We have certainly responded to plenty of questions from the media over the past couple of weeks, so here are just a few of them, along with our response-
Q: What made you decide to make lingerie for men?
A: Why not? Men’s underwear has been much the same for many years. ?The same styles, same patterns, same fabrics. ?We decided to step outside the square and manufacture briefs made with satins, lightweight microfibre blends and add a little lace and or accessories for fun!
Q: The bras, why a bra when there’s no reason for a guy to wear a bra?
A: Why does everything we wear necessarily have to have a function? ?Admittedly, bras were not something we initially planned on designing. ?However we received overwhelming correspondence from visitors and customers asking us to manufacture several new garments. ?So after looking around on the web, we discovered no one was designing anything suitable for guys that ticked all the boxes, so we went ahead and designed a few different styles. ?Feedback indicates our customers like the feel of the garment and they are a very popular item.
Q: Do you have a lot of gay customers?
A: We do not ask our customers about their personal lives prior to making a purchase. ?However, based on our early research, we believe that the majority of our customers are married. ?Our goal has always been to offer an alternative style of underwear for men, based on their physique rather than their sexuality.
Q: Your recent appearance at the International Lingerie Show appears to be a successful PR stunt. ?What will you do next?
A: Contrary to speculation, the ILS and runway show was not a stunt. ?In fact we exhibited at the Show in September 2012, and there was a great reaction at the time, but no major media attention. ?We also had guys on the runway in September and that was to showcase our collections to retail buyers. ?The same reason we exhibited in April 2013. ?And the same reason we will return to Las Vegas in September 2013.
Q: Where do you sell the most garments?
A: The United States is our largest market. ?We established a distribution network there early and followed up by placing stock in stores across several states. ?Our next largest markets are (equally) the UK, Canada and Australia. ?We also have a distributor in the UK that services our European market.
Q: What are your thoughts with regard to negative comments from the community and on social media?
A: We understand we are servicing a niche market and not everyone will understand our business model. ?It would not be uncommon for men to openly criticise our garments, then follow up by ordering something from our line and having it discreetly shipped to an alternative address.
Q: Do you think men’s lingerie will go mainstream?
A: I don’t think you will see HommeMystere in your local Macy’s, Debenhams or David Jones any time soon, but I believe we’re on the right path. ?We already stock a few lingerie stores in the US, so as men’s lingerie becomes more socially acceptable, we’re confident that trend will continue.
