World-renowned menswear company INHERENT was born out of the realization that dressing well and men’s mental health are intertwined. Created to help men up their game in their personal and professional lives, INHERENT proves that dressing for success means much more than you think.
Colorado-based INHERENT is making waves as a men’s luxury clothing brand with heart. Literally and figuratively. Taylor Draper, the company’s illustrious CEO, designer and founder, first realized his passion for fashion during one of the darkest times in his life. But like most creative people who manage to dig deep and turn a negative into a positive outlet, Draper’s entrepreneurial spirit coupled with his background in art and graphic design is what ultimately led him down a path of philanthropy and fashion. The goal: To start a luxury fashion brand that supports men’s mental health awareness.
As the story goes, Draper and his wife were trying to pull themselves out of a rut at the time and seeing a therapist regularly. Their marriage was in trouble, so as you can imagine, Draper wasn’t doing well mentally and looking for answers. Until one day he realized that something he did every day before work was actually helping his mental game—getting dressed in an outfit or suit that he felt good in. A light bulb went off.
The idea of launching a men’s luxury clothing brand percolated for a while, but underneath it all this soon-to-be popular menswear designer and fashion philanthropist knew there was a connection between dressing to look and feel good and improving one’s headspace. As a result, he started studying more about menswear and its rich history, all the while growing as a person and improving his mental health through therapy and support from other men.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, Draper decided to evolve his theory into something more tangible—with the hope of creating a company from the ground up that focused on fashion and men’s mental health. Helping other men find similar solutions was top of mind.
Today, Draper reminisces about how this men’s luxury clothing brand emerged through a lot of pivoting and rebranding and creating relationships with some of the best fabric mills in the world. And, suffice to say, he’s extremely proud of what INHERENT has become. After all, it’s now touted by various fashion houses and prominent stylists worldwide as the luxury fashion brand for every man with an even larger purpose.
Together, along with the exuberant fashion community, Draper and his team continue to push the boundaries to help men on a much deeper level. In a nutshell, INHERENT is advancing men’s mental health through distinct lifestyle products that are high quality and heartfelt. Here’s a little more from my exclusive interview with the man behind the mission…
Q&A WITH THE CEO/DESIGNER:
ICONIC LIFE (IL) : Tell our readers about your mens luxury clothing brand.
Taylor Draper (TD): INHERENT exists to equip, empower, and enable men to be their true authentic selves. We exist to give men confidence in what they wear so they may take that confidence and grow as people. Look good, feel good, do good. Our purpose is to provide a safe space and normalize men speaking openly about their feelings with other men in their community. Show men what positive self-care and speaking openly about one’s feelings can do for their mental health, and redefine what it means to “be a man” and shake off the “man-up” stigma we have in today’s society.
IL: Why is men’s mental health awareness important?
TD: Men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women. It is directly related to the societal norms that are pushed on men—that they have to be stoic providers that push their feelings down and are strong for everyone else.
Self-care, positive mental health, and speaking openly about their feelings is something that still isn’t widely accepted in the male community, but we’re making great progress.
IL: How has INHERENT impacted the fashion industry with its unique approach to men’s mental health?
TD: I think INHERENT has the opportunity to reach men where they’re at in their lives. Our relational business model is set-up to not only educate men on how clothes should fit or what colors and patterns compliment a client’s complexion, but we also just really care about our clients. We care about their lives.
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IL: How does your custom fitting experience further the men’s mental health process?
TD: Our custom fitting experience allows us to spend an hour or two with someone and really get to know them, and help build the style that truly represents their authentic selves. All while encouraging them to join our positive men’s mental health community via the Foundation by INHERENT. It’s widely accepted in the fashion community that men’s mental health is absolutely needed—and doing so through clothing that makes men feel confident is a win-win.
IL: What’s new in menswear and on the mental health front?
TD: Starting to elevate one’s wardrobe is on the horizon. Mixing streetwear and tailoring for an upscale put together look is going to be more common. Ivy style is making a return which is why we featured a few ivy style looks on the runway for NYFW. For men’s mental health, I believe the corporate landscape is going to be changing this year. We’ll see more companies take self-care and mental health more seriously, which is a huge step in the right direction.
IL: How did you get into the fashion business?
TD: Over the last ten years, I have developed a love for men’s tailoring. The construction of the garments, the masterful stitching, the textiles, it was a huge hobby of mine.
I’ve been a designer of art, graphic design, web design, and more for as long as I can remember. When I knew I wanted to create a menswear company my design eye and knowledge was easily transferable.
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IL: What makes you proud about your menswear company?
TD: I was able to turn a passion into a career. I think that’s a dream that a lot of people have for their own lives. I was lucky enough to be surrounded by the right people—and I took my two passions for men’s mental health and menswear and created a beautiful brand from it. It’s what I know and love.
*Foundation by INHERENT exists to shake the stigma of men’s mental health through events and by providing resources to support men in their journey to mental wellness. A percentage of every single sale through INHERENT, whether it’s online or in-store, goes directly to the Foundation. To learn more, visit https://thisisinherent.com
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