unveils new designs at Unleashed LGBTQ Expo March 28-29, 2020
#WolfDaddy #UnleashedLGBTQ
