Darren Barnett talks Victoria’s Secret, men’s underwear and the future – WWD

Darren Barnett is wearing pink.

In fact, the “I Never Got It” star and brand ambassador says he’s a big fan of Pink’s gender-neutrality.

“Honestly, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the line,” Barnett told WWD over the phone. “They’re really things I wear all the time; They are very comparable to what I wear in my own style and my own collection. I wear it around the house. I wore it, literally, in a [red] He has taken carpets and photographs before. I just did a photo shoot in a magazine. I traveled with him; I wear it on the plane.

Now that trip includes a trip to the Dominican Republic, where the star is filming his latest movie, after which he’ll fly to his next film location. “And it could be another show,” Barnet explained. “I’m too busy right now.”

Last spring, however, he found time to become Pink’s brand ambassador — the underwear and loungewear brand’s first male ambassador — when it launched a new gender-neutral collection.

As part of his partnership, Barnett served as a judge on this year’s selection committee for the fourth annual Rose with a Purpose Project. Brand ambassadors model Remi Bader and R&B duo Chloe x Halle. THe The initiative will award $25,000 in gifts 10 young people aged 18 to 28, to help fund local projects and causes. The latest group of winners, which the brand will reveal Tuesday, were all women. But Rose representatives said The scholarship is open to both men and women.

“The Rose with a Purpose project was a very fulfilling experience for me,” Barnett said. “Seeing the genuine smiles and joy on the girls’ faces when they win this grant, to encourage the project they’ve got, you know, to go with all the pink inclusion and community guidelines was really rewarding for me.”

So is empowering women, something Pink’s parents, Victoria’s Secret, and the actress say is important to them. As for the former, Victoria’s Secret has struggled to rebrand itself as a “women’s advocate” over the past few years amid declining sales, the #MeToo movement and more inclusive products and marketing materials for consumers. Victoria’s Secret responded by adding plus sizes; Transgender and disabled models To the line-up, he ditched the perfect angels and his annual fashion show and went gender neutral. A brand called Happy Nation And VS created a collection, among other things.

So far, the responses have been mixed. While the organization It met Wall Street’s expectations last quarter. Some consumers aren’t buying the huge change in underwear.

Most recently, TikTok creator Jax’s song “Victoria’s Secret” sparked a viral response. Pink CEO Amy Hack apologized to users on Instagram.

“We don’t make excuses for the past,” Hawke wrote on stage. “And we are determined to earn your trust back. Our change is a journey, and we’re working hard to advocate for all women every day.

Barnett, for his part, says his passion for women’s empowerment stems from growing up around strong women, including his mother, two sisters and his grandmother.

“I didn’t grow up where I didn’t see women in power; To me, women have always been a very powerful force,” he said. “[But] The older I get and the more I enter the workforce, the more I see how skewed any business can be. [Still] I have always known the power that women carry within themselves, the most powerful women raised. I think the world is definitely changing now. So I like the shift. I pray he continues to evolve and I think Rose has a strong leg up in that fight.

The actor added that the Victoria’s Secret change is “a positive change in the right direction.” And I think the hype is there and I’m excited to see more to come.

While Barnett says he was “not very educated on the brand” when Rose was first introduced to him (“I thought it was a girl’s line,” he says), his attitude has since changed.

“When Pink came to me, the first thing I said was, ‘What does this mean?’ I said,” he explained. “But then I saw that they were doing a gender-neutral line. He opened my eyes [the brand] Much more. So I’m not saying I wasn’t a fan. [before the partnership]. I know it’s a very popular and you know very widespread brand. But, yes, it opened up a whole new world in my eyes of what rose is when it comes to me.

“It’s interesting that clothes are clothes and what you’re told to wear is definitely a construct of your environment and what you grow up in, and you know, I think you just wear what you’re comfortable with and don’t judge it or judge it. Others at that,” Barnett continued. “I am a very good minded person.”

This includes Recent development in men Underwear category. “I’ll have to see it before,” said the actor, before he can decide whether he can wear it. “But if I see something and it looks good, you know, and I think it’s good, then yes,” Barnet said.

He is also open to future fashion collaborations, if the fit is right.

“It’s getting my toes wet,” Barnett said. “And I think it’s really fun to do that with Rose because it’s such a simple and fluid and wonderful process. So, yes, the answer is yes. If it’s something organic to me; Definitely if it’s something I can get behind. ”