All About That Lace: Inside Perry Wayne's Michigan-Based Underwear Empire

How this Detroiter is redefining the emotional power of underwear

Published: December 6, 2024 | Last Updated: December 6, 2024

Detroit’s own Perry Wayne is bringing a shimmer of boldness to the season — and your wardrobe. As the visionary behind Wayne Underwear, Wayne's mission shines bright: to help everyone feel unapologetically sexy and confident, long after the last gift has been unwrapped.

One look at Wayne Underwear’s website could tell you this — the photos are playful, unapologetically risque and leave nothing (or maybe everything) to the imagination. Oiled-up models flood the site. You might even forget what you came there to find. Ahem, it’s underwear — not a boyfriend.

Whether it’s a jockstrap, thong, crop top, swimwear or activewear, Wayne says his clothing is meant to make people feel bold, like his prints, colors and, yes, the marketing.

“Sex sells, right? So some shoots are hyper-sexual, but we just have fun, put on some music, and Jason [Bush] does the directing,” Wayne tells Pride Source about working with his friend and photographer, who runs Preppyman Photography. But Bush gives credit to Wayne; he says he just makes the designs and visions come to life.

“Perry has really honed in on what makes the brand stand out and created a unique space in the market,” Bush notes.

“Plus, it’s undies, ya know?” Wayne says.

It is, at least, until it’s much more than that: Perry Wayne wants his underwear brand to be a household name like Calvin Klein and Victoria’s Secret. By his 40s, he hopes to be the largest male lace retailer in the world.

“And if we move to the goddamn moon, I’d sell panties up there, too,” Wayne says.

Perry4 — Perry Wayne (center) poses with models showcasing his fashion designs. Photo: Jason Bush Photography

It’s a goal that isn’t out of reach. At 30, Wayne is already on his way. Wayne Underwear is shipped and sold in 48 countries, and he says he is “humbled, proud and motivated” that his dreams are becoming a reality.

“I hoped and dreamed of 100 sales, and here we are,” he says.

Wayne didn’t originally plan to be a fashion designer, though. He grew up doing musical theater in high school and planned to be a performing arts major at The Art Institute of Michigan in Novi. Through his time being around all the costumes, he grew more interested in the design element than the performance itself, so he switched gears to fashion. For about five years, he designed and created womenswear lines and couture under the name Perry Wayne Couture. And while he says it wasn’t all great, he hasn’t looked back.

“My first collection was awful,” he says, laughing. But people liked it.

Wayne got into designing undergarments after noticing that the lace pieces he had purchased from other companies didn’t fit his body right or make him feel great. He noticed a need for men’s underwear that was sexy, while not “cheaping out” on the quality. While at a photo shoot for his couture line with Bush about six years ago, he started planning his next move.

“He blurted out [during the shoot], ‘I want to start an underwear line.’ I turned to him without hesitation and said, ‘Do it!’” says Bush. He says he went back to shooting, thinking little of the comment.

“After a few moments, he showed me a random sketch he had done of an underwear design, and the rest is history,” says Bush.

Perry2 — Perry Wayne recently launched his new all-lace line. Photo: Jason Bush / Preppyman Photography

Wayne’s bold vision — and biggest gamble — was to develop the lace that became the foundation of it all. He knew from his own experience that there was a desire for sexy men’s underwear that could bring confidence, while also not breaking the bank. Or just breaking, period.

“In a lot of lace garments, the fabric either does not stretch at all so it’s uncomfortable, or it’s falling apart when you put it on because there’s too much stretch,” he says. When he set out to create lace garments, Wayne knew he wasn’t going to sacrifice one for the other.

Wayne also knew it was a gamble to create men’s lace underwear in the first place. He says he sees more retailers carrying it now than in 2019 when Wayne Underwear was founded, but at the time, he didn’t know if his risk was going to pay off to support his dream.

In late 2019, Wayne quit his job at Nordstrom, took out his 401K and put the money toward what has become an ever-growing business. Recently, he launched an all-lace line that includes items such as the Espresso Lace Set and the Champagne Dream Lace Set.

“I bought 500 units [of lace], so a small quantity, to see if or what would sell,” Wayne recalls, looking back at 2019. “I woke up the next day after releasing the collection and Wayne went viral.”

For Wayne, though, it wasn’t a quick rise. Throughout his career, he used checks from shifts at Macy’s, PacSun and DoorDash to put toward photoshoots or new collections. When he took out his 401K, Wayne says his bank account was “literally at zero.”

“Maybe it was risky, but it takes someone truly incredible to take that leap and then follow through to make it a success,” says Kendall Smith, one of Wayne’s closer friends who met him while modeling for one of his collections nearly 10 years ago.

“His drive to build something truly monolithic has propelled Wayne Underwear to where it is now.”

Perry3 — Models showing off their Perry Wayne underwear. Photo: Jason Bush / Preppyman Photography

Underwear is a necessity, but not something everyone can afford to buy or replace. Wayne, a lifelong Detroiter, knows how hard his city rides for him and supports him, so he does what he can to give back to the place that has molded him. He regularly hosts parties to celebrate new collections, bring the community together and give away underwear to those who need it.

“And I'll get text messages or emails from customers or people who attend the parties who say, ‘This is the most confident I've ever felt.’ And that's the reason why I do all of this,” he says.

Those around Wayne say that while his success is impressive, his ability to give back and uplift others is more impactful than any sale or collection.

“He’s not just building a brand, but helping build a legacy in Detroit,” says Smith. “It’s been great to see so many in Detroit embrace him, especially within the LGBTQ+ community. People in Detroit are proud to have him represent our city, and that pride is felt in the way they rally around his brand.”

Wayne says the backing from local businesses, like Soho, Pronto! and “a bunch of others” has motivated him throughout his journey, and why he doesn’t think he could ever move.

“You're going to have some haters, girl, but I say if you can make it in Detroit, then you can make it anywhere,” says Wayne.

Wayne Underwear can be found online, at C&J Hammer Hard Accessories in Ferndale and at Intimate Ideas throughout Michigan.