OUT 100
Nasty Pig's Founders David Lauterstein and Frederick Kearney were honored this year in Out Magazine's yearly list of the 100 most influential queer people. Read the full story here, and the excerpt on Nasty Pig below.
“At its heart, Nasty Pig is a love story,” says CEO David Lauterstein. The hugely successful fashion brand was founded 30 years ago by two men who fell in love at a $1 margarita night in NYC’s Chelsea neighborhood, with a mission to create unapologetically queer clothing.
Lauterstein and his partner, Fred Kearney, started out selling leather gear and other sportswear, then expanded into selling jockstraps, underwear, swimsuits, and more. They credit late French fashion icon Thierry Mugler as both a mentor and customer. This summer, Nasty Pig was honored by the Ali Forney Center for 10 years of fundraising to help feed, house, and educate homeless queer youth.And it’s only the beginning for Nasty Pig.
Lauterstein has written his first book, Sodomy Gods, which tells the story of how he and Kearney met, fell in love, and started Nasty Pig together. “As a gay man who lost so many of my ancestors to AIDS, I never had the opportunity to hear their stories and learn from their experiences,” Lauterstein says. “This book makes good on a promise I made to myself to do for young queer people what my queer ancestors couldn’t do for me.”