Both& Puts Notions of Masculinity on a Wider Spectrum

March 31 marks the 15th-annual International Transgender Day of Visibility. Ahead of it, with agency Wongdoody, trans-masculine fashion brand Both& Apparel has released “Boys, Boys, Boys.”

The initiative features trans-masc models Tai Hattingh, Arthur Macnair and Ethan Denadai. Shot by non-binary photographer Lydia Garnett, the work pays homage to Calvin Klein’s famous 1990s ads featuring Kate Moss and Mark Wahlberg, which were shot by Herb Ritts.

“Sure, we could have talked about all the fit details that go into making clothes which fit trans bodies—but Wongdoody’s take was that you know your jeans fit when you put them on and you feel 100 [percent],” says Finn Shepard, Both& founder and chief executive. “Daniel Sea, Lydia Garnett and our models took that idea and ran with it, creating this incredible, sexy celebration of hot-as-hell trans-masc bodies.”

The campaign has a distinctive feel—bare-fleshed, vulnerably sexy and a little gritty, like VCR footage. It’s a vibe that bled into ’90s advertising following the release of Sex, Lies and Videotape, and does a nice job juxtaposing that period with changing mainstream norms about gender and masculinity. Advertising has generally done well reflecting such cultural shifts, and it doesn’t let us down here.

The work is appearing in high-profile spaces in New York, London and Paris.

“We wanted to let the world know that Finn and Both& are doing the Lord’s work, and what better way than by paying homage to an iconic aesthetic with a cast of sexy trans-masc men,” Grace Francis, global chief creative and design officer at Wongdoody, told The Drum. “It’s even more special that we get to do this on an internationally recognized holiday, and let the trans community know that we don’t just see you, we love you (and we also think you look hot).”

CREDITS

Client
Brand: Both& Apparel
Founder and chief executive officer: Finn Shephard

Creative
Agency: Wongdoody
Global chief creative and design officer: Grace Francis
Executive creative director: Jamie Mancini
Head of strategy: Kim Abbott
Senior producer: Amy Wise
Head of design: Valentina Proietti
Art director: Tom Benford
Production assistant: Harry Butler

Talent & Stakeholders
Executive creative director: Daniel Sea
Photographer: Lydia Garnett
Models: Tai Hattingh, Arthur Macnair & Ethan Denadai
Videographer: Karolina Papp
Photography assistant: Jody Evans
Stylist: Honor Barber
Make-up: Chie Fujimoto
Hair: Zara Toppin
Studio producer: Sandra Ebert

Media planning/buying
Giant Posters (NY), Pop Art (London), Paper Trails Europe (Paris)