In 1976, Gene Burkard, an ex-GI and once-closeted Midwesterner, created and sold the “Jock Sock” out of his tiny San Diego shop. That little item led to the jaw-dropping fashions – leopard print loin cloths, spandex bikinis, puffy shirts, rayon kimonos, balloon-legged pirate pants – that defined the 80s “Me Decade” and continued for years to come. The glossy International Male catalog, purveyor of a million wet dreams thanks to its beefcake models wedged in (and out) of its outrageous clothes, permanently changed men’s fashion and the public’s perception of masculinity and sexuality. Burkhard, former staff members (including a bevy of the hunk models), along with Carson Kressley, Drew Droege, Simon Doonan, and Jake Shears warmly and hilariously recall the halcyon days of this once-upon-a-time fashion phenomenon. A deep dive into the never before seen archives accompanies this sexy, nostalgic window into the past.

This screening of All Man: The International Male Story is co-presented by the Gerber/Hart Library and Archives.