The Phluid Project, which operated one of the world’s first gender-free stores at 684 Broadway in New York from 2018 to 2020, is tackling the wholesale front with new categories of merchandise for year-round selling.
For the last few years Phluid has established 8,000 points of distribution including Macy’s, Nordstrom, Target and Kohl’s with its Pride T-shirts and accessories. Last May, Target removed Pride-related merchandise from its stores following a social media backlash and pushback from conservative consumers and advocates. Phluid works with Target on year-round Pride products, and The PH by The Phluid Project’s products are currently on Target.com. The line is expected to be back in-store in June, as it has been for the past three years. Reached for comment, a Target spokesman referenced a CNBC interview with Target chief executive officer Brian Cornell last month in which he said Pride merchandise will be back on the selling floor in June.
The Phluid Project is building on the success of its fragrance collection which was developed in partnership with Scent Beauty (relaunched in June 2022) and its intimacy and wellness collection in partnership with Spencer’s (launched in November 2023). Phluid will launch multiple new gender-inclusive categories to hit stores in fall 2024, licensing several brands in the apparel and accessories market.
“We’ve been doing Pride really well. But we wanted to go back to the origin, which is about self-expression,” said Rob Smith, chief executive officer and founder of The Phluid Project. A 30-year retail veteran, Smith rose to executive vice president, general merchandise manager at Macy’s before joining Victoria’s Secret as executive vice president, general merchandise manager and later, Haddad Brands as global chief product officer.
Phluid’s mission is to challenge boundaries with humanity and question whether just because things have been one way doesn’t mean there isn’t a better way. Phluid continually connects with the LBGTQIA+ community and searches to find solutions for issues they are facing.
Smith said one sees gender-free clothing at high-end designers, on the runways and on celebrities, but it has to make its way to the mainstream. “People don’t know where to put it,” he said of retailers.
He said there needs to be an open-minded buyer who’s willing to create a non-binary space or position it on the men’s floor. The company will begin showing the lines to buyers in the beginning of January at the partners’ respective showrooms in New York.
Smith said that 70 percent of consumers said they’re interested in buying gender-fluid fashion, according to Klarna. Some 21 percent of adult Gen Z identifies as LGBTQ+, according to a 2022 Gallup poll.
In partnership with KBL Group International, The Phluid Project is launching a gender-expansive fashion collection. The fashion-forward line is geared to young professionals and offers oversized silhouettes and trendy second-skin fabrics and cutouts, while still focusing on classic office wear such as multipiece suiting, trenchcoats and blazers. There are open-back blazers, bodysuits, vests, pleated kilts, stretch faux leather pants, stretch lace tops, sparkle Ts, and slim-fit crew neck tops that can be worn to the office or afterward for drinks, dinner or parties. Tops retail from $38 to $68, and suiting goes from $68 to $128. Sizes range from small to extra large, and the line is designed to fit both male and female bodies.
“No one is paying attention to this consumer. They are a fashion person,” said Smith. The collection is designed by Leah Mayhew, design director at KBL.
In collaboration with Lazer Denim, they have developed a genderless denim clothing line, featuring a variety of jeans and denim tops as well as a genderless utility skirt and a denim kilt. The denim, sized from small to extra large, retails from $50 to $70.
Teaming with Collection 18, The Phluid Project has developed a cruelty-free vegan leather line of bags that inspire the wearer to “Be Kind,” “Phabulous” and “Phluid,” which are embossed on bags. Also offered are various harnesses, hats, backpacks, clear bags, totes and belts. Bags retail from $80 to $140, belts and corsets go from $58 to $78, and hats are $38 to $48.
Collaborating with Rebl, they have also designed a hypoallergenic, 18-karat plated, environmentally friendly jewelry collection featuring a large number of styles ranging from golden spiked jewelry to various cruelty-free leather pendant necklaces and pearl necklaces, glass heart necklaces, love lockdown earrings, and ash spike huggies. The jewelry retails from $34 to $89.
Each of the collections is committed to supporting the LBGTQIA+ community, especially those most at risk, by directing funds from the sale of each item to The Phluid Phoundation. The organization supports grassroots community leaders with gifts, not grants, to create change and impact where people need it most. Since launching in 2021, The Phluid Phoundation has raised more than $1 million through strategic donations from corporate sponsors.
Smith’s ground-breaking 3,000-square-foot store in NoHo, which closed at the beginning of the pandemic, featured its own private-label Phluid brand, products from other companies such as Levi’s, Doc Martens, Champion and Fila, and artists in residents — young designers who created genderless clothing. The store also served as a community space where fashion shows, panel discussions, poetry readings and comedy nights frequently took place.
“We remain deeply grounded in our mission to lift the voices of our community through gender-affirming product lines, advocacy and education. Challenging the binary ethos, our product encourages folks to embrace self-expression. It is truly a collection where authenticity and individuality is celebrated. We continue to lead with purpose and humanity, amplifying voices long silenced and giving visibility to those long overlooked,” said Smith.
