The Panty Christ

He's only 30 years old, but casual-wear designer Andrew Christian is doing a whirlwind tour of Texas like a rockstar politician. On Friday, he's in Houston. On Saturday, he'll be in Dallas (with three gayborhood events). And on Sunday, he's in Austin.

Although his grandmother is from Mercedes, Texas, the Fresno, Calif., native says this weekend will be his first time in the Lone Star State, where nine retailers carry his line of contemporary, sporty swimwear, undies, T-shirts and accessories. And Christian recently started a women's line, too.

His story is a "from rags to britches" one. At 19, Christian moved to Los Angeles. He attended a design school and worked very hard at keeping costs down to make his company grow. One thing that set his line apart from a multitude of other underpants manufacturers was Christian's Flashback Butt Lifting Technology innovation - an invisible support feature that helps give the appearance of a bubble butt.

His ads are also rather eye-catching. A recent savvy marketing strategy involved hiring Janice Dickinson's modeling agency to shoot a new campaign. Last season, Christian got heaps of on-air time when Dickinson's reality drama unfolded during his shoot (when some of Janice's models worked through nudity issues and getting their butts shaved.).

Dallas Voice recently caught up with the Pimp of Panties.

Dallas Voice: You're rather attractive. But there are no pictures of you posing in your own underwear?
Andrew Christian: Never. I have to be presentable.

DV: Are you an eligible bachelor?
AC: Yes.

DV: Are dudes dropping their drawers just to get to you?
AC: Yeah. It's crazy. People will be like, "Oh my god, I'm wearing your underwear." And they'll pull down their pants just to show me.

DV: That must be a cool position for a single guy?
AC: I can't complain. However, the most fun is when people tell me their personal stories - like how their friend stole their favorite pair of underwear or T-shirt, and how they want to get another to replace it. But this year, I didn't have a Valentine.

DV: If someone wanted to get into your panties, what's best route?
AC: Well, it does help if they're wearing my underwear. But what turns me off is when people are too pushy, too much of a fanatic about my line.

DV: Your price point of underwear can be $30 a pop.
AC:Yeah, well, there's a lot of work that goes into the underwear - like printing and embroideries. All of our garments are manufactured in the U.S. And we're one of the few companies making underwear in the U.S.

DV: Your demographic seems very much aimed at 20 year olds. When you were in your 20s, how much did you spend on underwear?
AC: You're right. But back in that time, there really weren't too many fashion underwear choices. It was your basic whitey-tighties. Or Calvin Kleins, which were about $15 a pop.

DV: Speaking of age, when do you think one is too old for gay underoos?
AC: That's a tricky one. It's knowing what's age appropriate and what isn't. There are older people who can pull it off and those who can't. Maybe erring on the conservative side is best. We're introducing these knit boxer-briefs. They're a little bit longer with buttons down the front and horizontal stripes. They can appeal to a younger customer, but they're definitely more age appropriate for an older gentleman.

DV: Do you do thongs?
AC: We played around with it, but it didn't seem like it was going to fly.

DV: Ever worn a thong?
AC: One time - I wearing white pants, and I didn't want panty lines.

DV: What thought goes through your mind when you open your underwear drawer in the morning and are trying to decide what to wear?
AC: I try to match my underwear to my outfit. So if I'm wearing something sporty, I pull out some lifeguard underwear. If I'm flying somewhere, I usually wear my bamboo fiber underwear because they're really soft and comfortable.

DV: On what occasion do you go commando?
AC: I can't. Can you imagine Andrew Christian without underwear? I always have to flash my waistband.

DV: When should one throw away a pair of underwear?
AC: When they have holes in them or when they start bagging.

DV: How do you remove stains from your drawers?
AC:I don't really have problems with stains in my underwear.

DV: You've never stained a pair of underwear?
AC: (Laughs) No - not in a really, really long time.

SATURDAY'S FUNDERWEAR BLITZ
On April 12
Andrew Christian

Union Jack: 3 p.m.-5 p.m.
Sip champagne, meet Christian and see models in Christian fashions.
3920 Cedar Springs Rd. 214-528-9600.

JR's Bar and Grill: 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Fashion runway show featuring Andrew Christian underwear and swimwear. 3923 Cedar Springs Rd.

Rush: 10:30 p.m. Andrew Christian fashion show directed by Whitney Paige.
3903 Lemmon Ave.

At Sue Ellen's, Andrew Christian features his women's line.
3903 Cedar Springs.
214-559-0707.