Design Duo, Tanner Fletcher on Broadening The Categories of Genderless Luxury
WITH TANNER RICHIE & FLETCHER KASSEL
The world needs Tanner Fletcher as well as the giant middle finger they have given to outdated societal norms such as “toxic masculinity.”
Photography, Julio Nuno
Words, Douglas Henry Lewis In Conversation with Tanner Richie & Fletcher Kassel
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One day after Valentine’s Day, inside the decorated Georgia Room at Freehand Hotel, couple and co-founders Tanner Richie and Fletcher Kassel made a bold statement shattering gender norms with their 2022 Fall/Winter collection.
Basking in the scene, guests enjoyed Jazz music, vintage interiors, and sartorial selections on models who seemed to be enjoying themselves while looking oh-so-chic at the same time. Members of the fashion press, friends, former coworkers, and family members drank original cocktails of “the plant on a shelf” and “the fringe lampshade” whilst a soulful singer belted out classic jazz songs. For a moment, we were in a very surreal dimension of gender-inclusive creative euphoria.
This sublime collection and the environment that surrounded it represents the idea that often, creatives of all sorts but, especially in fashion, have a myriad of interests and talents that inspire them. What is especially impressive about the founders of the Tanner Fletcher brand is how they have blended all these talents, interests, and skills and created a collection that is wearable and original whilst making a political statement at the same time.
With initial intentions of transitioning into the business side of fashion and the interior design sphere after moving from the Midwest to New York City, happenstance and a global pandemic left them jobless and without a plan B. Thus, the Tanner Fletcher brand was born, and the fashion industry is a better place because of it.
If you identify as a more feminine person, a more masculine person, or somewhere in between, Tanner Fletcher is designed to work for you regardless of sexuality.
The concept of genderbending within fashion is certainly not a new ideal. However, with the collective confidence and defiance of men and women everywhere, demand is rising for clothing other than the usual essential.
According to the founders of Tanner Fletcher, “Just because something is genderless doesn’t mean it has to lose all of its charm and elegance. If you identify as a more feminine person, a more masculine person, or somewhere in between, Tanner Fletcher is designed to work for you regardless of sexuality.”
DHL: Describe the moment that inspired you to break into the design space?
FK: It all started out of necessity. We began the brand right when the pandemic hit around March of 2020. When the pandemic started, we’d gone home for a month when everybody fled the city. We were back in Minnesota and Wisconsin for a month, and we were trying to get unemployment set up while asking ourselves “What the hell are we going to do next?” We were both graduating. I was interviewing for jobs at other brands, ready to start, and then things got serious. We always knew we wanted to start a business together, but we didn't expect it to be this early in our career. We were thinking ten years down the line or further within our careers once we got educated further about our fields.
We were bored during the pandemic, home too much, and needed something creative to do. We started making tote bags and what we called COVID gear -consisting of sweatshirts, sweatpants, and easy-tote bags. We sold quite a bit of it to six stockists throughout the United States and more on our direct-to-consumer website. We started the brand as a side gig to have fun and make some extra cash and then realized that we could do something with it. At that moment, we took a deeper dive in, established a plan, experimented from there, and launched our spring/summer 2022 collection.
DHL: How did you transition from creating your first collection to presenting your latest Autumn/Winter 2022 pieces at New York Fashion Week?
TR: Since COVID-19 restrictions were loosening up, we knew we needed to do an in-person show to be taken seriously. We were picky about the venue because we wanted it to feel like a house and wanted to implement this housewarming party theme. Since it was our first show, we toured hotels and other spaces and initially thought about getting an empty white box studio to bring furniture in.
Once we found the Freehand Hotel, we found that it fit the vibe of the collection seamlessly. Once we found the space, the rest of the inspiration for the show came in rather quickly. We added the snacks, vintage glassware, and plants to make it feel as if it was in someone’s home.
FK: We should also mention that home and interiors are at the core of our brand values so our shows will often have a reference to a home or a living room in the house. That is because Tanner comes from an interior design background. Our fabrics are often interior fabrics or interior prints. We hope to expand into home one day so there's a connection between home and wardrobe that we expect to put in every collection.
THE LOOK
Tanner Fletcher
DHL: I still have your slashed “toxic masculinity” pin from your latest presentation. Tell me about why you incorporated this theme into the collection.
TR: We found that the genderless clothes that are on the market today consist of only sweatshirts, sweatpants and oversized tee shirts. It’s easy genderless or you can go to a website and see that there are men’s, women’s, and a unisex tab which isn’t necessary. We don't want to create another category. From the start, we wanted to make it clear that there are no labels with the brand. It is easy for people to pick and choose what they know is right. We’re making sure that our silhouettes can be worn by anyone. We're not doing things that are too specific to a certain body or gender type.
DHL: You've done such a great job of bringing the concept of gender fluidity to life in a wearable way. Such clear references (like the Oxford shirt with the ribbon on the collar and white frilly socks which remind of a schoolgirl) are brought to life with ease. What was your inspiration behind those pieces in your last collection?
TR: We both have a clear aesthetic in our heads that fortunately is the same. We have an unspoken language about how we see things. The main thing for us is that we add femininity in menswear and more masculinity in traditional womenswear. It’s combining those aspects to be balanced. It can’t be too frilly or too boho cottage court but also not too minimalist and structured in menswear. We wanted to create pieces that still feel special and handmade but with special details that you might not notice until you're talking with somebody wearing the piece. The whole point of the brand to us is to create something that people feel compelled to wear. We didn't want to do anything that was too over the top or inaccessible, but we didn't want to lose the character either. “Wearable conversation pieces" is a good way to describe our line.
FK: The nostalgia in interior design references comes in key there also. I was watching an interview with Lady Gaga where somebody asked her “How do you look for fashion?” and her response was “When I know, I know. It’s a deeply emotional feeling,” which is the same for us. We know what fits and what doesn't fit, and we know quickly.
The whole point of the brand to us is to create something that people feel compelled to wear.
DHL: What is your process of fabricating new collections? Are you ready to move forward immediately or are you likely to ease your way into what’s next?
TR: For the next season, we don't have the option to ease into it because the cycle is so quick. Right now, we're only doing two seasons and we’re planning on producing four eventually: two main seasons and then a pre-fall and resort. For now, the two are plenty. We start designing in our heads or thinking about the next collection a couple of months before we show the one before that.
FK: Our spring/summer 2022 collection went live on Ssense and our website. Now, we are wrapping up the fall/winter show, selling the pieces, sending out order confirmations, and starting production next week at the same time with samples for the spring/summer 23 collection. We have our hands full.
DHL: How are you inspired by New York City? Do you feel it strengthens you?
TR: We love New York. Coming from the Midwest we always knew we needed to get out into a bigger city especially if we wanted to do something in a creative field. It can be hard to make it in a small town being in a creative field. It's a completely different world. For us, it's more of the people in the city that inspire us. We are where Bushwick meets the Upper East Side. We love the stuffiness of the Upper East Side and how people still put themselves together a bit more with glamour and elegance.
FK: There is the Carlyle and the shops on Madison. There is also a mash-up of the grungy, edgy, mullets of Brooklyn, Bushwick, and the Beacons Closet vibe. So those are the two extremes and then somewhere in the middle is Tanner Fletcher.
THE LOOK
Tanner Fletcher
DHL: I'm interested in learning more about your interior design background and how you see it translating to fashion.
TR: My first internship as an interior designer involved pulling pieces, putting together mood boards, and assisting with typical interior projects. When I interned in New York, I worked for a textile company dealing with wallpapers, fabrics, and furniture. I was on their corporate merchandising team, so I got to work with interior designers and the visual merchandising team to figure out how their customer wants to see the product. I learned about textiles which helped solidify how into textiles I am. I've always been into fabrics but after doing the internship, I realized that I loved fabrics. After that, I staged for real estate for a year and a half. I implemented around three projects a week. I went in and decorated someone's apartment for them to get photographed. That was particularly fun because I was able to do projects quickly and not have to listen to the customer or the client’s needs. My boss would say “this is all the stuff that you have to work with now go set it up how you want.” I was exposed to it early in my career which was a good way to put things together, seeing what works together and what doesn’t.
FK: He got to paint, put new light fixtures up, and hang art in townhouses with owners who left for COVID or went to the Hamptons. With the interiors, that's where the nostalgia comes in for our brand. Tanner and I have a similar upbringing. We always talk about rearranging our mom's bedroom or our grandma’s house, going over, and making a scene and working with what they had, as well as going to Goodwill and finding some new things to bring in.
DHL: How has the experience of working at the great Barneys New York shaped you and how does it still inspire you both today as you operate your brand?
FK: Barneys was one of the best experiences of my life and it constantly inspires me today. I'm so sad that it is no longer here. The reason Barneys was so loved is that they would make a buy from brands that everybody has but nobody would have a similar curation or a similar selection of those special pieces that are unique and different but still wearable. People gravitated towards that because you could buy crazy beautiful things that you could wear day and night. The experience overall was valuable, offering many learning experiences. I was the fashion office intern, so I got to see a few different aspects. I got to go to photoshoots and help style the looks, but I also got to work with the buyers and work with the mathematical side of things as well. In the end, it helped start our business because I already had an elementary knowledge in different areas and still have access to talk to people from there.
TK: They were early adopters of new brands. More than any other store in New York, they were the ones who put new designers on the map.
DHL: As you continue this trajectory of design excellence, what is your advice for a younger creative kid who wants to break into design?
FK: We came from small towns. Our hometowns are both under 10 and 3,000 people. We are not from wealthy families. We are normal people and if we can do it anybody can do it. Keep going, be scrappy, know what you want, and go for it. I'm still working on having patience. It’s not a short answer to just do this or do that. If you can go with the flow and keep, being you, it'll all work out eventually. I wish that there was a better answer for that, but we are also still figuring it out.
DHL: What’s on the horizon for Tanner Fletcher?
TR: We want to do some sort of pop-up shop experience for a brick-and-mortar store that stays in Soho. We’re fond of the idea of experimenting and doing different pop-ups in London, Paris, or New York each month for some time. Opening a store in various places allows us to create hype. Consumers know it's going to be leaving after a certain time which makes people want to be a part of it while it's there.
FK: Our goal is to become like an American Jacquemus. Aesthetically, we’re not on the same plane but that's the financial hype we hope to achieve within the next five to 10 years. Our main areas of expansion would be handbags and shoes.
TR: We don't want to launch with only pairs of shoes. When we do footwear, we need to have 8 to 10 pairs, because otherwise, it's a bit pitiful. A buyer is not going to make a buy for a store with only two bags. We're realizing now that when we go into a new category it's better to wait a little bit and then go in full force with it. Next season we're hoping to add six or eight handbags, so we have about 10 handbags total.
FK: In addition, the last area of growth that we've talked about is home. We launched a new category that is curated with things we've found that match the collection. We’d love to focus on sheets, blankets, towels, and dishes at some point in the future. We are also selling candles as well as fragrances coming in eventually in antique-looking packaging. There has been lots of growth and I feel it'll change a million times in the next few years.
THE LOOK
Tanner Fletcher
Keep going, be scrappy, know what you want, and go for it.
