SIZE INCLUSIVITY AND GENDER NEUTRALITY MIX, FOR UNDERWEAR THAT’S TOTALLY XTRA
CAUSE CAPITAL FUND THE CRAFTORY LEADS INVESTMENT ROUND IN TOMBOYX
The Craftory is investing $18m into TomboyX as part of the Company’s Series B funding round. The Craftory will become the Company’s largest shareholder. The Company intends to use the funds to invest in product development and brand-related campaigns.
The Craftory directors will join the Board, alongside fashion industry veteran Pauline Brown, who represents Series A investor TAU Investment Management.
More about Pauline Brown and TAU Investment Management:
Pauline Brown’s LinkedInTAU Investment Management
THE CAUSE: CHAMPION SELF-ESTEEM, PROGRESS SOCIETY
TomboyX exists at the confluence of two progressive trends in fashion and apparel: Ever increasing choice of size, and increasing approval of genderqueer identity and style.
TomboyX design for real human bodies: Kings, Queens and everyone in between. This is a brand that rejects binary beauty myths to create an aesthetic of comfort, confidence and self-expression. In place of toxic perfection, there’s a celebration of what makes us uniquely beautiful. This is high performance, fairly made, eco-sustainable baselayer, free from body-shaming and sexual objectification. It’s a lot, all of it good.
TomboyX is a great business who’s proudly queer roots and human design aesthetic are strongly in-sync with mainstream cultural change. These days the majority of Americans don’t wear “regular” sizes: WHO US population data, The US +Size market via Racked, +Size menswear via Esquire.
According to research firm The NPD Group the female apparel market beyond xs and xl was worth $21.4bn in the US alone in 2016. Its Future of Apparel report also projects growth in the non-sport bra segment outside of simple sizing, which it describes as “underserved”.
And, the dominance of an exclusively hetero outlook is diminishing: Research by JWT Innovation Group claims that just 48% of genZers see themselves as exclusively straight.
FRAN DUNAWAY & NAOMI GONZALEZ, CO-FOUNDERS AT TOMBOYX, COMMENTED:
“We are very excited to collaborate with the team at The Craftory as we continue in our mission to design inclusive and gender-neutral underwear for our diverse global audience. We are confident that their expertise in branding and consumer goods will complement our own creativity and disruption of traditional products.”
ELIO LEONI SCETI, CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF CRAFTER AT THE CRAFTORY, SAID:
“TomboyX is a forward-thinking brand which tackles some of the biggest issues faced by society today and we are extremely proud to be welcomed to join the team as they expand their global reach and continue to design innovative sustainable pieces. It is crucial that companies like TomboyX continue to champion self-esteem as we move towards a more open, progressive society.”
ABOUT TOMBOYX
TomboyX was founded in 2012, in Seattle Washington, by Fran Dunaway and Naomi Gonzalez: Two tomboys who’d grown tired of underwear that didn't fit or reflect their self-image.
TomboyX’s human agenda emerged quickly: Underwear that anybody could feel comfortable in, regardless of where they fell on the size or gender spectrum. Followed by an equally powerful attitude: “What’s more human than being exactly, brazenly, no apologies who you were born to be?”
When it comes to comfort across a broad range of silhouettes and sizes it’s not enough to simply scale-up regular sample sizes: TomboyX’s underwear is fit-tested on hundreds of bodies, from size XS-4X, regardless of gender.
TomboyX’s products are manufactured in an eco-friendly and human-friendly way using non-toxic, high-performance fabrics, in factories that treat employees fairly and pay a living wage.
The result is a suite of products that exude confidence and inclusivity whilst also meeting serious eco-sustainability standards.
ABOUT THE CRAFTORY
Based in London and San Francisco, The Craftory is a $375M global investment house focused on cause-driven CPG brands that positively impact the categories they serve, society, and the planet.
We offer permanent, early stage and growth capital, as well as strategic expertise that covers industry networking, founder mentoring, branding, marketing science, innovation, and scale up.
The Craftory is a proud B-Corp, a member of Diversity VC, and certified carbon negative.
The Craftory was advised by Squire Patton Boggs.
thecraftory.io