MSTER: Unapologetic underwear
We speak with Philippe and David for a behind-the-scenes look at their Birmingham-based brand.
For our podcast, How To Date Men, we caught up Philippe and David from MSTER - an underwear and fetish brand from Birmingham.
In the conversation, we talk kinks, unexpected challenges, and the importance of a comfortable penis.
Why was MSTER a project that you wanted to work on together?
Philippe: We had a few conversations about our sexual intimacy and our interest in the fetish and kink community. There was a conversation that we had about the kinkwear, saying that we didn't feel like it was really kind of fashionable. It needed kind of a kickstart.
Dave does all the design side of things, and I do all the media and promo and speaking with influencers and that kind of thing.
David: Yeah, I'm very much the creative and Phil makes it happen.
Had you worked on anything together before, or is this the first project on which you've combined your skills and your talents?
David: We've grown three brands together, three businesses. So it isn't necessarily new.
Philippe: We spend a lot of time together. But we love it.
In terms of this project, you're looking at this from a kink and a fetish point of view - bringing style into the traditional kink-wear that we're used to. Would you describe yourselves as part of the kink or fetish community?
David: I definitely am. Philippe's been a bit of a late bloomer.
Philippe: I'm really excited by it but I've just been kind of putting my toes in the water in the last few years.
What's been the process to take this range from the initial creative idea of bringing some style to kink-wear into the design and production process? What's that journey been like for you?
David: I'm very creative, but I don't know how to get cogs in to motion, but Phil's very methodical. So he'll see all the different pieces that needs to be put together.
Philippe: I'll make it happen. I'll speak to China, I'll speak to Pakistan, I'll have the meetings. I'll just get things done.
What were some of the unexpected challenges you encountered during the process?
Philippe: Unexpected challenges came in the form of unexpected costs such as import taxes, and also the quality control.
David: The language barrier is a big one as well - we're talking to different countries like China and Pakistan, where English isn't the first language.
Philippe: You have to word everything very precisely - they will take everything literally. You've got to know what you want.
Who are the men who are your target market for the MSTER range?
David: We are so body positive that it wouldn't be fair to have a target audience -it's built for everybody.
Philippe: We want to see everyone in it. We want people to love the skin they're in and to actually feel sexy in our underwear, our jockstraps, our thongs, our harnesses. We want them to feel really good about themselves and that's kind of what it's about, being empowered to be yourself.
What's in the pipeline for future development in terms of where you want to take the brand?
David: We've got a range of leather harnesses coming out - in both black and tan.
Philippe: We also have some cock rings as well - we're looking into something that feels snug and does what it needs to do but it also feels comfortable. A comfortable penis is a happy penis.
What do hope that people feel when they're wearing MSTER underwear and fetish-wear?
David: We want people to feel sexy, no matter what size they are.
Philippe: Our tagline is the uniform of the unapologetic. So absolutely and apologetically be yourself - that is all that matters in life is to be the true self that you're born to be and don't feel like you have to change for anyone else. Everyone's unique so why not be you - it just deadens your spirit if you try to be someone else that you're not. You can't keep it up forever.
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