HUNK just sent us some awesome new pictures featuring Philip Fusco in NYC wearing their newest collection: Lavender. The lavender jock is aewsome! I am loving the pastel and lighter colors in the men’s underwear market.
We took physique model Nick Perillo down to Del Mar Beach and got him to try on a few pairs of the Hunk2 swim-shorts.
They’re stunning photos. Nick is a competitive bodybuilder, and he looks great from every angle, but what really caught our eye in this shoot was his rippling washboard of a stomach. His abs are so sharp and defined that they almost look like they might hurt you – it’s a risk we’re willing to take.
But how do fitness models such as Nick get their abs in peak condition? Here’s some tips that you might want to try and incorporate into your regime.
Start with your diet
If you’d like to see more definition in your abs, one of the key things to focus on is your diet.
Everyone has got a set of abdominal muscles, but you need to be fairly lean and strong in order to get the definition that you see on underwear models.
There’s no point doing a whole heap of sit-ups if you’re not going to embrace the kind of diet discipline that reveal your abs in all their glory.
Hit the intervals
Intense interval training is a great way to help you get lean and strong. Interval training comes in lots of different forms, so try a few different options and figure out what works best for you.
You need to be fairly structured and methodical in order to get the best out of interval training – you’re looking for short and intense bursts of exercise with controlled recovery periods to maximise the impact on your body. Sign-up with a personal trainer or join a CrossFit class so that you can put all of your focus on pounding out the exercises without having to keep an eye on the stopwatch.
Get serious about squats
It probably feels a bit counter-intuitive, but if you’re wondering about which exercises you should be concentrating on if you want to enhance your abs, you’ll get better results from squats than you will from ab-crunches.
Squats are a great functional exercise, really engaging your abs as you lift the weight and push through the upwards motion.
If you want great abs then the squat rack is going to be your new best friend.
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Hunk2 has a new shoot that we profiled last week? Did you see it? If you didn’t check out the shoot.
3 simple hacks to look pumped on the beach
Personal trainer and fitness model Jeremy Winter obviously knows all about how to get lean and strong, but when he hit the San Diego beach for a swimwear shoot with photographer Armando Adajar, he was looking extra pumped.
Jeremy’s impressive physique definitely showcased the swimwear range from Hunk2, and turned plenty of heads.
We quizzed him on how he achieved the kind of pump that enables you to hit the beach with confidence.
Putting the work in
“I take my fitness very seriously…” confirms Jeremy. “A few of my family members are a bit overweight – I didn’t want to be like that. I’ve been active my whole life – swimming competitively since the age of four.”
“Swimming was my main focus in school – that kept me lean and toned. Once I moved to California, I pumped up my training. I got a personal trainer who helped me understand how to build muscle and how to tone up.”
“After that, I got my own personal training certification. I do a lot of HIIT workouts, mixed with weights. I teach at two HIIT gyms, so I go there everyday to take class and do my strength training.”
Beach Body Pump – Hack 1: Intervals
Switching your gym workout to intense interval training helps to burn maximum calories – getting you lean and strong and ready for the beach.
Intense intervals gets your body working hard, meaning that even once your workout is over your body continues to burn calories at a higher rate than normal.
You can use a number of different exercises to achieve this effect – it could be on the rowing machine, the exercise bike, or running – what you’re looking for are short bursts of intense exercise with only minimal recovery time between each set.
Beach Body Pump – Hack 2: Hydration
You read some stories about fitness models or body-builders who cut back on liquids ahead of a big shoot or competition in order to look as ripped as possible.
That’s a really extreme step and isn’t something you should be considering if you just want to have some fun on the beach.
If you want to look your best on the beach, you should be drinking more water – not less. Staying hydrated will help your metabolism function effectively, and will help your skin look as fresh as possible.
Try and avoid eating anything that contains a lot of salt. Salt encourages the body to retain fluids and will leave you feeling a bit heavier than you want.
Beach Body Pump – Hack 3: Confidence
It’s important to remember that no one is going to be scrutinising you in the way that you study yourself in the mirror. We’re all our own worst critic.
We’ve all got things we’d like to improve about our bodies, but hitting the beach with a smile and a sense of fun is a lot more important than whether everyone appreciates the hard work you’ve been putting in at the gym.
I’m all about feeling comfortable in your own skin…” says Jeremy. “Don’t worry about what others think. Go out and live your best life!”
Follow Jeremy Winter on Instagram
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Earlier this week we sharing a photoshoot with LA Go-Go dancer Chris Di Prete for Hunk2. If you haven’t seen it, check out all the amazing pictures. Also, check out the great swimwear at Hunk2
It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it – photographer Armando Adajaris continuing his mission to showcase hot guys in swimwear on the beaches of San Diego.
We’re not complaining. LA boy Chris DiPretelooks fantastic in the bright and bold colors of our Hunk2 range. Armando got some great shots of Chris in the shorts, trunks, and swim-briefs, as well as showing off our reversible styles.
When he’s not modelling swimwear, Chris is a dancer. Check out his Instagram and you’ll see that Chris is a favourite on the podiums of West Hollywood’s clubs as well as the biggest parties across the country.
We took the opportunity to quiz Chris about life as an LA go-go boy.
Aloha Hawaii
Born and raised in Hawaii, Chris seems to be the perfect combination of his Hawaiian, Italian, and Japanese genetic mix.
“I moved from Hawaii to Los Angeles first and foremost to further my professional career in dance…” explains Chris, when we ask what prompted him to move to the city of angels. “But it was also a chance to explore a new city, to explore life, and to meet new people.”
“Hawaii is very beautiful but very, very small socially…” adds Chris. “I wanted to move somewhere close-ish to home, but far enough away to make new friends, new relationships, and new connections.”
Born to dance
“I have definitely always been a dancer…” confirms Chris, when we ask him how he got started in the business. “It stemmed from watching music videos when I was little. I’d learn the choreography and imagine myself performing for stadiums filled with thousands of people. The reality was though that I was just performing for myself in my bedroom.”
“That passion for performing led me to get involved in theatre…” adds Chris. “I was interested in anything that got me on a stage. I also got pretty serious about sports for a while, but I eventually realized that dance was what I was meant to do. Ever since high school, I’ve been taking it seriously as a career. It’s dance that has brought me to where I am today.”
Stepping up onto the podium
“I used to go-go dance back home in Hawaii…” explains Chris, when we ask him about getting started in LA’s nightlife scene. “It’s a great way to make some extra money as well as get some good cardio in. I got introduced to a few promoters when I arrived in LA, and from there I would pick and choose when and where to dance. I’ve also danced at a few circuit parties, as I love the production quality of those events.”
“I’ve recently cut back on my nightlife dancing…” adds Chris. “I really want to focus more on my professional dance career.”
It’s all about the body
“As cliché as it sounds, the gym has to be a priority…” says Chris, when our chat turns to how to balance late nights in the club with the demands of being a professional dancer. “After working out for over 10 years, it becomes very normal to plan your day around a workout, and not the other way around.”
“I always say that my body is my business card…” adds Chris. “Especially in this industry. You have to make sure that you prioritize your health and that you put the best version of yourself out there.”
Finding the right balance
“I don’t normally work in the mornings…” explains Chris, when we push him to share details of his routine. “Not working in the mornings means that I can definitely get enough sleep to balance working, dancing, and working out.”
“When I want to relax, I’m glued to my couch with the A.C. blasting, watching YouTube and snacking on whatever I find…” admits Chris. “I love to snack! I find it relaxing to just have some time to myself to binge-watch and eat eat eat!”
Hitting the beach
Our conversation naturally turned to spending time on the beach. Given that Chris had been trying on all of our different men’s swimwear styles, we were keen to hear which style he normally wears and which of our designs he preferred.
“I actually don’t visit the beach a lot here in Los Angeles…” admits Chris. “I’ve gotten so spoiled with the beautiful, picture-perfect beaches in Hawaii.”
“Back in Hawaii, I was very into board shorts…” confirms Chris, when we push him on his preferred swimwear style. “But, since moving here to Los Angeles, I love a nice, well-fitted brief to wear to the pool.”
Follow Armando Adajar on Instagram
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Not everyone embraces the snug fit and body-conscious cut of the men’s bikini, but we’re on a bit of a mission to get more guys to give it a try.
Our resident photographer Armando Adajartook fitness model Alex Edown to the beach in San Diego and managed to persuade him to pull on our bright and bold bikini styles.
Following the shoot, We caught up with Alex to see if he was a convert.
The verdict on the bikini
Men’s bikini swimwear – or swim-briefs – isn’t a style that we see a lot of on the beaches of North America – most guys tend to favour surf-shorts or swim-trunks. Men wearing bikinis is much more common in Europe, and it’s a style that is fairly universally embraced by gay guys.
“When I first tried them on, I realised how great they are!” confirmed Alex, when we asked him how he felt trying on a bikini for the first time. “Maybe I’m a bit more European in my outlook, but I feel like people should be less afraid of exposing their bodies – there’s just so much freedom and confidence that comes with being comfortable in your skin.”
“What I like about the men’s bikini is that you don’t end up with tan lines in inconvenient places…” added Alex. “Plus, it’s an excuse to show the quads off!”
“This is swimwear that exudes confidence, no matter what your body type is…” advised Alex. “Life is too short to worry about what other people might say or think. The male physique should be celebrated. I feel like the bikini is definitely the style that shows off the male physique the best.”
“If I’m planning a hike or something, I might still opt for shorts or trunks…” considered Alex. “But, for hanging out on the beach, the bikini is definitely where it’s at.”
Embracing an outdoors lifestyle
“I recently moved to San Diego from Oklahoma, so you can imagine how much a previously landlocked guy loves the water…” explains Alex. “My family and friends hate me because I’m on the beach so much. I can’t get enough of it!”
“The beach is the one place I can be active and hike, hang out with friends, or just work on my tan – all in the same day!”
Using Instagram for inspiration
We’ve been following Alex E’s fitness journey through his regular updates on Instagram. We asked him how he stays motivated.
“Growing up, I was always the ultra-skinny kid…” explained Alex. “I’m talking bean-pole-skinny, at 5’11” and 140 pounds. There’s nothing wrong with being lean, but my confidence suffered from it, and as a result, I was bullied throughout school.”
“One day, I decided I wanted to live a healthier, more confident lifestyle, so I picked up the weights and pushed myself…” added Alex. “I ended up falling in love with weightlifting. I love constantly pushing myself in the weight room, and in the rest of my life by extension.”
“I think of Instagram as my fitness log, and if I don’t share my progress, I miss out on being able to look back on how far I’ve come on my fitness journey…” shrugged Alex. “One of the biggest compliments I can get is that I am an inspiration. If I can inspire just one person, I think that documenting my journey is worthwhile. I know what it feels like to be directionless and to lack confidence, so I hope that my fitness journey can help others to find that direction.”
Not just a pretty face
“I’m actually currently applying to medical school…” said Alex, when our conversation turns to goals and aspirations for the months ahead. “I know I’m a nerd, but the sciences and intricacies of the human body are huge passions of mine.”
“I’m also pursuing a modeling career…” added Alex. “Being from Oklahoma, I lacked the resources to pursue modeling, but now I’m going at it full force. I’m hoping to start a career in fitness modeling.”
You might be thinking that men’s swimwear doesn’t change much from year-to-year. It’s either shorts, trunks, or briefs, right?
To some extent, that’s true – we’re probably not going to see guys hitting the beach in neck-to-knee bodysuits in some sort of Victorian-era throwback, but if you’re paying close attention to what men are wearing then you’ll appreciate that trends and fashion have an impact.
Demonstrating some of the latest trends on offer, we paired the body of Marcus Aaronwith the camera of Armando Adajar– we wanted to see the Hunk2 swim wear rangefrom every angle.
Here’s what you should be looking out for this season.
Embrace the technology and face the elements
One of the key drivers of the development of men’s swimwear has been the changing technology available to designers and manufacturers. New fabrics and materials have enabled swimwear brands to create products that are more durable than ever before. These enhanced fabrics enable the creation of swimwear that holds it shape, and is able to withstand the harsh elements of the beach, as well as the corrosive effects of swimming-pool chlorine.
You’ll see these technology enhancements across all of the different styles in the Hunk2 swimwear range – from the snug waist-band of our swim-shorts, to the retro stylings of our swim-trunk, and the cord-free support of our swim-briefs – these designs are only possible with the technological advancements that have been made in recent years.
Design is more than just functional – your swimwear should be as innovative as you
With every new season, you’ll see swimwear designers testing and trying subtle variations on the classic themes that define what men wear in the water.
For example, this season at Hunk2 we’ve introduced our new reversible designs. Designing a piece of clothing that can be worn in multiple ways is a bit of a challenge, but we’re really pleased with the results. When you put your mind to creating something a bit special, anything is possible.
Available in both our swim-trunks and swim-briefs styles, the reversible functionality of our swimwear gives you the choice of rocking out in our bold South American inspired wildlife patterns, or making a simple statement in block colour. Swimwear to suit your mood and the occasion – that’s clever design.
You don’t have to be a swimwear model to be bang on trend
When it comes to men’s swimwear, the other trend that’s worth keeping an eye on is fashion. Fashion draws its influences from all sorts of different reference points – from the haute couture runways, to film, music, and pop culture.
The influence of fashion trends is not only seen in the patterns and colours that feature on men’s swimwear each season, but also in how daring or revealing the cut and shape of the swimwear might be. For example, a more fluid understanding of masculinity has given a lot of men the freedom and confidence to hit the beach in a sexy swim-brief – in the past, swim-briefs were generally only worn by gay guys and Europeans.
The fashion trend that we’ve embraced this season is bright bold colours, and vivid patterns. Our swimwear features stunning South American wilderness designs that are alive with vibrant colours and a sense of fun – exactly what we feel men’s swimwear is all about. Are you ready to embrace the latest trends and update your swimwear options? Check out our online store to find something that suits your style.
In the world of fitness modelling, one of the big names and in-demand bodies is Philip Fusco.
Fusco grew up in New York City, getting his start in the modelling world as a teenager when he was discovered on MySpace. Now, in his 30s, it’s clear that the camera still loves every inch of Philip Fusco.
In this shoot – by photographer Armando Adajar – Fusco is showcasing our Hunk2 swimwear range.We love the way that he’s able to subtly show off the reversible design of the swimwear – it’s a feature that we’re really proud of, and you can see why these bold colours and patterns are going to turn heads wherever you wear them.
After the photo-shoot was done and dusted, we took the opportunity to ask Fusco about life, swimwear, and hot tips for the summer.
Swimwear styles
“I go for shorts, not the briefs…” explains Fusco, when I ask which style of swimwear he prefers. “My favorite style is the shorts that come to just above the knee – stopping at the meaty part of the leg.”
Swim-shorts are generally the preferred option for guys from North America, however on the beaches of Europe you’ll generally see guys of all shapes, sizes, and sexualities embracing the swim-brief. So, as well as personal preference, your choice of swimwear is likely to be influenced by your vacation destination.
“My number-one destination is the Bahamas…” confirms Fusco, as we discuss which destinations are at the top of his travel wish-list. “I stay at Atlantis on Paradise Island.”
Summer skin-care
In addition to his modeling career, Fusco is also the marketing director for a skin-care brand. I asked him if he had any summer skin-care tips for guys who are going on a beach vacation.
“Always be sure to apply sunblock frequently – one application doesn’t last all day…” advises Fusco. “After the beach, make sure you wash your face with a mild cleanser, and then use a light but complete moisturizer.”
Fitness motivation
To maintain a physique like Philip Fusco, you’ve got to be taking your health and fitness fairly seriously. Many of us have ambitions of hitting the gym hard and getting lean and strong, but it takes a lot of focus and persistence to achieve the results needed to land a magazine cover or swimwear campaign.
“I stay motivated because self-care and self-love is extremely important – as long as it isn’t overdone…” explains Fusco, when I ask him how he stays motivated on the health and fitness front. “Looking your best will translate into feeling your best. If you feel your best, you’ll be a much better person – kindness will radiate, and the world will be a better place. Of course, there are days that I don’t want to go to the gym. I try to take one day off each week. If I’m not feeling motivated but it’s not my day off, then I force myself to go. I know that I’ll be feeling like a million bucks by the time I leave the gym.”
Insta inspiration
In today’s world, building a career as a successful model requires a lot more than just looking good and knowing how to work a camera. Social media is a key tool in building a following and creating commercial opportunities. Fusco’s Instagram game is particularly strong – he’s got about 130K followers watching his every move.
“I decide what to post based on a couple of factors…” says Fusco, when I ask him if he feels a bit of pressure to present a specific perspective on his life and career through his Insta posts. “If I feel the photo is worthy of being seen by the world, or if I feel that the photo could benefit at least one person in some way. I hope my posts motivate people – that’s my intention.”
Plans for the future
The career of most male models is relatively brief, but Fusco has been stripping off for the camera for more than a decade.
“I’ve been modeling since I was 17…” confirms Fusco, when I ask him about some of the high-points of his career so far. “There’s been a lot of highlights – working with Armando on this shoot is definitely one of them. I’m proud of all the magazine shoots and TV shows that I’ve done. Plus, shooting in Australia was one of my most memorable trips.”
“I just want to keep inspiring people…” shrugs Fusco, when we talk about what the future might hold. “Giving out fitness and training advice, and hopefully making covers for as long as possible.”
Follow Philip Fusco on Instagram
Today we have a feature from Hunk 2 Underwear with Colombian model David Cardona. David is a 28 y/o model from Medellin, famous in Colombia for his participation in fashion runways and reality shows.
In these photos, he is wearing HUNK² ESPACE² collection. This shoot features mostly briefs and trunks. The Espace² Collection: HUNK² inspiration in the outer space and virtual reality combines with our signature designs to provide a fascinating experience
We are joined by a new video reviewer, Andrew (@andrewjs1987 snapchat). He is reviewing the Hunk2 Alphae Patrie²swim suit (https://hunk2.com/product/alphae-patr…)
A new brand ou guys need to know is 
Hunk2 furnished the Apollo Roux2 II for review.
Rating: 8/10
- Daily Fit: 6/10
- Sizing: 8/10
- Construction: 9/10
- Styling: 9/10
- Daily Performance: 8/10
Pros: Makes behind look great, excellent material, pockets
Cons: Pouch was too small
UNB Marco recommendation: This is a great pair all around, with the material and unique cut being particular pluses. I would recommend it for the confident and classy man who is looking to spice things up.
I am thrilled to be reviewing this pair of trunks from Hunk2. This is a brand I’ve always been interested but have never actually tried. When I put this pair on, I knew that I had been missing out this whole time. Although it’s different from the types of underwear I normally wear, the Apollo line from Hunk2 is made of the best materials and is undeniably sexy.
To get the whole experience, I wore it for an entire day, during which I went to the gym, sat in class, and went on a date with my girlfriend. It was excellent for the gym due to the polyester material and it worked fine for errands and other general daily tasks. The pair really shined when it came time for date night. It really showed off all of my assets and the skimpiness was great in a way that increased my confidence. It’s constructed in a way that anyone who sees you in it can’t help but look at your package. Notably, this pair has two pockets, which I thought was helpful for storing a condom.
I can’t say enough about the fabric and the construction of this pair. The seams are unobtrusive and the material is clearly high quality. I liked that there was no obtrusive logo and the elastic waistband was narrower, which is a nice change of pace from pairs I usually wear. One thing I wasn’t thrilled about was that there’s not much of a pouch and the material isn’t particularly stretchy. By the end of the day wearing it, my sack grew sort of uncomfortable. It could just be since it’s a new pair with a different cut that I’m not used to, and the pros still outweigh that one con by leaps and bounds.
I got this in a medium, and I’m relatively thin with a 31” waist. It’s definitely true to size, though based on this pair if you’re on the border between one size or another, it could be good to go a size up to get a slightly larger pouch.
Hunk2 hit this one out of the ballpark. With all of the different vibrant patterns for the Apollo line, the pockets, and the premium material, among other things, you can’t go wrong with this pair.
BRAND: Hunk2
PAIR: Apollo Roux² II
COLORS: This one is white with red and pink pattern, but the Apollo line comes in 14 other unique designs
FABRIC: 78% Polyester, 22% Elastane
SIZES: S-XL
COST: $23.99
FURNISHED BY: Hunk2
Where to buy: hunk2.com
Armando Adajar shot a new brand we have been covering, Hunk2. This shoot features model Trent C. We hope you enjoy the pics!Underwear: HUNK2
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
Website: https://hunk2.com
Model: Trent C.
Photographer: Armando Adajar
Website: http://www.armandoada
Hunk2 has provided us with their Chaos thong to review.
Rating: 8.6/10
Daily Fit: 8/10
Sizing: 10/10
Construction: 10/10
Styling: 7/10
Daily Performance: 8/10
Pros: Comfortable fabric, like how the back looks on
Cons: Only three colors, would prefer different side design
Recommendation: I say give the Hunk2 Chaos thong a try. For me they are a great fit and a good choice for everyday low activity wear.
Hunk2 is a new brand in 2016 and I have the privilege to review their thong. If you looked at their other offerings, it is a bit of a surprised to see a thong in their collection. At the moment they carry boxer briefs/trunks and jock briefs. They also carry some swim briefs and square cuts. You can read more about Hunk2 in their UNB interview. Before I get into the review of the thong I wanted to say checkout how Hunk2 has marketed their thong on their site. I like how they’ve done it. Hopefully it will be a good seller for them.
I’m always up for testing out new thongs and even better when it is a new brand. I didn’t know what was coming for me to review, so when I pulled the thong out of the package I noticed two things. First was the lightweight and softness of the fabric. The second thing was when I held it up was the two side straps. Personally I would prefer just one of them or fabric between them. Now with that said you are able to adjust how the side straps are on the hips. You can choose to have them run parallel to each other as in the photos or you can go my direction. I like to wear them with the sides next to each other, which leaves some little sliver of triangles near the pouch and the back with skin showing.
I wore these during a normal day for me working at the computer and running some errands. Overall they performed well for everyday wear. I consider these a v-string, since the tail (strap that runs between the cheeks) is the same width as one of the side straps. Plus you have somewhat of a piece of triangle fabric at the back. Sometimes with this type of design the tail can be bothersome. This especially true if you’re not use to this type of underwear. I did not have this problem with this thong. At times they were actually unnoticeable. Others times they did remind me there was a thong underneath my clothes. It was a comfortable knowing. I like this type of back design and I like how these look on me. The front has a flat centered seamed full width contoured pouch. I wouldn’t mind a little narrow of a pouch, but traditional is good too. It offers everyday wear support, but you’d start bouncing around in them with light jogging. Comfort is one of Hunk2 goals and I think they hit that with this pair for me.
Here’s some specification type information on this pair. I got it in a size medium and seems true to size. The fabric is a blend of 82% nylon, 6% polyester, and 12% elastane. The side straps and tail are about ½”. These can be wash cold on gentle and should be hung to dry. They’re made in Colombia, but designed in the USA. The Chaos thong is available in three colors: Noir2 (black), Bleu2 (blue), and Roux2 (red). All three colors have gray/silver pin dots on them giving a classic look to the thongs like one would think of with a pinstripe suit. They feature a small metal brand plate on the left pouch panel with Hunk2 on it. Then the size tag is sewn to the inside and outside back. The tag shows the brand name on the outside back of the thong with the tag line “Striking Confidence” below the Hunk2 name.
Overall this is a solid thong by Hunk2 that fits me well. It’s a comfortable pair I could wear everyday as long as it’s not going to be a real active day. The back cut is my favorite part about it. Gives a nice look for the rear. Fabric is great too. Would rather have different sides, but moving the straps side by side gives a look that I can run with it. More supportive and a bit narrower of a pouch are some personal improvements I’d like. I say give the Chaos thong a try. It is nice to have a little style variety to choose from in the underwear drawer.
BRAND: Hunk2
PAIR: Chaos
COLORS: Noir2, Bleu2, Roux2
FABRIC: 82% Nylon, 6% Polyester, and 12% Elastane
SIZES: S – XL
COST: $18.99
FURNISHED BY: Hunk2
Where to buy: https://hunk2.com/
CREDITS:
Underwear: HUNK2
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunk2_official/
Website: https://hunk2.com
Model: Bradley Brooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradleyjbrooks/
Photographer: Armando Adajar
Website: http://www.armandoada
Hunk2 is a new brand we think you guys need to know about. We got a chance to sit down and ask them a few questions:
For our readers who are unfamiliar with your brand, can you tell us about your brand?
Hunk² is a brand created in 2016. We are a group of men (with combined backgrounds in fashion, graphic design, engineering and e-commerce) who share a passion for fashion – specifically, men’s underwear.
As we were discussing our recent underwear shopping experiences last year, we realized that we all shared a dislike for brands using large logos all over their underwear.
Men’s underwear brands seemed to come in two main categories (with not much in-between): comfort brands and design brands.
The “comfort brands” provided very comfortable underwear, but were not very attractive or fashionable. On the other hand, the “design brands” looked great, but they were uncomfortable and the manufacturers seemed more interested in just promoting their brand with large logos than in making a high quality, great-fitting product.
Hunk² was born to be the perfect balance between top quality and comfort, for men like us who want to wear the best, without becoming a walking advertisement for a brand. Our products are designed to speak for themselves, and we feel that customer satisfaction and word-of-mouth will be the best advertisement for our brand.
Your tag line is “Striking Confidence!” How did you come up with it and what does it mean?
We use two slogans: Striking Confidence and The Power of Two Men.
The first slogan refers to what our brand embraces: the image of a man who projects confidence and power, and wants to look and feel great.
You’ll notice that our models do not follow the typical underwear model standards. While they look great, they do not have a perfect six pack or a ripped body. We are actually starting to work with a Brazilian photographer who has a campaign to show beauty in more natural looking gay men. With too many brands out there already showcasing the perfect looking jock, Hunk²’s focus is instead on making regular men look beautiful and feel great.
The second slogan refers to the ² in our brand name: Hunk². Being LGBT ourselves, we wanted to create a brand that supports the image of two sexy, masculine men. We do not mean only physical power – we refer mostly to the power and confidence projected by men who have gone through many things (including their own perceptions) to be together.
What has been the reaction to the brand?
We’ve had very good feedback so far on both the designs and fit of our underwear and swimsuits. Customers have also kindly suggested styles and new designs for our future collections. We are appreciative of all customer feedback, and we will be taking their suggestions into account when working on new products.
Your underwear has boxer briefs, jocks and thongs. Why don’t you have briefs? Do you have any plans to release briefs?
We did originally have briefs planned for our first collection, but as we got deeper into design and production, we honestly became a bit overwhelmed and decided to focus on a smaller number of products at first to make sure that we got everything right. We hope to release our new briefs line by summer 2017.
You also dare guys to try thongs and jocks? Why do you think this is important for guys to try new things in underwear?
I don’t think any of us wear the jocks and thongs ourselves, but we do think that they are super sexy – we probably wouldn’t at all mind our partners wearing them. While we based most of our creations on our likes and experiences, we know that our audience is much more diverse than the Hunk² team. We created the jocks and thongs with our most adventurous customers in mind.
Prints play a big part in your design, how do you find your prints you use to create underwear and swimwear?
Great catch! That’s one of the main aspects of Hunk²: fun, creative prints. We feel that there are already too many blocky & boring underwear designs on the market, and we wanted to make something different.
We wanted to be creative and bring vibrant colors, curves, pockets, prints, and more. We typically select what message we want to transmit with a certain product, and then we find the colors and shapes that best help us transmit that message.
It really helps when you design for an audience that you are part of, since we do not have to struggle with marketing avatars. We are the avatars!
For example, we all love to travel and so we created Alphae Voyageur² with that in mind. We love the circus, so we created Alphae Chemin² inspired in a circus tent. And so on.
What has been your best selling print?
Alphae Voyageur², and the reason is clear to us. We created this design for all of the adventurous men who are as passionate as we are about travelling the world and having new experiences. Men like us who know the emotions and excitement that can be stirred by something as simple as a world map.
Designing is one thing, but creating the physical product when you work with these kind of prints is very challenging. That’s the reason why most brands only design swimwear using solid colors. But creating fun designs like the Alphae Voyageur² or Patrie² is part of the fun, and it’s part of that extra mile that Hunk² brings to its customers.
We are loving the new Hunk2 brand. We will be getting some review pairs very soon. So, if you’re curious about them we will have a report soon!
A new brand I found on Twitter is Hunk2. They have some great styles and colors. I think you guys should check them out.