Perry Wayne Talks Growing His Wayne Underwear Empire, Debuting His Full Line, & His Passion for Innovative Design

May 26, 2022
MEATY PANDA

I chatted on the phone with Perry Wayne, who was nominated for a 2022 Cybersocket Award for “Best Gay Apparel Company” with his brand, Wayne Underwear. This Detroit-based 26-year-old is wise and mellow beyond his years—an “old soul” as he describes himself during our conversation. His genuine and grounded, but fun and somewhat flamboyant personality could be felt through the phone during our first time conversing with each other. It’s no wonder that his high-quality, eye-catching clothing designs (paired with his outgoing and approachable disposition) have quickly gained popularity among major porn stars and social media influencers, putting Wayne Underwear into the gay zeitgeist. Continue reading below for our spotlight story on Perry and Wayne Underwear.

Hometown: Detroit, MI

Age: 26

How did you feel when you found out you were nominated for a Cybersocket Award this year? I feel like my hard work is paying off. Especially being a young, Black designer in this particular industry. So excited!

Describe your personality: I’m a “go with the flow” kind of guy. My personality is very social; I’m an extrovert.

Tell me about yourself growing up and how it led to the creation of Wayne Underwear: I grew up in a Christian home. My family owns three churches—very Christian and “can’t do this or that”. My mom was always a hustler and loves fashion, a “material gworl”. That inspired me to start doing musicals because of the wardrobe. I started off with costume design then designed womenswear—couture & bridal. The older I got, the more comfortable I got with my sexuality and that inspired me to make sexy men’s underwear.

Did you study fashion design? I went to Wayne State in Detroit for college then The Art Institute of Michigan in Novi for business. I actually dropped out because I realized it was a waste of money. You can’t teach talent.

When was Wayne Underwear launched? Officially in 2019.

What sets Wayne Underwear apart from other brands? Innovative designs. I spend hours customizing my own designs and the silhouettes of each garment. I make high quality products and I’ve spent years perfecting it.

How would you describe “The Wayne Guy”? Very in tune with his sexuality—confident, sexy, and feels good about himself.

You've accumulated a large following of social media influencers. How did you get started with the first supporters and continue to grow it? I happened to just reach out on social media right before the influx of new brands came out and it was easy to get access to people and start a conversation. My biggest one at the time was Joey Diamond, my next biggest one was Mo Hart and it grew from there.

Tell us about three of your favorite past campaigns and what you loved about each.

I love this one because I had a dream about an alien romance and woke up like, “it’s giving Katy Perry ‘E.T.’” I was listening to that song earlier in the day before I fell asleep and dreamt the collection. I love color—I love space. There’s so much we don’t know about it and it’s super interesting to see black holes and the galaxy. I wanted to convert it into a sexy design.

I would always secretly play with dolls when I was younger. Being in a Christian home, obviously that’s not allowed. I just wanted to relive that moment, so I came up with the “Brobie” theme—it’s okay to play with dolls, but it’s okay to play with men now, too.

This was my fantasy shoot. Literally. I was in ecstasy.

How did you feel when you got your first store to buy and carry Wayne Underwear? The first time someone reached out to me —Gary, owner of Five15 Drag Queen Bingo in Detroit—he said, “We would love to sell Wayne Underwear and put you in a window display.” I was like, “Holy shit!” It gave me that booster and confidence to continue to do this. No words can describe that moment ever!

What can we expect next from Wayne Underwear? A full line! I brought my tester collection to DragCon and sold out of all of those pieces—it was amazing, everyone loved it!

What was your experience as an apparel brand during the global pandemic shutdowns? COVID actually grew my business because everyone was at home. It was easier for people to shop online boutique stores because physical stores were closed. People were seeing more of my ads and it continued to grow. Once people ordered and saw the designs with quality when their packages arrived, they kept ordering. It was a ripple effect of word of mouth with customers.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking of starting their own business? Don’t give up, girl. I wanted to give up so many times—sometimes I still want to give up. At the end of the day, you just have to try. If you don’t try, nothing will happen. I was literally working at Nordstrom three years ago. I quit my job, started Ubering and made it happen. I had struggles and couldn’t pay bills. We’re all the same and anyone can do what I’m doing, but you have to put your time and effort into it.

You came to Los Angeles for RuPaul's DragCon and staying for the Cybersocket Awards. Who stopped by the Wayne Underwear booth? Ongina, The Vixen, Jackie Cox, Cole Connor, Chris Damned and Brock Banks. I had the best time of my life! Such a good weekend, I had so much fun and it was such a success. I will be back next year!

You stayed with Michael Boston during DragCon, who was also nominated at this year's Cybersocket Awards. How did you first meet? Oh my god, girl. Who knows? Michael Boston was one of the first social media influencers I reached out to years ago. We started in DM, then moved to texting. He caught my vibe that I wasn’t a creep, business only. We’ve known each other for years through technology, but the first time we met in person was when I stayed in L.A. this past February. We just vibed and hung out nearly every day of that month and a half.

How would you describe Michael? She is just fierce! But just so genuine and down to earth.