I came across brand Grayson Boyd when Calum Winsor modeled for them at Miami Swim week. I was intrigued and had to learn more. Here is our interview.
For our readers who aren’t familiar with your brand, can you tell them who you are and your philosophy for making swim/resort wear?
Grayson Boyd is a men’s swim and resort wear brand that originated in Australia. Our range centers around prints that come from art work that we have created in-house exclusively for the brand. Our prints are a collection of paintings, drawings, photographs and digital art created by Sam Gray and Michael Boyd (co-founders) and creative associate Yangkyi Tenzin. Hailing from Australia, we have been inspired by our wildlife, landscapes, and lifestyle. Our prints are our branding, so you won’t find “Grayson Boyd” plastered all over our pieces, you’ll recognize the brand through the colorful expression. The philosophy behind making swim and resort wear is simple: it catches the eye, looks unbelievable and fits perfectly. Australians typically have a beach-centric lifestyle. The goal with Grayson Boyd was to create swim and resort wear pieces that can be worn to the beach, the pool, the bar, the hotel and to a Sunday afternoon BBQ that give you confidence and speak to your crowd boldly with style.
You previewed your new collection at the Miami Swim Show, what was it like to show your new collection on the runway? Was this the first time you had a runway show?
Miami Swim Week was actually the brand launch. By consequence, yes, it was our first runway show. We were really proud of our showing at Miami Swim Week. It was so much fun.
Our other business in Australia works with fashion houses and runway events frequently, so the experience wasn’t entirely foreign. That being so, we’d never shown our own collection and that experience was really special. South Beach, Miami was reminiscent for us of the Gold Coast, Australia, just on a much larger scale. We love the energy and vibe of the place. We’ll be back!
How did an Australian brand end up at Miami Swim week?
This is a fun one! With 500 Instagram followers on our Grayson Boyd page (pre-launch) we received a message from Art Hearts Fashion (show producer) 3 weeks prior to the event, inviting us to launch with a show at Miami Swim Week. We said yes.
You have a very interesting mix of designs. From swim briefs, shorts to resort wear. What made you focus on these three areas?
Versatility of lifestyle. Guys love options, and they usually know what looks best on their bodies. We wanted to give our customers options and opportunities to explore the brand in varied environments. Gray was a competitive swimmer at a national level in Australia and lived by the beach while working as a lawyer. Boyd was a fashion model who also hand manufactured board shorts for friends and works now as a Creative Director. We took our mutual love for swim wear and teamed that with functionality and style and let it naturally grew to include swim, shorts and resort wear.
Swim briefs aren’t HUGE in America, and it’s better accepted in Australia. What are you doing to reach guys to wear them?
Yeah, Australia loves our swim briefs. We’ve found that Miami and Los Angeles embrace swim briefs a lot more readily than the rest of America. The gay community here is also fairly drawn to them. We’re currently running a competition to win $500 worth of Grayson Boyd product, and runners-up receive swim briefs. You can check out the details on our Instagram @graysonboyd_official. NYFW is also coming up and while we’re not doing a show, keep your eyes peeled for some men in swim briefs.
Australia is heading into summer now, so we’re looking forward to going home and seeing Grayson Boyd all over Bondi Beach. If swim briefs don’t latch on in America, we have shorts and resort wear to suit the men over here.
Having a unique style, what type of guy is the Grayson Boyd guy? Who wears your brand?
Grayson Boyd is a 70’s hustler-x-cowboy with a thick Australian accent. If you’re Grayson Boyd, you’re confident, cool and you turn heads when you walk into a room. You are equal parts sexy and playful and your mate’s bank on you for a good time. You’re a high flier, the guy who is always groomed but never over done.
We hope you enjoyed our interview. Find all the great things Grayson Boyd makes at their website!
