Under The Radar: Tanner Fletcher
Tanner Fletcher says “I do” to gender fluidity in fashion.
Behind the brand is Tanner Richie and Fletcher Kassell, an inseparable duo who are partners in life, business, and creativity, breaking down the traditional masculine and feminine constructs of clothing one bow-emblazoned top at a time. The couple offers everything from “ball gowns for boys” to “suiting for women,” deconstructing fashion’s norms and ensuring that their diverse customers feel represented.
Richie and Kassell lovingly characterize their clientele as “authentic,” “individual” and “a little kooky.” Their brand caters to a wide range of people, from queer millennials and members of Gen Z to the sumptuous ladies and gentlemen of NYC’s Upper East Side. But background is effectively irrelevant: Tanner Fletcher’s goal is, simply, to serve as “a tool to help people be themselves.”
Dressed up in frills, bows, and lace, a playful exploration of tangible affection informs Tanner Fletcher’s oeuvre, epitomized by subtly suggestive designs like a trinket box engraved with the word “poppers” and, in the big picture, Richie and Kassell’s own relationship.
Appropriately, Tanner Fletcher recently transformed its regard for romance into a full line of wedding wear, offering formal jackets, silk dresses, ruffled shirts, and frilly slacks for couples of all identities.
With the bridal industry still reliant on stagnating codes, like the black suit and white dress, Tanner Fletcher represents a desire for more authentic expressions.
The timing is right. Tanner Fletcher outfitted Bad Bunny in its Bow Blazer for his Time cover story, and at their new Manhattan studio, Richie and Kassell dressed multiple celebrities for the 2024 Met Gala, including Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, actor Jeremy Pope, and the cast of Broadway’s The Wiz.
The last time I ran into Richie and Kassell, we were all at Vogue’s New York offices, anxiously waiting to learn the winner of the 2023 CFDA Fashion Fund (Tanner Fletcher was a finalist). I recently made a long overdue trip to their new space, located on the top floor of an inconspicuous building tucked away in Chelsea, to check out what they’ve been working on.
WESLEY BREED: Tanner Fletcher takes a very genderless approach to fashion. How has this shaped your brand?
TANNER RICHIE: People are really embracing it, and I think they’re feeling quite seen by what we're doing. There's been a lot of really positive feedback from members of the queer community, especially those who feel as if they have nowhere to go when shopping for clothes. It’s rewarding to see how people are coming to us to be their most authentic selves.
FLETCHER KASSELL: A lot of people ask us if our genderless approach has negatively affected the brand, but it hasn’t. We've gotten a few holdups when it comes to retailers, but I think it’s because they tend to organize between mens and womens only. They’re stuck in their old ways.
WB: You two now have a whole separate product line for weddings – how does marriage come into play for Tanner Fletcher?
TR: When we started the brand, we had people coming to us for weddings, but not telling us. We’d see pictures of them getting married on Instagram or find out through the grapevine that they were buying our clothes for a wedding, someone else’s or their own. Especially since the brand is quite romantic, light, and airy, it just made sense.
FK: The wedding industry right now is overrun by plain white dresses, and there isn’t much focus on the grooms – it’s very traditional and outdated. I think people really appreciate not only being able to step outside of the comfort zone, but also outside of the box that everybody thinks they should fit into. We’re here to help them be themselves on their big day.
WB: Your brand finally went physical with the opening of this studio. What kind of impact is it having?
FK: It's already changed the business so much. Just to have clients in this space has been so valuable, especially for the wedding collection. It can be a photo studio, a store, a salon, a meeting place, an office – it’s literally everything.
TR: Along with clothing, we sell vintage home goods on our website, so we opened up one weekend and hosted a mini flea market here. It was really great to meet the community and see who the Tanner Fletcher customer is in real life.
WB: How hectic was the Met Gala process?
TR: We found out three weeks before that it was happening. We manufactured five looks in a matter of weeks and did all the fittings at the very last minute. We had everybody in here getting ready the day of, which was really fun. Having that pressure was exhilarating.
WB: Where do you see the brand in five to ten years? Are there any goals you are currently working towards?
TR: We're actively working towards practically everything right now. We're in such a growth- and future-oriented phase. We definitely want to have a retail store one day. That's really important to us, especially after opening up this studio and interacting with the community.
FK: We see the future of the brand as a department store, so our categories are always growing. We're always leaning into our wide customer range instead of honing in on a subcategory – we’re working on catering to every little pocket that we have. This was our future goal a long time ago, and now we’re here.
