Bentley Wederski is igniting societal transformation by using his personal tragedy as gasoline. When Wederski was growing up in Wyoming, he was constantly bullied because he dressed in vivid colours.
After a decade, the 24-year-old fashion designer founded Utilitarian, a gender-neutral clothing line with the goal of laying the groundwork for a more fair route for all genders. The first line is scheduled to go on sale in mid-October.
The brand’s price point is described as “accessible luxury,” which means a pair of boots cost anywhere from $380 to $580. The fall 2021 launch will take place online, but Wederski hopes to open a pop-up shop and eventually a brick-and-mortar store. He attributes much of his success thus far to consultants, mentors and incubation programs. Founder of Utilitarian, Adam Wederski, grew up in Wilson, Wyoming and studied fashion business management at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Before Utilitarian he worked at fashion brands The Row and Anthropologie, which inspired some of the concepts used in his designs.
A study found 56% of Gen Z respondents know someone personally who uses gender neutral pronouns and 56% already shop for clothing outside of their gender. California could soon force large department stores to display some child products in gender-neutral ways after its state legislature passed a bill earlier this month. The bill would get rid of traditional pink and blue marketing schemes for items like toys and toothbrushes. Wederski hopes Utilitarian will become one of the largest gender neutral apparel brands in the market. He’d like to spotlight minorities in Wyoming through his business, particularly those in the LGBTQ+ community.
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