At this point, it’s common knowledge, if you want masc men looking at their most femme, then you go to Exterface Studio. The French duo always cook up some of the best spreads (often literally) and two years after starting Loverboy, we’re still gagging for the chance to work with them. But they’re busy boys. Like their new underwear line with Stiaan Louw for example, EXSL. We talked to them to find out more.

You’ve always been about photography. What inspired you to get into the world of clothing?
Clothing is a strong aspect of our Exterface body of work as an extension of our aesthetic and as a way to tell our stories. We are our own stylists. Creating a world of fantasies we felt it was interesting and exciting to bring it into reality. That’s why this partnership with our designer friend Stiaan Louw was an evidence. Since our very first collaboration 5 years ago, he has been giving us what we’ve always been needing, and more, in terms of expression and design. With EXSL it’s a continuation of this wonderful thing, we are telling stories between design and photography, complimenting each other and making it available for everyone.

Which designers/previous collections inspired you to move in this direction?
Obviously what Stiaan Louw was producing with us and others. Having this special bound the three of us, creatively and personally, we would say that he inspired that move, and that we inspired that move as well, organically.

What type of guy is your collection aimed at?
A guy who is playful, irreverent and has a taste for fashion. With EXSL we are blurring kink and fashion, dragging runway to smut and bringing club into bedroom. Most of all our goal is to make tasteful clothing that inspire men to be liberated and sexy in their everyday life, embracing all body types and gender identities.

In the last few years there’s been a boost in the market for men’s underwear, particularly the more creative pieces. What makes your line different?
We would first say the level of quality and the level of taste. All of our pieces are handmade in Cape Town, South Africa. We feel like it’s bigger and wider than just intimate clothing. It’s a new lifestyle for men. Stiaan Louw having a strong menswear background, we are not limited in terms of styles, it’s not only underwear or swimwear you know. The possibilities are endless. He’s the designer, we are the photographers, but the inspiration goes back and forth, always pushing and exploring together.

What direction do you see the line heading in?
We definitely want to keep creating forward-thinking design. We have adjustable pieces in our line, that fit most body types. We are currently developing assembles you could build yourself. We want to encourage people to have fun with our styles and combine them the way they feel, just being their true-self.

Who do you have modelling you collection?
Since the official launch we got to work with Andrew (@acmorrill), Dan (@strongjaws), Fabian (@fabiandomenech), James (@jamesalejandrom), Josselin (@jgrvl), Daniel (@d.carter), they all picked our interest because of their distinctive looks and stories. Some of the pieces are actually inspired by them. So our models have a strong impact on what we do and are all part of the inspirational process and visual language of the brand. If some of your readers want to be a part of our journey, please reach out at want@ex-sl.com or on Instagram (@exterface, @stiaanlouw).

You can purchase Exterface x Stiaan Louw’s Underwear range at www.ex-sl.com while stocks last.