Key Takeaways
- Luke Hanvey built Tusq after recognizing that plus-size men were being ignored by the fashion industry, especially in shapewear.
- He realized there were no products engineered for bigger bodies that actually supported them properly.
- Instead of trying to fit plus-size men into shrink-and-stretch versions of smaller garments, he rebuilt men's shapewear from the ground up, catering to bigger men's issues.
- Tusq's designs stabilize, smooth, and reinforce the torso so larger men can move with more comfort, structure, and confidence.
- Today, the brand brings much-needed representation and dignity to bigger men by offering gear designed specifically for them, not adapted from "regular sizes."
Luke Hanvey, the New Zealand-born, Australia-based founder behind Tusq, created the brand because he saw that millions of men in this space were being neglected, and nobody was building solutions for them.
Luke noticed a huge gap: plus-size men were being offered the same designs as everyone else, just in larger measurements, with zero understanding of how different bodies actually move, stabilize, and carry weight.
Instead of accepting that, he took action.
Luke spent years learning the ropes, not through the lens of fashion, but through the lens of helping larger men feel more confident, more supported, and more comfortable in their own skin.
Tusq was built to give bigger men something they were never given: gear designed specifically for their build, with not just a functional feel but also with a fashion element.
Years of fit failures sparked the mission.
Luke grew up in a working-class, single-parent home in Auckland, and he learned independence early. Feeling alone, he tied his self-worth to performance, and sports became the space where he felt steady and strong.
At an imposing 6'6”, he had presence on the field. But off it, he learned the struggles of finding clothes that fit.
He wanted clothing that respected his build, not ones that made him feel like the issue.
Life hit him hard long before Tusq existed. Years of rugby and heavy carpentry work left him with ruptured discs in his back and 13 surgeries. Some mornings, his partner had to help him out of bed, and he knew he could not stay in that line of work for the long haul.
So, he stepped toward something new. He bought his first computer, taught himself e-commerce, and learned the game piece by piece.
He started in the pain-management space, studying braces and binders. That work exposed a huge gap: plus-size men had almost no thoughtful options.
Products were uncomfortable or unflattering, and many were never designed with bigger bodies in mind. Women already had decades of choice, from seamless to sculpting, nude to neon, pieces built to disappear under clothing or double as activewear. Men, meanwhile, were left with medical-looking gear or rigid compression that overheated, pinched, and never considered real proportions.
Luke took this personally. He read angry reviews and pulled apart samples. He paid attention to what men were begging brands to fix.
He approached the category like a builder would: find the weakness, reinforce the structure, and make it solid.
Luke's first men's shapewear line became a major success, and that win pushed him to think bigger. He wanted gear that handled performance and style, helping men walk into any room dialed in, not nervous.
He built toward that vision with whatever he had.
Recovery days did not slow him down, and he hustled on his computer while healing from surgery. When cash ran tight, he borrowed rent money so he could keep investing in inventory. Every step forward came from grit, sacrifice, and a belief that the men he was building for deserved better.
His ambition became Tusq.
A movement built on presence and self-ownership
Tusq gives big men a place where their size is treated as strength, not something to downplay.
The motivation behind this shapewear brand is simple. Men are often told to just endure their body-image struggles, even though it's an issue most men deal with. Luke sees no reason for anyone to handle that in silence when real solutions can exist.
He leads with the idea that larger frames deserve gear, imagery, and language that see them fully. That shows up in the cuts, the models, the tone, and the design choices that were made with intention instead of compromise.
Tusq is built to keep your base steady. The fabric stays anchored when you sit, shift, or reach, so shirts stay put throughout the day. The smoothing zones quiet the lines under clothing, helping fitted shirts sit clean without drawing attention to the wrong spots.
The seamless construction, soft handfeel, and high-recovery knit give you structure without the squeeze, helping you move with confidence instead of constantly adjusting.
And all the usual friction points? Tusq does away with them.
There are no extra seams, stiff panels, or complicated closures. Each piece is designed to pull on fast and sit right without twisting or pinching. The fit hugs where you want support and relaxes where you need flexibility, keeping everything balanced and natural from the first hour to the last.
When you see bodies like yours represented without apology, it hits on a deeper level because you feel included in the picture, not squeezed in after the fact.
And as more men find Tusq, you can feel the shift.
You hear men talk differently about their bodies once they have gear that works with them instead of against them. Their posture shifts, and there is a steadiness that comes from base layers that support their build rather than their insecurities.
That steadiness shows up not only in how they stand but also in how they think and feel, reducing the shame and self-doubt that sit at the edges of men's mental health.
Plus, when big men get gear and language that backs them, the entire crew lifts with them.
Tusq exists because Luke knew bigger men deserved better than compromise, confusion, or silence around fit. His path proves that confidence grows when the gear you wear finally works with your body instead of against it. Today, Tusq stands as a space where big men are seen, backed, and given the tools to move through the world with steadiness.
Learn more about Luke Hanvey and his story here.
