Andrew Christian Reveals the Real Reason He’s Closing his Underwear Brand

After more than 25 years, Andrew shocked the homoseggshuh industry by announcing he would be discontinuing his underwear empire.

Now that the glittered dust and the gay gasps have died down, Christian is revealing the real reason why he's closing down his iconic underwear line.

Here's what he told Queerty:

The truth is, the fashion landscape has changed dramatically. There’s been a clear shift in consumer behavior, with many people — especially younger generations — buying from fast fashion platforms like Shein and Temu, where you can get underwear for $3.

These platforms are heavily subsidized by the Chinese government as part of a broader strategy to dominate global markets — the same approach they’ve used successfully in industries like steel. When you’re competing against $3 underwear that’s being sold at a loss as part of a government economic strategy, the math becomes pretty clear.

Before making the decision to close, I actually reached out to all the major apparel companies, offering them the opportunity to acquire Andrew Christian. Unfortunately, none showed interest. Along with the dumping of Chinese fast fashion into our market, the political climate seems to have made it unpopular for large companies to invest in gay brands. There’s a reluctance to associate with LGBTQ+ focused businesses that simply wasn’t there a few years ago.

If the LGBTQ+ community doesn’t support other gay brands, gay bars, and similar businesses, there will be no gay businesses left. We’re at a critical moment where our own community needs to make conscious choices about where we spend our money, or we’ll lose the very spaces and brands that have supported us for decades.

While I do agree with him about the fashion landscape changing dramatically, where people would rather spend $3 on the same design that they could get for better quality at $20, most people (who aren't white) take issue with Andrew's brand because they feel it only suits a certain body type.

Let's also not forget Andrew has come under fire in the past for his lack of diversity and body types regarding his brand marketing. To be fair he did try to diversify his portflio back in 2023 when he launched a underwear line called 'THICK,' but was criticized for the lack of darker-skinned models in the ad.

So while I agree with his views on Shein and Temu, if clothes (among other amenities) weren't so unaffordable I'm sure people would spend more on name brand items.

You can read his full interview here.