When you think of great men’s underwear. I would bet N2N Bodywear is one that is high on many of our reader’s list. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the brand. We get a chance to interview Andrew Makay on the last 20 years and what the future holds! We will link to other interviews we have done for a bit more history. We will try not to cover the things we have asked before.
We have interviewed you a few times Andrew. When you started the journey into the men’s underwear market did you picture you would be doing this 20 years later?
Haha…absolutely not…I decided to take a break from acting, having just come off the national tour of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. Thought I’d take a stab at this gloried hobby of mine…well, the rest is history…haha
You are not only an icon in the gay market but also the straight underwear lover. Why do you think that both gay and straight have embraced the brand?
I have designed every pair of underwear off my body. If it’s not comfy…it doesn’t get made. If the fit is not right, it doesn’t get made. I don’t think it matters if you’re gay or straight..GUYS like underwear that fits well, is comfortable and flatters the male form.
Has this been the key to the success of N2N Bodywear?
I’d say yes. Also, the fact that I don’t jump on what’s hot or “the next best thing” …I design pretty organically. I get inspired and it gets designed.
One question I have meant to ask, how did you create the N-hance pouch? This has to be one of the top 5 pouches in men’s underwear. Did you know had something incredible when it was created? If not when did you know?
Again, since I designed everything off me, I created a pattern and style that made me look really good. Enhancing what I already had….showed me off better than anything I found at the time…I had a feeling the guys would like it too!
What have been the highlights over the last 20 years? What have been your best sellers? Best Models? Biggest celebrities wearing N2N?
I’d say one of the biggest highlights was a few years ago when Neil Patrick Harris said his favorite underwear at the time was N2N! That was in Vanity Fair…pretty awesome! I was the premier underwear brand for the grand opening of Cirque de Soleil’s first gay night at LIGHT nightclub in Las Vegas. That was spectacular! The fact that I had William Gutierrez AKA William Levy, biggest Latin soap opera star as a model was pretty darn cool. Along with him was Alan Ritchson, who went on to become a celebrity. To identify the most popular collections is easy as looking at the site and seeing what has been there for over 5 years…the NET COLLECTION and the CLASSIC COTTON COLLECTION are two that have been consistent in their sales and popularity.
The 2017 collection, you told me you would be releasing things through out the year. What can we expect out of this collection? What surprises do you have in store for die hard N2N Fans?
We have been doing a rollout of a collection this year to try something different. Keeps the website fresh. Very shortly an underwear collection will be released much to the pleasure of many fans. It is a take on a very popular and requested collection I discontinued a while ago. it is the Mohave Spring Collection. A slightly tweaked yet more colorful version of the older style.
Over the years you have been known for your prints, even before the recent trend in men’s underwear. Why do you use prints? How do you find such awesome prints?
I use prints because I get a little tired of solids, to be honest haha. There are so many different kinds of prints available, it’s nice to take a chance on them and get creative. I say take a chance because historically prints are a slower seller than the safe option of solids. I have fabric vendor that show me what new prints are in stock. Sometimes I will randomly find ones that I just have to use. I like when that happens…again, very organic and spontaneous.
Each year you come up with creative fun to wear styles in the erotic wear. Why is designing eroticwear so important to who N2N?
The erotic collection has always been a staple and an important part of N2n’s repertoire. I was always intrigued by the erotic fashions available but would never wear them myself. I designed items that I found sexy, that I would wear. Styles that could not be found…unique enough to garnish attention from even hardcore enthusiasts.
NOTE: Andrew is one of my all favorite people in the men’s underwear world. He has always supported UNB and everything we have done. I want to personally congratulate him for 20 years making amazing underwear and gear.
