Lisa Honan is the Co-Founder and Director of Gender Free World, an apparel brand launched in 2015 with a mission to dismantle the boundaries defined by traditional gender norms. At the heart of Gender Free World is the commitment to inclusivity, offering a diverse range of gender-neutral styles that cater to every body. When you visit the brand, you’re going to find a variety of products including t-shirts, button-ups, hoodies, boxers, and more, all emphasizing Gender Free World’s dedication to providing a wide range of gender-neutral options.

During the interview, Lisa talks about the origin story behind Gender Free World, how Lisa and her business partner developed an inclusive sizing system, and her long-term vision for the brand. Lisa also shared advice for future LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs and how she infuses fun into the creative process when working on a new product. 

Let’s jump right in!

What inspired Gender Free World and how did you get started?

The inspiration for Gender Free World stemmed from my personal frustration with the limited selection of shirts which I liked in the 'womenswear' department. I found men’s shirts more appealing in terms of patterns and aesthetic but they did not fit my body. When I was younger (and slimmer) I could get away with buying boys shirts but this was not possible any more. My business partner and I began our research journey in the 'menswear' department, where we quickly noticed the sizing limitations of shirts tailored for male bodies. Crossing the aisle to the 'womenswear' depeartment, we were met with an abundance of pastel colors, pink items, frills, and ruching, which made my heart sink.

From there, we decided to create a more inclusive sizing system because the traditional one is specific to either menswear or womenswear. We started by asking ourselves what the biological implications in sizing were. Some people have breasts, some people have larger bottoms, some people have both, some people have neither. Then we documented the most common variations and we came up with different body shapes named Charlie, Alex, Billie and then the following year Drew. We chose the names based on their neutrality and each one has 7 to 10 sizes. We placed a lot of emphasis on measurements and probably have the most comprehensive sizing page of any retailer! We hope that when someone has found their size shape combination that we will become their ‘go-to’ place to shop.

What does your creative process look like when working on a new product?

Allowing fun into the process is a great starting point for creativity. With the shirts, we moved from buying fabric to making our own prints (digitally printed in Spain). We work with an amazing textile designer who makes our ideas a reality. It’s so much fun and a lot of it is based on what we would like to see. For example, unicorns! Of course, there should be unicorns on a shirt. Merfolk? Yes, please!

We’re also working on a couple of new products; swimwear and shorts. We have a Facebook group where our customers can get involved with the process. They let us know what features they want to see or what’s missing from traditional womenswear apparel. For example, with shorts it’s deep pockets and longer leg lengths. Our goal is to make products that fill a gap in the market and that we know customers will appreciate.

What is one challenge you have faced as the Co-Founder of Gender Free World and how did you navigate it? 

I was in pre-Zoom/Skype telecommunications for 23 years prior to founding Gender Free World and when we started I didn’t have a background in fashion. So finding a manufacturer took some research and still remains a challenge. I recommend, if you have the means, finding a broker to do the initial legwork. The challenge is that we are not your standard eight sizes. Our unique selling point is having four shapes, seven to ten sizes per shape. That’s thirty-two variants. A lot of manufacturers don't want to touch that or, in our experience, make mistakes when they do.

The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic was also particularly stressful initially. The UK government mandated the closing of all non-essential shops for a few weeks. However, after a while people adjusted to the new normal and with fewer opportunities to spend money on entertainment some had more disposable income to spend online. We decided to concentrate on our core products of shirts and boxer shorts which proved to be a good decision at the time. However, now we’re ready to expand our offerings again and it’s an exciting position to be in.

What is your long-term vision for Gender Free World?

Our long-term vision is to offer a larger variety of gender-free clothing (pajamas, shorts, active wear, etc.), giving our customers more choices to get their style needs met with options that aren’t offered by traditional retailers. We want folks to see our products and not see the binary of feminine or masculine. The aesthetic will sit somewhere between and hopefully appeal to many people and their style choices. We also see possibilities for gender-free items like toys and books.

Our existence is a challenge to the fashion world. Gender-neutral clothing is more than offering an uninspired range of hoodies and jogging bottoms. We are the innovators, and sooner or later, the rest of the fashion world will follow.

If you could give one piece of advice to future LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, what would it be?

“Believe in your product but also spend time validating your idea.”

I have made the mistake of developing a product without doing any research and later discovered there wasn't a market for it. However, with Gender Free World, I saw discussions in the community and conversations between my friends about a gap in the market. So I knew there was a demand for gender-neutral clothing. 

What LGBTQ+ owned brands are your go-to's and why?

Both& Apparel: I love their clothing range specifically aimed at the transmasculine and non-binary community. It has real attention to detail, and like Gender Free World, Both& wants their customers to feel good in clothing that fits their bodies as well as delivering a particular aesthetic.

Diva Destinations: This one is a lesbian travel agency that does group trips to amazing destinations, including Skala Erressos in Lesbos (birthplace of Sappho).

Can you tell us about one of your core values and how you’ve incorporated it into Gender Free World? 

We have five main values that we try to incorporate into every business decision that we make along with our communication and messaging:

1. Freedom: To be free of gender expectations. All genders can wear what they like regardless of what society thinks they 'should' wear.

2. Equality: Love who you like regardless of their biology or gender.

3. Gender Diversity: Celebrating gender and body diversity in the spirit of free expression.

4. Quality: Made to last and with attention to detail.

5. Fair: No sweatshop conditions or child labour.

An example of these values being put into action is that we make sure to visit the factories to check working conditions. We have always been able to do that in the UK and when researching a factory in India we were able to tour it virtually. I was also able to speak to a couple of people who work there to learn more about the working conditions. We also found out this factory uses solar panels, which was cool. 

Other examples of our values in action include brand messaging and models. Our blog and social media are all about equality, representation, and showcasing different voices. All of our models are customers, friends, or people that we've met which makes it really diverse.

How do you take care of yourself, especially during this moment in history (a record number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills being passed and increased violence against our community)?

Running has been a great way to clear my mind. I can get into quite a meditative state. It also helps me to know that I am doing my bit for our community in meeting a need. We are a visible LGBTQ+ brand whose clothing can be enjoyed by anyone (regardless of their sexuality) who loves a fun shirt.

“The world is depressing at the moment so we need to take care of ourselves in order to take care of others.”

Who is your favorite LGBTQ+ celebrity and why? 

Jill Scott recently retired from professional football (soccer) and was captain of the England team. She also went on to win a celebrity reality show. Such a great role model for girls who want to compete in the sport.

Can you share one fun fact about yourself?

I was crewing on a small 24ft boat in a race from Darwin, Australia, to Indonesia in 1994. We were alone in the Pacific Ocean when a whale surfaced beside the boat. One flick of its tail and the boat would have capsized, and myself and the 3 other crew would have died. Luckily, it submerged and then rose further away. It was an amazing sight and a moment I will never forget.

Visit Gender Free World’s profile on Famm here. Visit Gender Free World here.