Grant Legan is a photographer known for shooting campaigns for everyone from Apple to Michael Kors. Now, he's an entrepreneur bringing his eye for timeless style to a new luxury intimates brand called CREO.
While many queer-owned underwear brands out there tend to shove sex in your face, Legan is approaching things in a much more chic way. His minimal aesthetic is applied to the brand's briefs, boxer briefs and tank tops that range in price from $45 to $80. CREO is also making sure to include people of all gender expressions and plans to broaden is size offerings, as well as starting conversations with emotional depth about sex.
Legan chatted with PAPER about starting the brand, butts and the strength of femininity.
What made you want to start CREO?
I've been a photographer for like 15 years, and my style is timeless, so my initial push for CREO was just having classic underwear. I love the style of Calvins, but I wanted material that felt good on your body and hugged you in all the right ways — soft and thin and sheer and sexier on your body. I hate when underwear, especially the more tech stuff, smashes you in. We want to accentuate the booty and make the front look good.
Is it because of the material you use? The fit?
It's a micromodal — a plant fiber that uses less resources to make than cotton and has more recovery over time. It sets itself back after you wash it and stretch it out, which is different from cotton which stretches out over time. And it's more breathable than cotton. It’s kind of in between poly athletic shorts and cotton. It’s soft and sexy and feels good. A lot of the feedback I've gotten from people is that it feels really sexy.
Where does it all happen?
When I lived in New York, I started the process there. I worked with the factory there and all the sampling and learned about everything. Then I moved everything to Mexico. I'm half Mexican, so there's a part of me that wanted to reflect that identity as well. I'm spending a lot of time in Mexico creating the products and shooting stuff. I did a launch event with Soho House Mexico City. There's definitely something really artistic and sexy about my city.
How is the production process sustainable?
It uses less water and less resources to actually create the fabric. And since it's a plant-based fiber, there’s no microplastics, so it will break down over time.
There are all kinds of gender expressions being represented here, too. Is that part of the ethos of the brand?
For a long time, just in my own photo career, I've appreciated blending the line between masculine and feminine. I have a lot of strong, feminine energy in my life. I've always had really strong female personalities in my life with my family and my friends. I really love the strength that women have. And I love the softness that men can possess, especially in the gay community. Having a softness that feels more emotional for men’s underwear is a tone that I want to thread through.
Can anyone wear the underwear?
The boxer briefs specifically are really stretchy, so they fit many different body types. I’ve had so many girlfriends that were like, “I always wear my boyfriend's boxer briefs.” So that's why I shot girls in the campaign, because they still look sexy and feel comfortable in them. But I'm not in a place yet where I have such a wide variety of sizing in terms of inclusivity. That's definitely something that is on deck prioritized as I'm growing.
How does it accentuate certain body parts, like your butt?
I was really particular with the elastic that was used in the leg for the brief, because I like a little bit of a lift, and because it's ribbed just slightly, it draws your eyes. The butt specifically was something that I was always really annoyed with in underwear for men, because I hated when it mashed your body instead of having more fabric in that area that felt like it accentuated that part of your body.
Where do you want the brand to go?
"Creo" comes from the Latin word "to create," and conjugated in Spanish, it means “I create.” The foundation of the brand has always been about the creative world. I want to partner with more artists and make bodies of work that align with the ethos of CREO, then do events around that. I just want to have art exhibitions, performances and short film premieres, working alongside other artists and creatives to create work that has more to do with sex and the body. A lot of underwear brands make sexiness feel very corny and in your face and less connective and sensual. There really is something about community in art and community in sexual freedom in the gay world, where you can kind of openly talk about things. Vulnerability and emotional depth are things that I want to prioritize in the brand.
Photography: Grant Legan
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