Next To Nothing (N2N) Fashion Show Preview: Other Designers

Take a look at the rest of the designers that you'll be seeing at tonight's Next To Nothing Fashion Show...

   Charles Josef has always had an eye for fashion; his interest in designing clothing started at an early age. “I’ve been making clothes since the age of five, when G.I. Joe wanted to go to the prom and needed a gown,” says Charles “Chuck” Josef. “Then in high school, I was faced with limited access to stylish, well-made clothes for men, so I began designing for myself.” In college, he found a need for swimwear that actually fit well and looked good. Later, he walked into a Duval Street store in Key West with his own personal swimsuits and a set of sketches, which marked the beginning of a Pride-based swim and clothing line that sold nationwide for many years. 

   “My inspiration is the body and making it look good,” explains Josef. “I focus on designing swimwear that can give a wide range of bodies the opportunity to look and feel sexy.” Josef achieves this through comfort and fit in styling. “When wearing so little, you have to be comfortable to feel confident and sexy,” he says. 

   At this year’s Next To Nothing (N2N) Fashion Show, you’ll see new cuts and some revised classic cuts from Charles Josef, including an updated version of one of the original Pride bikinis. Only a handful of styles will be showcased at the event, but the entire Charles Josef line will be launched online at www.charlesjosef.com. 

Model: Tommy W.

   Male Power was founded in 1974 by designer Sam Baker, who had a vision that men wanted fashionable, sexy, comfortable underwear for their everyday life. “There was a void in this market and Mr. Baker intended to fill it,” says Liz Healy, Regional Sales Manager for Male Power.  “Almost 40 years later, Male Power has become the leading national brand of men’s exotic underwear.” In 2001, Sam retired and his son, Jeff Baker, stepped in to run the company. 

   New looks for Male Power are inspired mostly by fabric: the stretch, the look, but mostly the feel.  “Fabric must be extremely soft, provide a comfortable fit, along with still looking sleek and fashionable,” explains Liz. “Our design team, led by Jeff Baker, is constantly sourcing new fabrics and coming up with new styling year round; it’s about staying ahead of the market and changing with the times.” 

   Male Power has also discovered that men are a lot more open to showing their sexy side. “We want our customer to feel confident, comfortable and sexy,” says Liz. Although sex appeal is important to the brand, Male Power also wants to provide support. One form of support is through the unique “Enhancing Pouch” that’s found in many of their garments. 

   “We focus on the sexy side, appealing to the adult market, but we also have a softer side of the line that excels in men’s stores,” says Liz. Just last year, Male Power launched their “Bamboo” line for men, which features a Lounge Pant, Lounge Shirt, Boxer, Mini Short, and Bikini. “Everything about this line screams mainstream,” she says, pointing out how the new designs were made for every male. The “Bamboo” line is designed with an ultra soft smooth feel, breathable fiber that wicks away moisture, termo control for warm or cold climates, and it’s antibacterial.

   At Thursday’s Next To Nothing (N2N) Fashion Show, you can expect to see “New Fabrics” and “New Styles” exclusively by Male Power.  You can find all of the Male Power designs on their website at  www.malepower.com.  Simply go to the “Purchase online” tab located on the top of the home page, and you’ll find a list of online stores that carry Male Power products.

Model: Albert D.

Model: Ian R.

Model: Raif M.

   Brief Desire has you covered, well, to the extent that you want to be covered. They carry underwear designs from around the globe. Some of their designs include: NIKU from Cape Town in South Africa, 69 SLAM from Bali,  Bum Chums from England, Gigo and Unico from South America, Gregg Homme from Canada, and some home-grown brands like Rufskin and Pistol Pete. You can learn more about their designs at www.briefdesire.com. 

Model: Cody F.

   Underwear Station will also be part of tonight's Next To Nothing Fashion Show. The designs at Underwear Station can be found online at http://underwearstation.com.

Model: Cameron R.

   Last, but not least, Timoteo will also be showing their designs on tonight's runway.

   The Next To Nothing (N2N) Fashion Show is happening on Thursday, June 13th at 8:30 PM at Club NV in Knoxville's Old City. This event is part of Knoxville PrideFest, and it's their biggest fundraiser of the year. Along with an incredible fashion show, there will also be an auction where you can purchase the designs seen on the runway. For more information about the Next To Nothing Fashion Show, check out the website (www.knoxvillepridefest.com), Facebook (facebook.com/knoxpridefest), and Twitter (@KnoxvillePride).