Indianapolis designer
creating a buzz in the fashion industry with man-dukes
By Blaine Kubiac, THG
Fashion
Indianapolis designer Sage O’Toole has
never been one to conform to the mainstream when putting together a collection.
This year’s additions to his summer clothing line were no exception.
O’Toole wowed critics Saturday at the
conclusion of Fashion Week Chicago with his latest line of skimpy men’s shorts,
which he has dubbed “man-dukes”. O’Toole derived the term from “Daisy Dukes”,
the nickname given to women’s short-shorts made popular in the early 1980s by
Catherine Bach, who played the Duke Boy’s cousin Daisy on the hit television
show “The Dukes of Hazzard.”
When asked about what inspired him to
move away from the trend toward longer, baggier shorts that are so popular with
today’s male consumer, O’Toole explained he was motivated by a very unorthodox
source.
“I went to a recent family reunion,
and many of the men were watching a show about a basketball game in the 1970s or
80s. Generally I abhor sports of any kind, but something caught my eye as I was
passing through the living room on the way to the kitchen: large, graceful men
running and jumping around, wearing the tightest little hot pants as part of
their uniform. These men looked so delectable that I decided to create such a
short using modern materials for my new line.”
Composed primarily of spandex and/or
latex, man-dukes hug the body like a second skin. This gives the wearer a full
range of motion while showing the world what he has to offer. This is
important, says O’Toole, because “If you got it, flaunt it. Tight shirts have
been the rage for a while now, why not tight pants? This is just the next
logical step. Trust me, when you walk into a club, you want to stand out from
all of the other guys, and you will when wearing man-dukes with a classic tee or
tank.”
While some critics are skeptical about
his new designs, O’Toole believes the public will eventually embrace his
man-dukes. “At first, many people will be self-conscious about wearing pants
that are so small. It will take people a while to realize that it doesn’t
matter how they look as much as how they feel—and in man-dukes they will feel
sexy and liberated.”
Look for O’Toole’s man-dukes in your
local Wal-Mart and K-Marts beginning in July.
