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There鈥檚 nothing like wearing something a little bit cheeky, and there’s nothing like finding clothes that actually fit your body properly. A jockstrap designed with enough room for bears, or not too much room designed for trans masc wearers. Fashion that feels like it was actually made by people who understand queer life, instead of just slapping a rainbow on a logo every June and calling it a day.

That鈥檚 the world CEO and designer Daniel Beniston is building 鈥� one loudly queer and proudly Australian-made garment at a time.

Launched just over a year ago, Kris Bee Bacon has quickly carved out a niche for itself with tongue-in-cheek statement tees, colourful partywear and an expanding fashion universe designed specifically with 17c起草社区IA+ communities in mind. But underneath the queer humour, pop culture references and flirtatious slogans is something much more serious: a deep commitment to local manufacturing and genuine community consultation.

Beniston says the idea for the brand came after noticing a glaring gap in Australia鈥檚 fashion landscape.

鈥淚 saw there was a need in the marketplace in particular for Australian-made product,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou hear all the time that people should buy Australian made, but if nobody is actually doing it properly, then where鈥檚 the opportunity?鈥�

Before launching Kris Bee Bacon, Beniston worked extensively in Olympic licensing and merchandise production, including projects tied to the Sydney Olympics and Rio 2016.

That career background shaped the meticulous approach he now brings to queer fashion 鈥� from hologram authenticity labels to the clothing’s quality and longevity, to plastic-free packaging.

From the moment people see the Kris Bee Bacon gondola in a store, or click on the website, or pick up a shirt, Daniel says the KBB team 鈥渨ant our brand to be elevated.”

KRISBEES: Kris Bee Bacon is growing and evolving

The brand鈥檚 expansion has been rapid.

There’s the main Kris Bee Bacon label, which Beniston describes as 鈥渁 queer pop-up fashion house鈥� full of 鈥渂old designs鈥� and 鈥渋cebreaker moments鈥�. Fun graphic tees range from pop culture and proudly nerdy references 鈥� for example, the recent May the 4th special spotlighted the brand’s numerous Star Wars-related tees 鈥� to some incredible sexual puns and illustrations, to references and in-jokes only the queers would get, and much more. (My personal favourite: a tee that simply reads ‘POPPERS ARE FOR EVERYONE’. Take my money!)

Underneath KBB sits Dominus, a leather and erotic-inspired sub-brand exploring themes of 鈥減ower, control and self-expression鈥�.

Now, another new chapter is arriving: KRISBEES, the brand鈥檚 upcoming swimwear line 鈥� and聽it鈥檚 ambitious.

Rather than focusing solely on gay men鈥檚 swimwear, Beniston says the goal has been to create something genuinely inclusive across genders, body types and identities.

鈥淚t鈥檚 more than just being a gay guy making gay swimwear for men,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e making swimwear for everyone.鈥�

The new collection 鈥� which is launching in less than a week 鈥� includes swimwear, kimonos and caftans made locally in Australia, with production taking place in Sydney using local pattern makers and designers.

One standout upcoming release includes a collaboration with a First Nations queer artist whose artwork, titled Bubbles of Love, will appear across the new collection.

鈥淪he鈥檒l receive a percentage of every product sold as well,鈥� Beniston says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about representation. It鈥檚 about consultation.鈥�

 

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Kris Bee Bacon develops products by listening to community needs

That consultation has become a major part of how Kris Bee Bacon develops products, and Beniston says community feedback directly inspires his designs.

鈥淭he lesbian groups that were visiting our store at Fair Day [were] going, 鈥榃here鈥檚 the shirt that says dyke on it?鈥欌�� he laughs. 鈥淎nd we were like 鈥� you鈥檙e right, we鈥檒l do one.鈥�

The upcoming collections will also include adaptive ideas inspired by conversations with trans customers and plus-sized community members who have struggled to find products that fit properly elsewhere.

Beniston tells 17c起草社区 that bears would tell him they ‘couldn’t get a jockstrap bigger than an XL’ 鈥� so they tested out sizes.

鈥淲e even tried some on people and thought, ‘holy shit, you鈥檙e right 鈥� we have to change that.’鈥�

For Beniston, that鈥檚 ultimately what Kris Bee Bacon is about: creating fashion that doesn鈥檛 just market to queer people, but actively listens to them.

鈥淚t鈥檚 about having fun,鈥� he says. But he says it’s also about being part of something bigger: 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 work within our community and speak for our community, there won鈥檛 be a community.鈥�

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