(Photo by Caitlin Mitchell, courtesy of Bindle & Keep)
The process of fitting all manner of female-assigned bodies for androgynous, gender-neutral suits is equal parts bespoke tailoring and caring, body-positive therapist. Daniel Friedman, founder of Bindle & Keep, has developed a technique that perfectly straddles the line, garnering him an esteemed reputation among LGBTQ clients (who now make up 90 percent of his business) and a starring role in the Lena Dunham-produced documentary, Suited, a film about his Brooklyn custom clothier.
Suited, which was inspired by Grace Dunham, the filmmaker’s genderqueer sibling, catches Friedman and his partner, Rae Tutera, in action. The feature-length film premiered at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and will be broadcast on HBO beginning June 2016. (Watch a clip of the film here.)
“When people put on suits, everyone has very different triggers regarding their bodies and how clothes should fit on their body,” Friedman told GayWeddings.com. “A lot of that has to do with gender socializing and gender identity, or just having your body out in the world and wearing clothes for 30-odd years and feeling like you don’t fit in.
