The Wing, a New York City-based women’s-only social club and co-working space, is capitalizing on the growing appeal of stylish branded merchandise with the launch of its second collection, released on Thursday.
Geared toward women “interested in both doing and wearing whatever the fuck they want,” the assortment of tees and accessories bears feminist slogans like “Command respect” and “Boys beware.” The collection, which ranges from $12-$40, is available for purchase at the members-only club, as well as online for any outside admirers.
An image from The Wing’s latest merchandise lookbook
Most of the products were created in collaboration with an all-female design team at Pentagram, led by Emily Oberman, who the Wing team worked with in creating their original branding. For the pins and patches — one assortment, dubbed “the Queen Set,” features the likenesses of female heroes including Rei Kawakubo, Remy Ma and Andrea Dworkin — they worked with the Toronto-based designer Inner Decay. “[What] these women have in common is their toughness and grit,” said Gelman, of the lineup. “If I was president, I would want to give each of these women a cabinet-level position.”
All of the profits from the Dworkin pin will go to the anti-sexual assault organization RAINN. The Wing previously designed pins with Marilyn Minter, the proceeds of which went to Planned Parenthood.
The Wing x Inner Decay’s “Queen Set” pins
The lookbook continues this celebration of a more diverse femininity, featuring Wing members across a wide range of ages (24-78), races and professions (from a classical pianist to a community organizer). The images, shot by fashion photographer Katie McCurdy, could easily be mistaken for those of a hip clothing brand. “We co-create a lot of what goes on at The Wing with our members,” said Audrey Gelman, who co-founded the company with her friend Lauren Kassen. “It felt silly to hire professional models when we had access to so many interesting and beautiful women in the space every day.”
Selling merch was not part of the original plan when they launched in the fall of 2016, she said. But when fans outside of New York started inquiring about where they could buy the welcome gifts that members were sharing on social, the idea was sparked. The Wing launched the store in December as an experiment, Gelman said. “We were surprised that we sold out of so much, so quickly. So we decided to keep doing it!”
An image from The Wing’s latest merchandise lookbook
That revelation is one many non-fashion entities seem to be having of late, including the media company and lyric-hosting platform Genius — which launched its first branded collection last week — and artists like Justin Bieber and Travis Scott, who have collaborated with designers like Virgil Abloh and Fear of God on merchandise sold outside the usual concert venues (and coveted by more than just super-fans).
But, alongside the aesthetic appeal, these endeavors can allow those who are short on funds a chance to be part of these exclusive clubs. The Wing’s annual membership costs $2,250, after all, while Bieber tickets sell for an average of $104 and often go for over $1,500.
An image from The Wing’s latest merchandise lookbook
With this in mind, Gelman and her team now intend to roll out a new collection every quarter. And, with 700 current members and three more locations slated to open in the next two years — in Soho, Brooklyn, and Washington, D.C. — the breadth of the merchandise is likely to grow.
