With the goal to provide affirming products to those in need in mind, even if that means offering those products sometimes for free, Origami Customs is a trans-owned, size-inclusive and gender-inclusive swimwear and undergarment brand that offers free custom sizing. A small group of queer and trans people in Montreal also make their clothing by hand. We spoke with founder and CEO Rae Hill to learn more.
What is your business called and what does it do?
Origami Customs is a trans-owned line of swimwear and undergarments that feature free custom sizing to support folks of all bodies and genders. Our unique gender and body-affirming gear is handmade in Montreal by a small team of queer and trans people. Our mission is to get affirming products to anyone who needs them, even when it means giving them away for free.
What made you want to do this work?
I have been making and selling custom swimwear since 2010 while living abroad in Honduras and Costa Rica. When I moved back to Canada in 2014, I realized that my specialized talents for custom designing swimwear and lingerie were specifically suited to the gender-affirming garments that were so needed in my Trans and Gender Diverse (TGD) community.
The response when I started offering gaffs and binders was so overwhelming, that I knew I had found a much-needed gap in the market! I was the only one making custom-sized gaffs at the time, and knowing that I could make affirming garments for so many people who were getting sized out of the current market offerings was so fulfilling for me.
What problem did you want to solve with the business?
Especially in recent years, when we’ve faced so much backlash and a downturn in sales due to the financial struggles that our community as a whole is facing, creating programs to get gender-affirming gear to those who need it has been our main priority.
For seven years of our 15 years, we’ve run a community outreach program alongside our online store. I’ve personally connected with over 50 organizations that work with gender diverse populations, to create a network that provides our gender-affirming garments to those who lack access. It’s a project that I’m extremely proud of, and now more than ever, something that is needed so badly.
We work with these organizations to offer products (mainly gaffs and binders) to their communities, free of cost. We’ve sent over five thousand products to folks in over 45 countries worldwide!
I’ve also been using my expertise to create free educational resources and offer training for companies and organizations wanting to learn more about how they can support gender-expansive folks. I speak at hospitals and universities, from big businesses to grassroots NGOs. I work with them on topics such as: how to hire and support TDG staff, implementing healthcare supports specifically for TDG folks, the specifics of gender-affirming care garments, or how they can use authentic, supportive diversity in their marketing. As an expert in non-medical gender transition options, I love to help other companies and organizations represent and support their gender-diverse communities with integrity and care.
Who are your clientele/demographics?
Most of our clientele are TGD individuals- and most of them who find our website are located in the US. We also retail at over 50 stores across the world. To get even more specific, we mostly sell to trans women and other femme GNC folks, as gaffs make up the largest percentage of our sales, by far.
How does your business make money? How does it work?
The goal has never been to make money—it’s more important to see our staff make above a living wage, have safe access to gender-affirming healthcare, and see our community program spread to more folks who can access safe binding and tucking garments for free. If we make money on top of that, it’s really a bonus at this point.
Where in the city can we find your profession?
All of our items are made in an atelier in the plateau, and we sell online via origamicustoms.com and through our retailers.
What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.
The question I would like to hear the most is “Who benefits from this purchase?”
And the answer is – our community!
Local production is at the heart of the company, and of course, our ethos. As I mentioned, it was a non-negotiable from the beginning that we would never produce in a factory overseas, as that was fundamentally misaligned with our vision of supporting our community. Using underpaid labour, usually by women of colour, would never be a viable ethical solution for creating our products.
When we create in-house, it offers us a chance to hire queer and TGD folks from our community- people who have often faced barriers to traditional workplaces because of their gender presentation. We can offer sought-after positions with full healthcare benefits, including gender-affirming procedures. It gives people a chance to advance their high-level tailoring skillset since we are custom tailoring each piece for our customers. This sets our employees up for higher-level positions in the future. We always want to start at home when committing to gender affirmation and bettering the lives of gender-diverse folks. Wouldn’t it be hypocritical to create items using labour that directly opposed these ethics?
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
As I mentioned earlier, this year we’ve faced significant hurdles due to the restriction of “sensitive” words related to TGD people on Google and our other marketing platforms. We’ve seen a drastic drop in traffic. We are currently banned from advertising on Meta and Google due to TGD people being considered a sensitive identity group under new “identity groups” rules.
This shift towards blacklisting “sensitive content” reflects the growing politicization of TGD bodies, and how accessing gender-affirming care has become such a divisive topic (especially in the USA). Such a simple thing like trying to buy underwear has turned into a political statement requiring “safeguarding”, which only blocks the people trying to access care from finding what they need. This drastic drop in traffic almost caused us to fold our business last fall.
The best part, however, is the feedback I get from folks, especially parents of TGD youth. It’s consistently, the most validating feedback that I receive. It’s incredibly heartwarming to hear the way they talk about how these products help their kids feel affirmed and have access to spaces that they had previously been nervous about. We’ve had parents talk about how their kids now feel comfortable going to sleepaway camp because of their binder or gaff, or now can take swimming lessons or go to the lake with their friends. Kids who wanted to take gymnastics classes can now do so wearing their gaff under their leotard. These are the stories that make me feel like we’re doing so much good. It’s at that age when feeling good in your body makes the most difference in how you see yourself. It affects your mental health so much more when you’re young and experiencing dysphoria. If we can help youth and teens feel more at ease in their bodies and their gender exploration, I know that those kids are going to have such an easier time when they grow up into gender-expansive adults.
What is your favourite joke about your own profession?
We joke that we all wear all the hats in the studio- everyone knows how to do a little bit of each role. Anyone who works in a small production studio knows what this is like! So much so that we made fancy hats with tassels and glitter each time we took on a new role 🙂
Where can we follow you?
You can see our website and follow us on social media @origamicustoms.
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?
I’ve worked with her many times- I can’t get enough of my Lord Violet jewelry. She’s truly an icon!
