In a press release today —

SUITED, THE STORY OF A BROOKLYN TAILORING COMPANY

MAKING CUSTOM SUITS FOR GENDER NON-CONFORMING AND

TRANSGENDER CLIENTS, DEBUTS JUNE 20 ON HBO

 

            It can be hard to feel comfortable in your own skin if you identify as transgender or gender non-conforming. The Brooklyn tailoring company Bindle & Keep helps by creating custom suits for a diverse LGBTQ community, looking beyond the gender binary. “It’s all about just feeling great in your body, especially when people have been struggling their entire lives,” explains founder Daniel Friedman.

From producers Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner (HBO’s “Girls”), SUIcTED tells the story of clothier duo Rae Tutera and Daniel Friedman, who take a holistic approach to their work, considering each client’s personal narrative as they strive to create the perfect suit. Revealing the private emotional experience that those who struggle with gender identity go through when it comes to fashion, this illuminating documentary debuts MONDAY, JUNE 20 (9:00-10:20 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

Other HBO playdates: June 23 (9:45 a.m., 4:00 p.m.), 26 (12:45 p.m.), 27 (2:45 p.m.) and 28 (12:45 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: June 22 (8:00 p.m.) and 30 (midnight) and July 3 (7:35 a.m.), 7 (2:15 a.m.) and 12 (5:15 p.m.)

The documentary will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO and HBO On Demand.

Rae Tutera, who had a custom suit made at age 25, recalls, “I got something imperfect from it, but it made such an impact on me. I just never felt so good about myself before.” The experience inspired Tutera to contact Bindle & Keep founder Daniel Friedman, who had started his company intending to cater to Wall Street clientele. Tutera encouraged Friedman to help others in the LGBTQ community feel the same sense of empowerment by creating custom suits. Now, Bindle & Keep outfits hundreds of clients with a range of gender identities.

A modern look at gender through the conduit of clothing, SUITED spotlights a variety of clients.

            Derek, a registered nurse in Providence, RI, is a transgender man who transitioned from female to male about a decade ago. The film follows Derek as Bindle & Keep makes a suit for his upcoming wedding, he visits his rural Pennsylvania hometown with his fiancée, and he has his remaining female reproductive organs surgically removed.

 

Everett, a transman and cellist currently attending law school in Atlanta, Ga., needs suits for upcoming job interviews. His gender identity proves to be a hurdle when trying to secure a legal internship in the south. Everett approaches Bindle & Keep looking to buy a few custom suits.

 

Mel is a gender non-conforming cab driver, urban planning graduate student and writer in Brooklyn. As Bindle & Keep makes a custom suit for her 40th birthday party, she discusses her belief that gender exists as a spectrum rather than a binary.

 

Grace is a writer and activist from New York City. She comes to Bindle & Keep for a winter suit to “run around in” and wear to professional engagements and events. Grace identifies as gender non-conforming, i.e., she does not feel that either “male” or “female” is an accurate description of who she is and the ways that changes. Grace primarily uses the pronoun “she” but is also comfortable with “they.”

 

Aidan is a transgender teenage boy whose Bar Mitzvah is approaching. His grandmother contacts Bindle & Keep after the family is unable to find a suit that fits his needs in their hometown of Tucson, Ariz.

 

At a Bindle & Keep fashion show, trans and gender-fluid models walk the runway to huge applause, exuding self-confidence. “Everyone has a right to feel good and feel themselves,” Tutera notes. “You have the right to be handsome.”

SUITED is directed by Jason Benjamin; produced by Lena Dunham, Jenni Konner, Ericka Naegle, Stacey Reiss, Carly Hugo and Jason Benjamin. For HBO: senior producer, Sara Bernstein; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.

Source © 2016 Home Box Office. All Rights Reserved.