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Stanley Burton Australia just turned 2 on the first of July 2023!
Stanley Burton is the answer to the lack of Asian representation across the LGBTQI and mainstream underwear marketplace. During our brainstorming session at the end of 2020, we wanted to take on the underwear marketplace with a difference including making an impact with the society. Between the both of us, we highlighted our strongest skill sets and over 20 years in the ecommerce industry, then the venture of passion, fetish, expertise and drive was born.
Daiki wears Marcuse Active. Buy Now
To date, Stanley Burton is the most influential small underwear retailer in the LGBTQI community in Australia with many customers and followers praising the business with the diverse use of people that they can relate to, as well as meaningful and informative conversation.
Up until 2021, you would mostly see 20s white men with abs in underwear ads, at times people of colour would appear for 2 minutes and then you never see them again. If you know a little bit about digital marketing, companies can find out if a certain type of model brings home the most bacon with the number of clicks. I have worked at underwear businesses where the management gave the green light on ‘People of Colour’ to appear in selective ads. Marginalised community is not clowns in a circus, they don't need approval by a white person in Australia.
Usak wears Alexx Underwear harness. Buy Now
At Stanley Burton, we don’t operate with absurd guidelines, one of the reasons why we can get any guys to appear in our ads. Everyone is welcomed to appear in our social and ads and our online store is open to all.
PAVING THE WAY WITH GOOD INTENTIONS
StanleyBurton.com is a content powerhouse, sky's the limit and we have over 20 years of commercial photography experience, specialise in men fashion and portraits, along with diverse skills in social research, creation and digital producing and management. We have ideas, talents, knowledge that is impactful. We are more than just showing pretty photos.
Businesses are no longer influential unless they are operated by business owners with world views and global ideas to make an impact. Being the only gay Asians owned and operated underwear retailer in Australia, we have the sole responsibility of claiming the “Asian Space” to lead the Asian community and allies. We also advocate for other ethnic groups, body types, age groups and gender types which often lack representation in the underwear space. The business allows us to contribute to the community with our knowledge and awareness:
You can follow us on our side venture with awareness by subscribing to our newsletter http://www.stanleyburton.com
Click on the image below to view our 'Real People' series, we discuss issues that matter to the Australian LGBTQI Community.
AUTHENTIC REPRESENTATION AND VISIBILITY
As founders we don’t hide behind the computer screens. In order to advocate for visibility, we also like to make ourselves visible. Writing on social media and blogs is easy but being present and available takes another level of confidence and proudness. As owners we contribute to many conversations in the LGBTQI community on social media groups and forums and we make no apologies for our strong statements in response to the under-representation and often misrepresentation of Asians in the underwear industry over the past 2 decades.
Representation and visibility is not about having diverse models splashed across the web, Instagram posts, hiring people to pose in product photos or even an advertisement. This is the easiest task and any business can put out a casting:
“Models needed - must be Asian, Indian, Curvy, Disabled, Non Binary, any size, any shape, any body - diversity photo shoot’ It’s easy, takes 2 minutes, without much brainstorming or research but it ain’t smart. People jump to it because anyone can be sold with a free pair of underwear.
It does not mean anything when the guy yanking the chain is a white guy pushing Excel spreadsheets who happened to eat Chinese food and visit Bali every summer. How can you talk about diversity when you have not experienced life as a minority? The white men are in no position to talk about cultural diversity as much as we are not in the position to talk about Indigenous Australia and rightfully it is not our place to tell that story.
I have also come across underwear marketing briefs that request for a certain type of models - specific colour, region, continent, race. So unless you are white, mid 20s with 6 packs you can forget it.
Few big international labels have been criticised online and brands have been canceled. So why do people continue to be guilty of this trend? It is a much bigger conversation but not having the right people with decision making power is a huge factor. Hiring the right people with diverse backgrounds and life experiences can benefit a business by initiating the right conversations which can contribute to the business decisions such as marketing and buying. When you have not lived an experience that makes up who you are, you need to sit back and learn!
Rest assured that at Stanley Burton we are made up of two mindful individuals with higher education and surrounded by a great network of people from different cultures, body types and gender diversity. Everything we know also contributes to what we do at Stanley Burton. Without a doubt, we are the first (and second to none) underwear online retailer in Australia that empowers authentic diversity and inclusion.
Personal Journey from Founders of Stanley Burton
It seems like a good time to give ourselves a plug on our second year. We have achieved a lot at Stanley Burton - many dialogues have started and conversations across various platforms as well as individuals’ journey in our daily lives across different community groups. We also communicate to the brand owners our core value and encourage consumers in the LGBTQI community to start supporting businesses that support their journey as a human being.
Click on the images to read some of our previous articles and interviews with the people behind the brands that we stock at StanleyBurton.com
Skull & Bones - Bite of the Big Apple
SvenNordin Co. Ideal Underwear Brand for Now and Beyond
Browse our SvenNordin Co. Only at Stanleyburton.com
Lure - Can We Discuss the Lack of Diversity in the Australian LGBTQI Underwear Marketplace
Buy Lure from Stanleyburton.com to support our cause for body positivity
Our contribution towards the community reach far and wide:
Burton Yuen is an educator in the makeup artistry and cosmetic industry and previously worked in brand management. Being an educator is not an easy task and some of us can do it better than others but when you educate - your words matter and they contribute to the society and the learning outcomes of the students. The legacy lives on.
I (Ed Chiu) am a photographer who has shot a lot of people over the two decades, and has a good following on social media and conventional outlets. Also I have worked in some of the largest ecommerce stores in Australia in creative management since 2004.
Last May I took up fencing and am on the road to participate in Gay Games in Hong Kong (GGHK) in 2023 - the world's only inclusive game. I proactively signed up to be an Australian Champion volunteer for GGHK to advocate for visibility.. Which also aligns with our core value at Stanley Burton.
As a champion I am privileged to have access to a valuable network of resources which also gives me the tool and knowledge to empower others to participate in the Gay Games, connect with like minds and teach others about the importance of diversity and inclusion in sports and other aspects of life across the community. Having the knowledge and awareness means I get to engage with a diverse group of people on business platforms such as Linkedin and mentorship programs.
Some things that I have learn over the past 10 months when I reached out to a diverse group of people from disability, mental illness that we are stronger together.
Everything we do as individuals contributes to our efforts at StanleyBurton.com and this is what being authentic, inclusive, being present and visible is all about.
