Phluid: Creating a more inclusive World

Rob Smith grew up as a young boy who was a little feminine, pretty artistic, and very sensitive. But he happened to be all of those things in a very masculine household. So he did what an endless number of other gay children do: he decided to suppress that side of his personality and manifested an entirely different version of himself; one that would fit squarely into the norms and expectations of society. Rob grew up to became a football player and star on the varsity squad in high school, and the president of his fraternity in College. Why? Because it was easier to be the cool kid than the isolated kid.

Fast-forward 30 years: Rob had built a massively successful career in retail, working in leadership positions for big brands such as Macy’s and Victoria’s Secret. Then he went to his first Burning Man festival – and came back a changed man. “I had never before experienced such openness, tolerance and sense of inclusion. People were free – and I felt that was what all of society was meant to be” Smith remembers. He took a sabbatical, travelled through South America and South-East Asia – and went on a journey of self-discovery.

A journey that should lead him right to the idea of ‘The Phluid Project’: the first retail brand that would not stick to the binary definition of gender, but rather allow people to explore the fluid space in between, and feel comfortable with it.

Today, Rob is on a mission to build a brand that exists to empower individuals to be and express themselves openly, without judgement or fear. And in a strange way he has come full circle and found a way to give back to his younger self – by contributing to a culture and society that thrives on equality and acceptance.

I sat down with Rob to talk about the current success of the brand and its plans for future growth. Read the full interview here!