N2N’s been rolling out alluring underwear for 15 years now, and has long produced some of the most captivating and titillating marketing images in the men’s underwear industry. We recently had a chance to speak with the man behind N2N, founder and designer Andrew Makay, about how it all got started.
“Back in 1987, before I got into this, I was working on a cruise ship. One of the port of calls was in Acapulco, and while I was there I found this hot little turquoise bikini,” Makay told the Underwear Expert. “I loved how it made me feel and how it made me look, but I couldn’t find anything like it in the States.” He returned home, cut the bikini apart, and made a sewing pattern from it: “Those were the embers of N2N,” Makay said and from there, it was a ten year journey to the company’s full inception.
“Leading up to 1997, I had saved up enough money to actually start my company. Knowing absolutely nothing about what I was getting myself into–all I knew is that I wanted to make sexy stuff… all stuff that I liked–I found a little store space in West Hollywood, found a contractor, and launched my first collection of 17 items. And that officially launched N2N Bodywear in 1997 in West Hollywood.”
A reputation for making quality sexy menswear and an unabashed incorporation of sexuality into their marketing has always set N2N apart. A section of their wares is dedicated to erotic items, yes, but their other lines all evoke a refined style, with equal parts high fashion and subtle sex appeal . N2N has decidedly become a little more inclusive over the years, and the company now has over 100 items. “We do a little underwear, swimwear, sleepwear, and now we’re breaking into thermals and winter wear,” Makay said.
With multiple collections that allude to sex without going for it full throttle, N2N is a prime example of how sexuality can be used in healthy and intelligent ways to sell a product that, at its core, is inherently sexy.
