Nasty Pig Inc. was started with $50 and zero experience by real-life partners Fred Kearney and David Lauterstein in 1994. Lauterstein explains how things were in the beginning with a smile.
"By partners, I mean we fuck each other in the ass," he says. "We just started making clothing for friends and let it grow from there. New York City was fertile ground for artists back then and we just went for it with a whole lot of balls. There was no company at first; just two artists making stuff that we liked."
Today, Nasty Pig consists of artists and businessmen who pool their talents to build the brand and keep the "culture flowing." The manufacturer also has five full-time employees and a myriad of subcontractors.
Nasty Pig designs, manufactures, wholesales and retails a complete line of edgy sportswear with an erotic spin. Some consider the company a manufacturer of fetish gear, but Lauterstein likes to call it street wear with a very masculine twist.
"There was a time when materials such as leather and latex defined the scene we are most well known in," he explains. "Today, however, it is all about being a badass, and that is the feeling we want to give you when wearing our gear. We like to call ourselves the Department of Transformation. Our goal is to dress our customers up and get them to see themselves in a totally different, overtly sexualized way."
In the gay adult apparel world, Nasty Pig certainly stands out. Its unique blend of street wear and fetish gear falls between both realms and does so with style.
"We are really a hip-hop brand turned on its ass," Lauterstein explains. "There are street-wear companies like Diesel and G-Star, but we are kinkier than that. Then there are incredible fetish companies like Mr. S and Fort Troff, but we are more street-edged. We are truly differentiated."
In recent years, the line has taken off and even struck a chord with straight men.
"Interestingly enough, the biggest obstacle we used to face [was] being identified with the gay community, [but] it's now working for us," Lauterstein says. "All these cool straight kids are wandering into our retail store and buying our gear. It is their way of saying ‘I'm tolerant' and ‘fuck off' at the same time."
Lauterstein says the main issue Nasty Pig currently faces is keeping up with its growth. "Nasty Pig underwear has just blown up," he explains. "We can't make enough of it. Our rubber playsheets always blow out, and our T-shirt lines do very well. Our customers also love the complex racing styles we offer, and Nasty Pig Jeans have become a staple for many guys."
Lauterstein says his aim is to transform Nasty Pig from an underground brand into a movement. "It's starting now," he says. "We are representing the real badasses of the world right now. In these conservative times, the guys - and girls - who are rocking Nasty Pig are making a statement about their style and their beliefs. It's like we have been doing our thing, a very small fish in a very large ocean, and suddenly the sharks have started to smell us and want a piece. It's exciting. I can't wait to see what happens next."
As Nasty Pig prepares to dress a new generation of players, the manufacturer has stepped up its marketing to challenge commonly held views of what ‘fetish' is all about. The new "I WILL NOT BE A NASTY PIG" campaign is further evidence that the company is proving there is plenty of room to grow creatively within the fetish scene.
"The scowling leatherman has been done," says Lauterstein. "Granted, it is a classic look, but we wanted to show that you can turn anything on its ass and make it sexy. The juvenile delinquents we feature [in our ad campaigns] are definitely up to no good."
ORDERING INFO: (212) 691-6067; [email protected].
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