nüdel

Living Dolls Show 2010

2010-09-02T19:48:00.000-07:00

On the 28th August the Bedford in Christchurch came alive with gorgeous guys and girls wearing equally amazing underwear, parading down the 15 metre long catwalk accompanied by great live music and breakdancers pulling some sic moves amongst it all.

Living Dolls is the brain child of Sophia Lee Levy-Kennedy who runs Living Dolls - Elite Models, Talent and Events and also makes all the garments they model! I'm pretty sure CJ and Sophie Nolan also help her out, but man for the number of hands involved in creating all their haute couture they certainly work some serious hours to pump it out. Incredible. And the night itself was a huge success, about 30 girls modeled Sophia's pieces in two parts - the first was a pink, barbie doll influenced fairy land kind of a look called Candy Dolls then the 2nd was more almost goth themed with lots of black and tattoos showing, this one was called Ink Dolls. Some very sexy pieces in there.

nüdel was allowed to make an appearance at the show! We got our little piece of runway time which was SO cool, all the guys did an amazing job. I found most of the models by sticking a poster up in the changing rooms at Les Mills in town, which is where I go (not often enough) and got such a great response. They all had fantastic bodies and cool attitudes too, and with a bit of last minute coaching from Ricky at Bar 5, where we got ready for the show, they impressed the crowd hard and got a brilliant response!

I had to print a few of the old designs so the models had enough to wear, and I even printed a few designs on some singlets which turned out well, to bring the numbers up. I have a total of 8 different options for the undies at the moment and had 11 models so yeah I think the singlets worked well, as I wanted to use all the models that replied to my ad.

The show went smoothly and my pre-show jitters didn't take long to dissolve, they were compounded because I was MCing the gig too, but it turned out fine I think. All the models seemed to handle it like pros, I know they must've been a little nervous but if they were, they did a damn good job of hiding it! So a big thanks to Sophia for having us, it truly was a great night and awesome to see something like this happen in Christchurch. Now I want to do my own show! Will have to get a few more styles going first, but a good goal to work towards. Thank you also to my fantastic models!! You guys stole the show.

Bonita's Birthday Bash

2010-07-11T21:49:00.000-07:00

This weekend just gone, there was a seriously cool party which happened down at the Concrete Club on Manchester Street, in Christchurch. My friend Bonita Muntz of Bonita Monique had her birthday shindig which had a theme of leather and lace, unfortunately I wasn't dressed in either as I had prior engagements that didn't really lend themselves to that kind of attire.

Anyhoo, there was a flash ass camera floating around which took some mean photos, like this one. Look, it's someone wearing nüdel! Happy birthday Bonita!

An underwear Lynching

2010-06-29T21:27:00.000-07:00

Wow, if David Lynch ever made an underwear commercial, I imagine it would probably look something like this. Except maybe a little darker and probably filmed with a red filter.

Maybe I'm missing something, I was never very good at sitting all the way through Eraserhead without asking a billion questions, so the chances are quite high. As someone said in the comments below this video on youtube - they were waiting for Lady Gaga to appear, same here commenting person! I'm not sure about setting an undie ad in a prison, you could read into it somewhat, like your package feels like it's imprisoned in this garment, or you've always got watch your back when you're wearing them.

We're still looking for male models for the upcoming Living Dolls Show 2010 so if you know of a fella in the Christchurch area who'd be keen, send him our way! morgan@nudel.co.nz for more info, or click through on the Living Dolls link to see what the show's all about. I'll be there too, and I'd love to meet some supporters of nudel. And of course you get to keep the pair you model!

The Living Dolls Show 2010

2010-06-27T19:58:00.000-07:00

Here at nudel, not only are we seeking the next amazing designer for a print on the next run, but we're also on the hunt for male models for an awesome upcoming show! The Living Dolls Show 2010 is happening at The Bedford in Christchurch on the 28th August and nudel is right amoungst the thick of it.

The uber talented Sophia Lee and her team put the Living Dolls show on last year for the first time I think and it totally sold out, infact I think they had to turn people away. So this year they're hoping for a two nighter so everyone gets a piece of the action. And it's not just a lingerie show, there's oh so much more - burlesque acts, circus acts, Roller Derby girls hooning around looking awesome, dancers, a live band and yours truly will be taking care of the MC duties.

So if you know of a fella who's comfy enough in his undies to strut his stuff infront a room of excitable people then we'd love to hear from him! Simply email morgan@nudel.co.nz with a pic (preferably in your gruds) and we'll take it from there. You don't have to be an Adonis - I want real-world-bodied men, a little spare tyre ain't going to hurt none, don't you worry. I'll be right there with you and I'm a skinny ninny so we'll all be in this together! Oh yes, don't forget there will be numerous scantily ladies everywhere too, but I'm sure you'll get used to that very quickly indeed.

If you're a girl reading this, then let's get your man involved! Dare him, tempt him, make deal, he'll be amazing.

New design time

2010-06-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

Hey there undie fans. Well the time has finally come, the next run is nigh; nudel is now looking for the next amazing New Zealand artist for their design to feature on the next run! Graphic designers, painters, photographers, stencilers, anyone is welcome to submit a piece. We're not running a competition this time, you simply email your best design to morgan@nudel.co.nz and we'll pick our favourite one.

This time round we'll be swapping out the white fabric with grey but sticking with good 'ol black as well. Grey seemed slightly safer for guys who are maybe a little shy of white, so we'll see how that goes, hopefully really well! Mediums by far are the best seller so we'll producing even larger numbers in that size and less of XL most likely and even L. What else, what else...

Make sure you spread the word! We're excited to see some more examples from talented Kiwis nationwide. Until next time :)

Dolce & Gabbana

2010-06-04T01:58:00.000-07:00

I have been trawling youtube for male underwear commercials and came across some doozies! Some are quite inspiring, some are just downright cheese, but do they make me want actually go out and buy their product?

Who you're targeting when it comes to producing a commercial, I would imagine, plays such an important role. I'm certain that women are the target market when it comes to guy's underwear, especially the higher end brands, the names you know you're going to look great in. Don't get me wrong, I still believe there are some men out there who don't have a partner, or do but still are independently aware of their underwear choice ie. give a damn about what they're wearing underneath.

I found this Dolce & Gabbana advertisement on youtube. It was quite epic as you can see and I watched the entire thing even though I didn't really understand what the whole point of it was. OK so there's a guy, he seems quite angry which maybe I've mistaken for passion? The model appears to be pretty much anatomically perfect and acts well but there is a point during the 2:25 when I just think

When's the custard pie going to smack him right in the face?

Perhaps it's just my take on things, maybe I like an otherwise cliche concept flipped on it's head, that would make it much more memorable for me. Is the idea of taking normal, every day guys with all their handles and hairy bits too much for your average viewer? Will they fail to see the appeal and only focus on the humour? Am I portraying my brand in what could be labelled as a negative light? Let's face it, no matter how amazing the underwear; the cut, the fabric, the celebrity endorsement, you're not going to totally rid a man of his beer gut. I think you should give him something that makes him feel great. He knows about his tummy, but when he's got the confidence, it doesn't matter about the size of his stomach, it's what's going on in his head that makes the difference. And that's what I want nüdel to do; give everyday men with REAL WORLD BODIES the confidence they deserve. Because it's not just the ladies who have to deal with image.

Take a look at the D&G video and try work out where the best spot for a pie in the face would be... I reckon at about 1:43.

nudel commercial

2010-05-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen it has been much too long since the last post (Feb some time? sheesh) so firstly, apologies for the slackness. Moving office has contributed to that, but relocating didn't take 4 months so there's really no excuse. Now that's out of the way, here's some exciting news - we shot the first ever nudel commercial last week!

Nudel Funeral from Morgan Williams on Vimeo.

Myself and the very talened Simon Waterhouse devised a shoot based around the simple idea of a funeral, this is mostly because I happened to have a real coffin I obtained from a music video shoot I was involved with for band Sleeping Dogs. But also because I wanted to show nudel in a tongue in cheek kind of way, where it took the spotlight, it became the most attractive feature of our poor hero post-mortem.

We shot the entire scene in my new house's main dining room, using only natural lighting with the help of Nick Palmer and his awesome Canon 7D. Thanks heaps Nick! And cheers to all our amazing actors who came looking great in their mourning garb, not really knowing what to expect. The shoot took about 2 hours in total then editing not long at all, with simple desaturation and minimal colour grading on Final Cut Pro. Kristen Spencer was on catering duties and rose to the occasion with a fantastic selection of muffins, pizzas and cheerios. Ha!

The plan is to film a series of videos like this one, where I want to explore the culture and ideology around men's underwear and make them more entertaining than anything else. The next ad will be based around what your Mother used to say, something like: "Make sure you're wearing clean underwear, incase you get hit by a bus." I'm not sure if my Mum ever said that to me, but I've heard of it. Can anyone give me the correct wording?? So anyway, you can imagine what the content of the vid will be. Really looking forward to getting stuck into it and will keep you posted on that one.

Make sure you check out Simon Waterhouse's site: www.pxl.co.nz

Make a sports bra out of men's briefs

2010-02-04T18:30:00.000-08:00

As you know, we're all for ridding the world of ugly men's briefs/y-fronts, but we're also about sustainability, so if you're looking for a creative way of destroying your man's tighty whities but also recycling them, then check out this video I found posted on videojug.com. Not exactly sure how pleasant it would be wearing his old gruds so close to your face, but hey bleach is a powerful thing!

Style On A Budget:
Make A Sports Bra Out Of Men's Underwear

Interview on radio breakfast show

2010-01-10T22:59:00.000-08:00

I put together this little slide show to accompany an interview I had with Spanky of RDU 98.5FM's Breakfast With Spanky, it features some up to date images and features the musical stylings of UK's very own Dirty Hairy. The interview basically details how nüdel started and some of my ideas behind the concept, focussing on the marketing angle in particular.

You may notice I miss out a few stockists, that's because the interview happened a wee while ago, but I have listed the correct stockists in the video, so in this case seeing is believing! If that makes any sense at all. Anyway, I hope you enjoy :)

nüdel's story

2010-01-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

Why nüdel? Why should anyone read this blog? Currently there are no followers as far as I can tell, so why the hell would anyone in their right mind subscribe? I have just been reading '279 days to overnight success'; a fantastic report by Chris Guillebeau which covers his unconventional journey to full time writing. Now, while I don't personally want to become a full time writer, Chris focuses a lot on why you're writing a blog in the first place, who it's aimed at and what keeps them coming back. If you haven't read the report I seriously suggest you check it out!

So after reading the report, I thought; 'what is nudel's story?' Chris' was to visit every country in the world, he's been self employed his entire adult life and lived in West Africa for four years. Not only that but he speaks to creative people, folks who want to make a change and as his website's name makes very clear - master the Art of Non-Conformity. Who wouldn't want to be involved with that! It sounds exciting, with huge potential, it may not appeal to everyone but it appeals to me personally and especially the nudel brand. nudel is all about making noise - with locally created art, unique marketing tactics not yet seen by any other men's underwear brand and pushing the New Zealand made angle to the world (I'm thinking big here).

Right, the story. I guess it's more of a crusade, a mission and again, one aimed more at women than at guys. Don't get me wrong, I would love to try reach men about underwear but the fact of the matter is they just don't buy them as much as their partners, wives, sisters and really, at the end of the day (and this may seem like a gross generalisation, but you'd be surprised how true it is) guys just don't care. So until I see otherwise, I'm talking to who's listening: ladies. Women who want the man in their lives to look good under his clothes.

So the crusade? Simple, it's to expose bad underwear. For too long men have been subject to badly fitting briefs, tacky 'silk' boxers with no support and ride up at any chance they get, Y fronts that while serving their purpose 20 odd years ago, SERVED THEIR PURPOSE 20 ODD YEARS AGO. This journey will be about educating, encouraging women to take charge - this isn't like demanding he burn that sweater you hate, this is personal, it's intimate, between you and him and is a situation that he probably doesn't mind you taking complete charge! I don't know many guys that would mind a little fashion advice from their lady, and I whole heartedly believe if taking your advice in the undie department might help their chances elsewhere, namely the bedroom, then gentlemen, let yourself be lead, you only stand to gain.

Now nudel has a certifiable goal, next step is find men who need a hand, I need to document these examples for the world to see. To let the masses (or first few people who read this) know that it's not OK for guys to wear bad underwear. High rollers, teachers, gym bunnies, construction workers - all deserve to be well packaged, comfortable and feeling great.

Mail out - old school style

2009-12-16T16:44:00.000-08:00

Some times you just can't beat hard copy in this digital day and age. nüdel Christmas postcards have been distributed around Christchurch's Tumara Park yesterday and today, reminding people that nüdel is a great stocking filler and detailing the stockists they can find them at.

But if you're reading this and wondering where your postcard is, don't fret just check out the nüdel website, it's basically all on there! Currently we're waiting on a new lot of stickers for the noodle boxes which will be ready Monday we're told. So once they're ready it's full steam ahead with phase two of nüdelness, more stock to shops nation wide just in time for the last few days of the Christmas rush and of course internet sales which are always welcome.

Hope your Christmas shopping is going well!

Why nüdel is the best Christmas gift

2009-12-14T16:38:00.000-08:00

Buying a plant for someone as a gift is great because it's the gift that keeps on giving, and it's the same for nüdel! Underwear is something that we all wear everyday (don't believe those people who go commando - they all don some gruds at some point), that important article of clothing that largely goes unnoticed and often unappreciated. With men's underwear I have to admit, some of it really should go unnoticed, it doesn't do the guy any favours in comfort and stylistically it's an eyesore.

Enter nüdel. Get your man a pair of these sweet as gruds which will give him a boost each morning - that extra little squirt of confidence a lot of guys need but will never admit. He'll know he's easily the best dressed in the office, on the inside. And that's what counts right? What's on the inside? In the same token ladies, you're treating yourself because who else gets to see your man wearing only his underwear? Well hopefully just YOU! nüdel will make your man look good, the flattering form, none of this tighty whitey business or floppy, shapeless boxer carry on, he'll be snuggly packaged, but not too tightly, just enough for support with room to move. Flip him round and check out that ass you knew had potential, nudel caresses those manly curves and hugs his masculine lines to give you the ultimate Christmas present - your man, repackaged and just bursting to be unwrapped.

I used to hate assembly...

2009-11-22T19:11:00.000-08:00

But now I love it! Finally the next run - It's Man Made - has made it to the assemblers (QA Design). The elastic will be picked up from Screen Concepts tomorrow morning then it's full steam ahead with sewing the gruds up with plenty of time to get them in stores for the lead up to Christmas. Woo hoo!!

I had the help of my lovely friend Kristen during the printing process this time which made a big difference, especially with the heat pressing to set the ink. But we got through them in record time and I have to say Cathryn Zhang's design came out looking brilliant, it really transfered well to the fabric. When your screen gets its flow, on you stick to that roll because once it's done washing every few transfers sucks ass.

Arty undies in Art Gallery!

2009-10-21T18:08:00.000-07:00

...well, Art Gallery Gift shop. And it's the Christchurch Art Gallery to be precise, yes nüdel has infiltrated the very core of it's conception, the intellectual birthplace, ie. somewhere it should have been stocked a long time ago. Better late than never! And we at nüdel are stoked to have our fantastic undies amoungst the wonderful paintings, etchings, postcards and various canvases that the Art Gallery Store has on offer.

nudel at Seafest

2009-10-05T18:59:00.000-07:00

Well that title maybe slightly misleading, nüdel were indeed at Seafest insomuch as I was definitely wearing them, but that's about as far as it goes. You can see them very briefly in the video below at 0:11 - blink and you'll miss it! If you missed it this time round, I seriously suggest you get to Kaikoura next year, it makes for a great weekend away.

totally unrelated but...

2009-09-23T01:47:00.000-07:00

But I was wearing nüdel at the time! Infact if I had've though about it I should have given everyone I interviewed a pair to take away with them. Oh well next time! APRA, song writing, New Zealand music, celebrities - all things close to our hearts here at nüdel.

fabrica!

2009-09-14T19:28:00.000-07:00

Wooo it's been a while since the last post, sorry about that. Things are chugging along, sales are going well in Wellington - they love the shorter leg style in the Capital for some reason. I think I'll make the next run short leg too, I haven't had an complaints with this style, whereas I received feedback about the longer leg saying they were a bit too much like bike shorts. That style is personally my favourite but this ain't about me! Don't forget, if you have any feedback be sure to leave a comment on this 'ere blog or email me - morgan@nudel.co.nz

I've put up a very rough gallery page on the nüdel site, I need to install a slider module to view them better, but for now I'm just listing them on the page - not ideal but better than nothing. A friend of my sister was showing her some photos of a party she had and as they were scrolling through up popped a picture of some guy wearing only nüdel! So it's great to know not only are guys out there wearing them, they're showing them off too!! If you know someone who drops their pants at any opportunity available why not do them a favour and buy them a pair of nüdel so they'll always be well presented.

Right, I'd better get measuring the fabric I've got left and order some more for the next run, featuring Cathryn Zhang's awesome It's Man Made design. Looking forward to that one!

And the winner is...

2009-09-04T19:25:00.000-07:00

... Cathryn Zhang with her piece: It's Man Made! Congragtulations Cathryn and well done everyone who entered, the talent was amazing, which of course made it very difficult to choose a winner. Here's what Cathryn said about her work...

My design is an idea that comes from the process involved in constructing an urban environment. When you see the new trees and flowers being planted to style up a newly constructed round-about, road kerb, or some concrete wall, there is the feeling of nature being put into our urban life deliberately, and not existing..naturally. To me, that type of nature is urban nature.

So Cathryn will receive 5 pairs of nüdel with her design on them when they've been produced and of course the rest of the run will be distributed to stores throughout New Zealand (and now Shanghai!!) in time for the Christmas rush, so we're hoping they'll sell out!

Thank you again to everybody who entered, we'll be running a similar comp again in the near future so be sure to stay tuned. Don't forget tomorrow's Father's Day so there's still just enough time to get out and buy him a pair of nüdel, he'll love you for it. Remember all those times he lent you money, or picked you up at 3am from that party or watched you play all those Saturday morning sports games in the rain? Well now's your chance to show him how much you care, with the coolest undies in the world, made right here in New Zealand.

All entries are in

2009-09-02T21:50:00.000-07:00

Well now it's down to deciding who's going to win the nüdel competition. I didn't think it would be this difficult to pick one! Apologies for taking so long, but it's really tough! I'll endeavour to have the winner announced by this weekend, so make sure you stay tuned.

Don't forget it's Father's Day so make sure you treat him to the most comfy undies he'll ever wear and buy him a pair of nudel! Remember if you can't make it to one of our fantastic stockists then you can buy online at the nudel website. Just click here.

Catch you real soon for the big announcement!

Is this the last entry?

2009-08-30T19:48:00.000-07:00

So today is the very last day for your artist type people to submit your nüdel art competition entry! To be precise, you've got until midnight tonight (that's Monday night - 31st August) so if there are any last minuters out there, pull finger and email your work to comp@nudel.co.nz I'll upload the last of them over the weekend then chose a winner on Monday.

The winner will have their design printed on the next run of nüdel which will be ready in time for Christmas and they will receive 5 pairs of their own to dish out or keep all to themselves. Hey that's one pair for every working day! Sweet. I think that's a pretty cool prize, your art will be on undies being sold nationwide!

This entry below has just come in from Mercia Tawhiri-Kerr called Urbanite Bull, so thought I'd post it along with this 'ere blog. Catch you soon for the results :)

One week left!

2009-08-22T22:48:00.000-07:00

Entries for the nüdel artist competition officially close on the 31st of August so if you're an arty type then best you get cracking if you want to be in the running for a line of nüdel printed with your design on it! Imagine that - a limited run of boutique undies with your piece of art on them being distributed around our fair country and worn by a whole bunch of dudes! Now that's hot.

Here goes a few more designs that are up on the comp page, the standard's been set pretty high but don't let that put you off, I know there are more people out there who can create something quite amazing and I want to see it!

more artist entries

2009-08-17T22:38:00.000-07:00

For your viewing pleasure, check out some more of the latest submissions for the nüdel artist competition below. I had stacks waiting for me to edit and upload when I got back from England, and was really impressed with the level of talent coming through. Feel free to leave a comment if one stands out, it's going to be really difficult for me to chose a winner and I'll need all the help I can get!

Ryan McKay // Nudel Nature

Christopher Meyers // up and at 'em

Candice Wright // 21st Century Urban Soul

nudel on the catwalk

2009-08-14T22:58:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a whirlwind trip in the UK for a mate's wedding, conrgats Sam and Flip! It was a great day and the wedding was beeeautiful.

While I was overseas HEAPS of artists submitted some incredible designs, thanks to all. I've only just had the chance to post them on the nudel comp page, so apologies for the delay in getting them online. Do check them out, the quality of them blew my mind, there are some bloody talented people out there I tell you! Don't forget - the deadline for submissions is the 31st of August so if you haven't already, get creating and email your design to comp@nudel.co.nz - for more info and a design template go to the nudel comp page.

Thought I'd throw up a few pics from the St. Johns Fashionistas show held before I took off to England. The boys did such a great job getting up there in their gruds infront of a room mostly full of ladies! Thanks again to Simon, Scotty and Jonathan.

nüdel reviewed by Blunty

2009-07-23T18:32:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I was searching through guy's underwear commercials and fashion show videos on good 'ol youtube. I have to say after watching a good 50 videos or so, it became very obvious to me the male underwear world is gay dominated, or at least it appeared that way through the vids I watched. This isn't a bad thing, infact it inspired me to get thinking about ways to film TVCs or just promo videos for nüdel that appeal to woman. Taking it to the next level would be to appeal to guys and girls straight and gay! Or is that just trying to please everyone. Mass marketing sucks ass, perhaps I'm venturing dangerously close to it...

Anyway, one video I did find was one posted by an Australian youtube reviewer who goes by the name of Blunty3000. It was posted back in 2008 sometime and in it he reviewed boxer briefs compared to boxers and briefs. I actually embedded this vid on the nüdel blog so scroll down to see it. So I flicked Blunty an email to see if he was interested in trying out some nüdel to which he replied promptly with a big YES! Blunty comes across as a damn good bloke, and I like the way he reviews some pretty random stuff, some of the comments on his pages are priceless too. I'm not just saying this because the nüdel review was favourable either! But thanks heaps Blunty for giving them a go and posting the vid. May your dangly bits live long and comfortable.

I'll post a couple more artist's nüdel comp submission over the weekend. Have a good one!

nüdel comp entries #2

2009-07-19T20:27:00.001-07:00

Got another entry today from Cass, with her piece entitled 'It's Man Made'.

"My design is an idea that comes from the process involved in constructing an urban environment. When you see the new trees and flowers being planted to style up a newly constructed round-about, road kerb, or some concrete wall, there is the feeling of nature being put into our urban life deliberately, and not existing..naturally. To me, that type of nature is urban nature."

Also in the running for their own line of nudel with this design is AKDC by Bianca Gardiner who said

"The design was inspired by the view out of my window. As I gazed out at the urban landscape I pondered the TV aerials and power lines that criss cross the landscape and inhabit our environment. Power lines grow like trees and aerials like creepers, prolific and ubiquitous as city dwellers we assimilate them into our vistas and they become for us a type of urban nature."

St. John Fashionista's Charity Lunch

2009-07-15T23:53:00.000-07:00

I'd like to think the St. John would be there for me in any dire time of need I may encounter in the future. I haven't had any need for them yet but I know they do some amazing work and often go unnoticed but we'd certainly notice if they weren't there! St. John are putting on a fundraiser called the Fashionista's Charity Lunch, it's on Thursday 30th at the Crowne Plaza First Edition Bar. So basically it's a really nice meal and drinkies with entertainment in the form of a kick ass boutique fashion show.

nüdel is involved with Fashionistas, we've got a few models strutting their stuff showcasing the couple of designs so far (damn I need more!). It should be really cool, guys wearing undies in the middle of a predominantly female orientated fashion show is a nice break, and what lady doesn't like seeing a dude in his gruds? Well, I probably think of a few but not this time bub! There's also going to be nüdel give aways and we'll have a table set up for people to purchase a pair after the show. I hope I have the balls to wear them as I sell, but I've got to do sound too so maybe it'll be slightly impractical - especially if it's cold. Don't want to hit the 'skip' button on the CD player if you know what I mean.

Will throw up a couple more artist submissions tomorrow so come back for a look :)

Artist competition

2009-07-14T01:31:00.001-07:00

Well the nüdel artist comp is well underway with some fantastic entries being submitted from talented peeps right across the country. I'll throw up a couple each post over the coming weeks just to give you a taste but if you want to check out all of the pieces go to the nüdel comp page to see the lot. I know it's going to be really difficult to chose a winner already!

The above piece 'YES' was submitted by Lucy Han from Auckland who says

my design interprets the theme of ‘Urban Nature’ as an image of the nature of the urban lifestyle - fast paced and excessive, and just like nature, it has the power to take you over.

This work is by Christchurch artist Leonard Wills and is entitled Mr. Roper's House.

So we're looking pretty sweet and that's only two of them! I can't wait to see some more come in, if you've got a creative bone in your person why not sketch something down and send it in? You can check out the details on the comp page - all the info you'll need. Get involved!

Blunty tells it how it is

2009-06-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

I long for finding videos on youtube like this one from Australian Blunty. What can I say, the man is a perfect example of someone who tried something new and found he loved what was on the other side! Boxers are dead people. Briefs are last decade, haul your ass forward 10 years and get it into some sweet boxer briefs, you will not be disappointed! I might have to send Blunty some nüdel to try out.

Mission to Auckland

2009-05-24T22:02:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I headed to the City of Sails for two days of meetings, cold calling and basically getting nüdel under the noses of some of Auckland's coolest retail stores. I have to say it was a definite success. Just meeting people face to face makes such a big difference when trying to sell your wares - emails and phone calls (even if they go well) are too easy for people to forget/disregard whether they mean to or not. Meeting in person they can see you're a real human with passion for your product, they can hear the fervor in your voice and see the twinkle in your eye. That, or they just want to get this excitable person out of their store and stop their customers from feeling awkward so they'll say yes to anything...

I pounded the pavement for most of Thursday and Friday and got very positive feedback, infact everybody liked nüdel, with only one shop that didn't see it working in their store. I some times wonder whether they just don't grasp my marketing to women idea, but after pushing it and they say "women just don't walk out of here with much guy's stuff at all" then I guess it's not my product, it's their customers. Can't win 'em all! I came away with a nice cross section of retail outlets to stock nüdel - IN.D.F which is a new 'appointment only fashion studio', Jet Store,

Marvel Menswear and lastly Aduki, which I'm really excited about.

One thing that became rapidly apparent as I roamed the inner city streets; with these limited runs of 250 units, I can't really go ahead and take on a whole bunch of stores because I simply won't be able to supply them all. I guess that's the draw back with a boutique type product and this early on in the game. When I can afford to, I'll have to get them made in larger quantities while still maintaining the 250 units with one particular artist's print.

It was great to see Auckland again (I lived there for about 4 years not long ago), see some great comedy, catch up with mates, visit the CoCo PR family and meet some awesome fashiony entrepreneurs who really inspired me.

ecstatic for elastic

2009-05-03T18:37:00.002-07:00

I could go on about how printing on elastic is time consuming and tricky but I won't. I've left that up to the good people at Screen Concepts, who have begun the mission and it's looking likely it'll all be done (about 200 metres of it anyway) before the end of the week. Mint!

200M (100M of black and 100M of white) will be plenty enough to have this next Chaos run made up. I just can't wait to get them all back and start throwing them into some noodle boxes. Miranda up at CoCo PR has got all the little frames which will be going in the press packs, along with some new promo photos, competition details, Wagamama vouchers and general company information. I just hope they're well received... at least I'll know they look great!

Artist competition

2009-04-30T01:41:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-14T02:42:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-08T20:38:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-01T21:55:00.000-07:00

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.

and the new design is...

2009-03-29T19:05:00.000-07:00

...called Chaos! You can kind of see why, it's a beautiful chaos though, thanks to the uber talented Nicky Perry up in Auckland.

Understand now why it's going to be interesting to print? The grey is on one screen and the black on another, I'll have to line up those little squiggly lines perfectly to get it looking just right. But it's definitely do-able, and I'll get to spend some quality time with every pair of nüdel. That's got to be a good thing - every unit bought has been in contact with the owner of the company - how many other clothing manufacturers can say that?!

I'm just trying to work out what's the best promo item I can include in the press pack I'll be sending to promote the nüdel artist competition. It needs to fit in a noodle box and has to be something cool - nothing tacky - they're being sent to media savvy people who get this kind of thing all the time. Hmmm... any ideas?

Round 2

2009-03-18T00:13:00.000-07:00

Finally they have arrived - the cut panels, all 250 pairs worth of them. While they look deceptively less than the first run because they consist of less material, (being shorter leg trunk style) it's actually going to take me twice as long to print them due to a two layer screen print. But it'll be worth it!

Who just loves keeping track of stock and invoicing? Want to do mine? While I find this side of business quite intense and at times incredibly frustrating, it's good to learn these new skills if you want to succeed at this early stage. No one else is going to do it for me and it's a good idea to get these systems in place right from the start because if I didn't, I know I would just keep putting it off and off... however I'm really looking forward to the day when I can employ an account AND accounts manager type person! Will pop some bubbly that day.

...on Good Morning

2009-03-15T22:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't see the nüdel feature on Good Morning this morning but I got texts and nüdel facebook messages from people who did, so thank you! Sounded like it went quite well and was featured with another brand of undies called Four Fontaine. TVNZ's website is a seething beast and I didn't realise I could stream GM until I found the miniscule link hidden in the bowels of the site until too damn late. Anyhoo, here's a little link on the TVNZ website to a shred of nüdel exposure

I had some great news from Miranda, my PR lady on the weekend (who I met face to face at ChCh airport for the first time) Rex Turnbull is keen on submitting a piece of art for a limited run! This is big news people, Rex is a living legend. So along with him and Tiki Taane the list is slowly but surely growing, I can't wait to see who else jumps onboard the nüdel band wagon.

As soon as I get any footage from Good Morning I'll post it quick smart!

Good Morning TVNZ

2009-03-14T16:13:00.000-07:00

nudel will be on Good Morning tomorrow (Monday 16th March) on TV1!!! The show starts at 9am and airs until 12pm but I'm not entirely sure exactly when they'll be featured. If you miss it, you'll be able to replay the segment on TVNZ On Demand

Some other great news - Jet clothing store in Auckland is taking on nudel ALSO a very special TV celebratory will model nudel for our next photo shoot so stay tuned for that one!

Cut it out!

2009-03-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

Well, finally the next run is being cut! End of this week it'll be ready, and once the screens up are made up, it's full steam ahead with the printing. I have to print each panel before they're assembled then take them to my new CMT place for... assembly!

It's OK once you get into the swing of things, infact it can be quite therapeutic! But starts to get a little old by around 1am... especially we you begin work at 6:30am that morning.

The wheels have been set in motion for a grant application from the CCC for a new project I'm really keen on pushing to find another local artist. So here's hoping they'll be able to throw a bit of cash my way, the next artists is sorted and I'm stoked to report it is Auckland based graphic designer and artist Nicky Perry with a piece called Chaos. I'll post a pic asap. But seeing as I've got to always plan ahead, I need to find some more talent and I really do like the idea of getting local artists out there, even more so now that nüdel is getting some media attention.

Phase 1. Take Christchurch to the masses

Phase 2. Take New Zealand to the world!

Auckland and beyond!

2009-03-05T18:35:00.000-08:00

My mind boggles when I think of the opportunities for nüdel in Auckland, hell, they've gone off in Christchurch so I'm hoping Aucks will gobble them up. I will be whoring them up there in the not too distant future anyway so will keep you posted on that. Thank you to Kristen and Miranda for some retailer suggestions, I think on the most part nüdel will be well suited in those stores too.
This pic is from the Slynkey.com party at the end of '08, it was kick ass. A big thanks to Ruth for letting me get those buff strippers in some nüdel!!

In a weird way I'm quite looking forward to having the next screens made up and getting into the printing side of things. Once you get your groove on, it's quite a meditative process. Plus it gets me hands on with every pair and I like knowing that I've been a part of the construction, then I get to box them all up, and seeing a big pyramid of nüdel boxes before they get shipped off to stores and ultimately on to guys asses is quite satisfying indeed!

Another step

2009-03-04T21:38:00.000-08:00

Meet Bart Hoedemakers, the first nüdel artist. Bart is a super talented stencil artist based in Canterbury, to view more of his work click here

I received the pdf mock up of the nüdel competition guidelines today from my brilliant PR person in Auckland at Coco PR. It looks great and it's simple to understand, anyone should be able to follow the instructions and submit their work. From what I can tell, most artists nowadays are pretty internet/graphics editing program savvy so I don't foresee any problems. Get your creative wheels cranking for the 1st of April!

The cutting is almost under way for the next run of short leg 'trunk style' nüdel, just had to clarify a few issues first, as last time equal numbers across the size range was cut - not what I wanted. But this time we're all on the same page and I won't have to worry about trying to get rid of a large stock pile of XLs.

Can't wait to get up to Auckland and start whoring nüdel to shops up there, I know it's going to go off!

Preparing to launch

2009-03-03T19:41:00.001-08:00

Things are well under way in preparation for the big nüdel launch this month. It's going to all start happening after they feature on Good Morning on the 16th March then we'll kick off the artist competition. All comp details will be on the nudel site of course, but it's basically a chance for artists around the country to submit an original piece of work online with the chance to have their design feature on a limited run of nüdel! The winner will also receive some pairs for themselves, or to give away to some lucky mates.

The big question I'm asking myself right now is; how many pairs should constitute as a 'limited run'? This has been something I've never quite been able to pin down, it needs to be enough to be financially viable to produce - making up screens, printing, cutting and assembly as well as distribution but made in numbers low enough to be something unique and desirable. Hmmm... anyone? Producing limited runs to the world market could be in the 100's of thousands while here at home it would be obviously much less, but what's the magic number...

2009-02-26T19:50:00.000-08:00

Wow I really should have begun this blog a long time ago, so much has happened since I made the move to bring nüdel from a snug, thigh hugging concept into reality. But here I am, here we are, with the first run featuring a mint design from Christchurch stencil artist; Bart Hoedemakers almost all sold out!

The next run will be a shorter leg, trunk style. The feedback I got on the long leg was selling it was 50/50 as to whether long or short leg was preferred. I originally went with the long because that's my personal favourite style and it gave me more room for the first print. So now I have found myself spoilt for choice for the next piece of art, with some local artists submitting their work, established designers from Auckland and even Tiki Taane is keen!

nüdel has taken on Coco PR up in Auckland who are doing an amazing job hooking me up with a whole bunch of media and potential celebrity artists. They really 'get' my brand and have lots of good ideas, it's great having a fresh outlook on the product because it's easy to get focussed on one thing or rather, doing things one way. So mid to late March will be the official launch of nüdel, to coincide with them featuring on Good Morning on the 16th and we'll be kicking off a nationwide competition where artists can submit their work with the chance to have a their piece appearing on nüdel undies.

So it's all go!