Meet the Wisconsin-Based Brand That's Putting Straight-Up Porn on Hoodies
Malcolm Bracey says he’s just your typical 23-year-old living in Madison, Wisconsin. The Midwestern college town isn’t known for being a style capital, despite being the homebase for several fashion retailers like Shopbop, East Dane, and Context Clothing. But lately, he’s been trying to stir things up.
Two years ago, he came up with a simple concept: Put porn on hoodies. Bracey’s aptly named brand, Pornhoodies, delivers what the name promises. It’s a novel concept that’s as subtly hilarious as it is outright crass. The two hoodies currently on offer, available in black and pink, have rather simple product descriptions like “Two woman having fun with their fist” and “porn on a Hoodie.”
Granted, the relationship between streetwear and porn has always been there. The Hundreds changed their website into a Bang Bus parody with adult performers Lisa Ann and Jayden James a few years ago. HUF collaborated with Kristina Rose on a weed-themed drop featuring the performer’s assets on full display. And as far back as 2007, Supreme had photographer Kenneth Cappello shoot Tera Patrick for one of its highly sought-after magazines.
But why does that relationship feel so synergistic, instead of incongruent? Perhaps it’s a bit due to the outsider and mischievous appeal of street culture. Or perhaps, like Bracey puts it: “People like to see other naked people.”
We interviewed Bracey about how he came up with the concept, his own relationship with porn, and the younger generation’s changing attitudes towards sex.
What were you doing prior to Pornhoodies?
Nothing really, I’m just some kid from Madison, Wisconsin. I worked at H&M and I’ve been designing for a while now, but I came up with Pornhoodies two years ago, and people started to like it, so I’ve been going with it.
How did you start Pornhoodies?
It started off as a joke. I was at the mall, and I just wanted to do something funny, and I made the Pornhoodie, and I got kicked out of the mall for wearing it. And I was like: “oh shit, this must be good, because it offended somebody!” So I started to push the idea.
You just have the two colors for now?
I had a few multicolor ones. I’ve had a couple of tie-dye ones that I sold for $100 dollars, which was crazy to me. I make them here, my friend has a press, and ship them out at the closest post office.
What about the scenes on the hoodies?
The scenes are mostly fisting. I don’t know why. It just seemed to be the most offensive, yet you can laugh at it at the same time.
Do you know the performers on the hoodies?
No I don’t! I actually looked for one of the girls, but I couldn’t find her name. And I feel like as soon as she sees the hoodie, it’s gonna be really weird for her. Like she might want some money or something.
What’s your relationship with porn?
It’s really fucked up because I realize that everybody’s making brands with all these girls on them that are half-naked, so I wanted to just push things to the max where it’s not even normal anymore. I’ve become desensitized to porn completely. I don’t even realize what’s on my hoodie when I’m out in public until someone looks at me like I’m fucked up, and I’m like: “oh shit, this isn’t normal.”
When did you start watching porn?
Oh man, I’ve been watching porn for a long time. My first porn story is watching my friend’s dad’s pornos in like fourth grade. It was like some white girl with huge tits. It was really crazy for me, and ever since then I’ve been, not obsessed with porn, but very into it. People think I’m obsessed or some weird freak, but I’m really not, I’m just a normal kid.
Porn stars like Tera Patrick and Kristina Rose have worked with brands like Supreme and HUF in the past, why do you think these collabs happen?
I just think it’s the way the future’s going. Sex is becoming less and less of a big thing. Sex is way more casual nowadays with kids. It’s not really like you have to get married anymore. We’re like a one-night-stand generation.
Does porn play into that?
I think we just realized it wasn’t a big deal. I mean, it’s a big deal, but we realized it’s normal. Everybody watches porn. Sex is a normal thing, but it was made to seem like it wasn’t. People like to see other naked people, and that was supposed to be a bad thing.
One of the models on your website is a woman. How do they react to the hoodies?
It depends on the girl. I’ve had several different reactions. I’ve been in New York wearing the hoodie, and some lady yelled at me in the train station for a long time and told me that my mother would be ashamed of me to see me wearing that. But my mom has seen the hoodie, and she thinks it’s funny. My grandma’s seen the hoodie, and she’s a Jehovah’s Witness, and she laughed at it. So yeah, there’s a variety of feelings, but mostly people just laugh or think it’s cool. No one really gets offended.
What’s your future plan for Pornhoodies?
I’m still seeing where it goes, but I’m trying to do a collab. I have some friends in Odd Future and shit, so I’m sending some out to them. I’m working on sending a hoodie to Supreme right now. I mean, I’m trying to get a Supreme collab, that’s the goal in life.
Pornhub’s become a big cultural force beyond the service it provides, even launching a record label a few years ago. Would you work with them?
Yeah, I’d love to be a Pornhub star. That’d be cool: Pornhub rapper, designer, anything for them would be ideal.
What are you favorite porn sites right now?
Pornhub isn’t really my first pick, it’s my second. I’m on XNXX mainly, that’s my go-to site. I think XNXX is really meant for mobile. The mobile site works a lot better so it’s more convenient for me because I don’t have a laptop, just a crappy-ass iPhone 4. Pornhub’s the fallback. But I mean if they pick me up they’ll be number one!
Who are your favorite porn stars?
I don’t really know most of their names because I search for weird things like “wooty” or something, but Alexis Texas has always been a favorite of mine. Working with her would be cool, even though she’s been used for rapper shit a lot. Sasha Grey is pretty cool, I’d fuck with her. Any midget stars too - Bridget the Midget is absolutely one of my favorites. I love midgets. Midget scenes are tight.
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