Artist competition

I guess art on underwear is what you could a 'subtle exhibition'. There are two things going on, art being displayed and a guy being displayed - to his partner. Who wouldn't want that? The guy looks great IN nüdel and the art look great ON nüdel, this is the sort of art (in both forms) you would show off in an intimate moment. In a way it's all about the partner, they're the one who gets to enjoy looking at this exquisitely packaged man, and then hopefully get to tear them off! But of course the guy lucky enough to wearing them won't be complaining because they're bloody comfy.

I hope the nüdel artist competition will serve to promote some fresh and exciting talent in New Zealand. Maybe if artists take a sneak at what others are submitting online it could inspire them to produce something even more amazing in the next project they take on! I want nudel and Kiwi creativity to become synonymous, with the competition helping to kick start this mission.

nüdel blog blogged about

The lovely Anne Rash up there in Auckland posted a blog about nüdel on her site The Owlander, check it out! 

Things are trucking along, elastic for the waist band is at the screen printers having the logo printed on - this is a damn fiddly job which would take me waaay too long especially seeing as I don't have carousel. Screen Concepts do a really good job too, I'd be too inconsistent. Having the logo sewn into the elastic would be ideal but apparently that's near impossible to do with nylon elastic. Screen printing it is fine but also quite pricy and obviously not as durable as having the letters woven in. One day!

Ah behind the scenes, well now I've finished all the printing this table will gradually be immersed with all types of clutter until the next run. The thing about printing is it really makes me feel as if I have actually done something - the result is tangible, unlike spending hours trying to work out how to set up an online shop or entering stock info in a spreadsheet or chasing up retailers. But it's all work which needs to be done at the end of the day, and I should count myself lucky I live in a country where I am able to start my own business, let alone eat good food every day, wear ok clothes, go out with mates etc. Some times it's good to put things into perspective. I look forward to the day when I can give back to people who need, when I can support myself through nüdel alone and have profit left over to help someone else.

nüdel on Good Morning

Well finally the footage from Good Morning arrived in the post! Thank you to Miranda at CoCo PR up in Aucks for sending it down and of course for hooking up nüdel on Good Morning the first place. I'm so stoked nüdel was worn by the best looking/built model there that day, great job Brook! 

Printing is going well, when I press the print once it's dry, clouds of fumes puff up from beneath the irons and while it's not an unpleasant smell, there must be something in it as I always end up getting a head spin. And that's with doors open. Now my technique is well down and I have really increased speed thank god, I'm making my way through the last of the mediums, having finished all Large and there aren't as many small and XL sizes as last time. 

Screen and shout

Finally I have begun the printing process. To be honest, it feels good! It's a little more time consuming having two layers to print but once you get into the swing of things you find your rhythm pretty quickly.

 

Now I have the power of TWO irons!! So this part of the process I now get through twice as fast, thank god. It's so glamorous this undie business!

 

Artist comp goings on

Well we're still sorting out the press packs for the promotion of the nüdel artist competition, but they're not far off from being ready. It was just a matter of figuring what item (probably best described as a free promotional item) that's something desirable, that conveys brand essence and  is cost effective to produce. It's very easy to get carried away after a while, and then you get to a point where you're considering items that would cost more than putting a pair of the actual undies in!

There are lots of other goodies to go in too, but the promotional item for me, was the most important, it will be the thing people take away and keep with them for a while. Each time they look at it, they're see the nüdel brand and hopefully everything else I'm trying to associate it with. This is marketing baby!

natural vs synthetic

The way trends in fabrics is shifting I wonder about the future of synthetic materials in the garment making industry. More and more items are being produced using natural fibres, of course there has always been cotton but now we see various types of wool - marino, cashmere - which once were regarded as high end but now are being used for outdoor clothing, even sports. 

I use Supplex which is synthetic for nüdel, it combines the benefits of natural cotton and nylon in ways that deliver a much wider range of consumer-relevant benefits than either conventional fibre type. The reason for this is because of a super-fine, multiple filament construction that makes Supplex up to 36% softer than ordinary nylon yarns, and air jet texturing, which gives a fine cottony finish. These are the stand out properties:

• fully breathable

• holds its shape

• faster drying than cotton

• color fast

I like to think they're perfect for a guy who wears them playing sport, OR under his suit during the day, when he's sitting down a lot at work as they don't ride up and keep him supported. There's not much unsexier than a guy who has to adjust himself all the time. IS THERE!

As far as choosing between synthetic and natural fibre products go, it comes down to personal preference. Consumers haven't yet warmed to the idea of having wool next to their nether regions, but I'm sure as technologies advance and fabrics become even softer (and consequently more processed) they will change their minds. I'll be heading that way in the future no doubt but it's so expensive right now that's a wee way off just yet. If you're really worried about synthetic undies then come up with creative ways to recycle them! If you don't mind the fact they've been rubbing on your man's ass for years then why not try them as an interesting sunglasses wipe? Make sure you wash them first.