Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

BUSINESS Calif. clothiers for masculine-identified opens pop-up store
by Kathleen Guzman
2014-11-12

This article shared 6495 times since Wed Nov 12, 2014
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Saint Harridan will be popping up in the Andersonville area of Chicago at 1748 W. Balmoral Ave. Nov. 15-23. The pop-up shop will be between two lesbian-owned businesses Joie de Vine and Karma Salon. The businesses will be doing several cross promotions including wine tastings. Humboldt House will be providing furniture from their retail store for the pop-up.

Gender-bending Oakland, California-based clothier Saint Harridan designs and manufactures masculine clothing for women and transmen—and its nine-day temporary "pop-up store" will be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, and open late, until 8 p.m., on two nights, Nov. 19 and 20.

Visitors at the pop-up shop will also get the opportunity to be photographed by Miki Vargas, who is traveling with the Saint Harridan team. Vargas' project For the Love of Bois portrays this masculine-of-center, gender-exploding movement. "I'm documenting the Handsome Revolution," said Vargas, who has exhibited in Oakland, San Francisco, Baltimore, Atlanta, Philadelphia and New York.

Dom Brassey is a fashion anarchist and free agent regarding gender. Hustling for Saint Harridan since December 2013, Brassey works on pop-up shops, fittings, operations and customer service. Brassey's suit-wearing heroes include Malcolm X, Ellen DeGeneres and Fox Mulder ( the character from the TV show X Files ).

Brassey recently discussed fashion, Saint Harridan, cultural waves of awareness and a visit to Chicago with Windy City Times.

Windy City Times: Tell me a little bit about the evolution of Saint Harridan, from Kickstarter till now.

Dom Brassey: Everyone we know has always dreamt of wearing a masculine-style suit that looks right on our body. Our Kickstarter supporters launched us from fundraising around that dream—to selling suits that our customers can actually touch and try on. We used our Kickstarter funds to source fabric, learn about garment construction, and find partners who could help us create these suits. Now we sell them. It may not sound epic when we put it like that—but when we see tears streaming down our customers' faces, we know that this was no small feat. We did it. We made the leap. We've created something our community has always dreamt of.

WCT: I feel as if you are starting the ride on an amazing wave of awareness in this country. Does it feel that way to you as well?

Dom Brassey: Absolutely. This is a remarkable moment for queer visibility in the U.S. Marriage and workplace equality movements, anti-bullying campaigns, and advocacy for women and LGBT people in the armed services have held mainstream justice frameworks to account. Even in the two years we have been in business the world has changed. The market for our product had grown because saints everywhere are pushing the envelope. It's the queering of America. Which is a good thing for diversity and inclusion across all differences. It makes us feel proud.

WCT: I love the possibility of the "non-traditional" becoming traditional—when we can actually watch it happen in our lives. Can you associate that at all with Saint Harridan?

Dom Brassey: The liberation of menswear is an interesting mix of non- and traditional. On one hand, queer people becoming visible within the traditions or legacy of menswear has the feel of mainstreaming—on the other hand, gender-nonconforming and trans* people becoming visible within traditional masculinity inevitably troubles the very core of the gender binary upon which so many of our cultural assumptions and biases are based. It's one of those exciting paradoxes of being queer. The most revolutionary thing is to be yourself. Saint Harridan supports queer people looking good while doing it.

WCT: The idea of pop-up stores seems like "taking the show on the road." Does it feel that way from the inside?

Dom Brassey: It does. We're based in Oakland, California, but we've visited 14 cities on our pop-up tour this year. We love visiting Saints all over the country and watching their delight when they try on our suits. We see that masculine-of-center women and transmen exist in every city. We are lawyers and teachers, politicians and parents, advocates and everyday people. And we look awesome in suits.

WCT: Tell me what the relationship is between clothes and activism. For me, there is such an interesting relationship.

Dom Brassey: We think that clothes and activism are both venues for the visibility of truth and justice. We make masculine clothing and accessories for women and transmen because we believe in smashing the barriers around masculinity. People who want to express masculinity can live bigger and feel stronger if they have increased access to masculine clothes that fit. We exist to reduce the time it takes to go from bed-head to self-actualization. Our people have big things to do. We want them to get dressed and do those big things.

WCT: Why did it take so long, in your opinion, for the world to wake up to the concept of fitting body and individual into non-biased gender clothing?

Dom Brassey: It's not a matter of waking up. It's a matter of investing in product development and connecting with a market. Crowd-funding has enabled queer people to fund queer people developing queer products. That's exactly what we are. Saint Harridan is what happens when queer ingenuity and community meet the Internet.

WCT: What are you looking forward to the most about coming to Chicago?

Dom Brassey: Deep-dish pizza … Our neighbor Joie de Vive is hospitably offering free hot shots to visitors in our Pop-Up Shop. Mostly, we're looking forward to seeing Chicago Saints putting on suits and looking in the mirror. We can't even describe what it feels like to validate and inspire people with our product. Our suits carry a powerful charge. Our product is about self-reverence, visibility, and dignity. We love seeing our suits have a powerful impact on people.

WCT: My standard question I always have to ask: Tell me about something that's on your "bucket list."

Dom Brassey: Watching six of our models walk down the runway at a dapperQ Fashion Show at the Brooklyn Museum Dec. 6. We'll be doing it. We hope some of you will join us.

Event: The Saint Harridan Pop-Up Shop, nine days In Chicago

Description: Retail shop specializing in high-quality masculine suits for women and transmen

Date: Nov. 15-23

Time: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. every day except 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Nov. 21 and Nov. 22

Location: 1748 W. Balmoral Ave.

Public transportation: #50 bus stop at Ashland & Balmoral, Clark Street Bus at Balmoral, Red Line Train at Berwyn

Phone: 510-473-5414

Website: www.saintharridan.com .


This article shared 6495 times since Wed Nov 12, 2014
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Kara Swisher talks truth, power in tech at Chicago Humanities event
2024-03-25
Lesbian author, award-winning journalist and podcast host Kara Swisher spoke about truth and power in the tech industry through the lens of her most recent book, Burn Book: A Tech Love Story, March 21 at First ...


Gay News

Almost 8% of U.S. residents identify as LGBTQ+
2024-03-16
The proportion of U.S. adults identifying as LGBTQ+ continues to increase. LGBTQ+ identification in the U.S. continues to grow, with 7.6% of U.S. adults now identifying as LGBTQ+, according to the newest Gallup poll results that ...


Gay News

Women's History Month doesn't do enough to lift up Black lesbians
2024-03-12
Fifty years ago, in 1974, the Combahee River Collective (CRC) was founded in Boston by several lesbian and feminist women of African descent. As a sisterhood, they understood that their acts of protest were shouldered by ...


Gay News

No 'explanations' needed: Affinity remains a haven for Chicago's Black queer community
2024-03-12
Back in 2007, Anna DeShawn came out while she was studying for her undergraduate degree. At around the same time, she searched online for "Black lesbians in Chicago." Her search led her to Affinity Community Services, ...


Gay News

Affinity Community Services' Latonya Maley announces departure
2024-03-06
Latonya Maley, executive director of Affinity Community Services, announced March 6 that she would be stepping down from her post. The announcement came from a statement with Affinity board members. Maley said that, "It has been ...


Gay News

LPAC celebrates historic wins for LGBTQ+ candidates in Super Tuesday primaries
2024-03-06
From a press release: Washington, DC—Today, LPAC,the nation's leading organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary candidates to public office, proudly announces the outstanding victories of 67% of endorsed candidates ...


Gay News

THEATER 'R & J' puts a female, queer spin on Shakespeare
2024-03-05
Romeo and Juliet is the theatrical gift that keeps on giving. It's been reworked for the masses numerous times, whether in direct adaptations or musicals such as West Side Story. Shakespeare's plotline points have even inspired ...


Gay News

Without compromise: Holly Baggett explores lives of iconoclasts Margaret Anderson and Jane Heap
2024-03-04
Jane Heap (1883-1964) and Margaret Anderson (1886-1973), each of them a native Midwesterner, woman of letters and iconoclast, had a profound influence on literary culture in both America and Europe in the early 20th Century. Heap ...


Gay News

There she goes again: Author Alison Cochrun discusses writing journey
2024-02-27
By Carrie Maxwell When Alison Cochrun began writing her first queer romance novel in 2019, she had no idea it would change the course of her entire life. Cochrun, who spent 11 years as a high ...


Gay News

Brittney Griner's jersey retired at Baylor University
2024-02-20
On Feb. 18, Baylor University retired Brittney Griner's #42 jersey. Griner—a two-time AP national player of the year, two-time Olympic gold medalist and the NCAA women's career blocks leader (with 748)—attended a Bears home game ...


Gay News

Second Glance Productions hosts LGBTQupid Soiree
2024-02-16
In celebration of Valentine's Day, Chicago based film and media production company Second Glance hosted The LBGTQupid Soiree. The event, which was focused on spinning attitudes on this particular day, was presented at The iO ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Elton John, Hannah Gadsby, video game, Jennifer Lopez, queer thriller
2024-02-16
Video below - Sir Elton John has sold his Atlanta home and is now auctioning off more than 900 of his personal items that were kept in the 13,500-square-foot condo, The Daily Mail noted. The massive collection includes rare ...


Gay News

WORLD South Africa murder, lesbian couple, Brianna Ghey, Eurovision
2024-02-16
In South Africa, LGBTQ+-rights groups condemned the brutal murder of Diego Jacobs, a queer man in Cape Town, The Washington Blade reported. Reports indicate Jacobs, 21, was brutally murdered (reportedly by a former neighbor) on Feb. ...


Gay News

Human Rights Campaign report releases new data on experiences of Black queer youth
2024-02-14
--From a press release - WASHINGTON — Today, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), the educational arm of the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, released a report in ...


Gay News

Asians and Friends Chicago to host LGBTQ Lunar New Year Dinner Feb. 24
2024-02-09
--From a press release - CHICAGO—Taking a cross-dressing twist for the Year of the Dragon, members of Asians and Friends Chicago (AFC) will host a dinner-and-drag musical revue, celebrating the Year of the "Drag-on" and bringing together members of the lesbian, ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.