Key Takeaways
- Tusq is redefining an industry that has overlooked bigger men and builds gear that’s actually engineered for their frame, not adapted from “regular sizes.”
- Luke rebuilt the category through straight-up problem-solving, turning his lived experiences into designs that hold form and earn trust.
- Every piece is built to support clean movement and sharp structure, pairing firm support with a comfortable, premium finish.
- Tusq puts men’s shapewear in the light, treating confidence as something you own, not something you hide.
- The brand is carving a wider lane for men to stand taller, move cleaner, and back themselves without apology.
The men’s shapewear category has ignored plus-size men for decades. Bigger bodies were treated as an afterthought. Brands simply scaled up “standard” designs and called it inclusive without engineering for how larger frames actually move, stabilise, or carry weight.
Luke Hanvey saw what the market refused to see: plus-size men weren’t being designed for. They were being resized into gear that was never built for them in the first place. The result was a category full of products that failed on fit, function, and comfort.
Tusq exists to fix that.
Luke approached the problem like a builder and problem solver, not a bystander. He recognized a commercial gap and rebuilt the category from the ground up, creating shapewear engineered specifically for plus-size men, not repurposed from “regular sizes.”
Tusq elevates the shapewear category with intentional design, premium materials, and a performance-based approach that finally gives bigger men gear that supports them, moves with them, and brings sharp, confident structure from underneath.
From Auckland courts to Australian shores
Born on August 6, 1980, in Auckland, New Zealand, Luke didn’t come from privilege or shortcuts. He grew up in a working-class, single-parent household where money was tight, and independence came early.
“I didn’t have much of a support system, so I learned fast that if I wanted something, I had to go after it myself,” he shares. For Luke, sports and basketball in particular became his discipline, his safe place, and his foundation for resilience.
Inspired by Michael Jordan’s drive and LeBron James’ rise from struggle to greatness, Luke shaped his own philosophy: where you start doesn’t define where you finish. That mindset pushed him from New Zealand’s courts to Australia at 26, ready for whatever came next, even if the “next” hit harder than expected.
When the body fails, the mind steps up.
Luke knows what it means to push through. Sports built his confidence, but it also left its mark: 13 surgeries, ruptured discs in his back, and a body that had taken more hits than most. By his early 30s, his body was battered. He had moved into carpentry to pay the bills, but the physical toll made it clear he couldn’t swing a hammer forever.
“I knew I had to reinvent myself. There was no way my back could handle the grind,” Luke says. The problem was that he didn’t have a roadmap. He didn’t even know how to use a computer. But when your world backs you into a corner, you don’t fold. You find another way forward.
So he bought his first computer, taught himself the basics, and dove headfirst into e-commerce. “Every single step was a challenge. Learning to source products, market online, handle logistics, manage cashflow, it was all foreign to me. But quitting was never an option.”
Building from rock bottom
There were moments when the dream almost collapsed. A few years in, an emergency back surgery left him unable to work. His carpentry income vanished overnight, and the e-commerce venture he’d been grinding on wasn’t ready to pay him back yet. He burned through his savings, borrowed just to pay rent, and reinvested every cent into the business.
“I didn’t understand the importance of supplier relationships and cash flow at first. It was stressful, but those lessons became part of the DNA of everything I’ve built since,” he explains.
That first business would eventually dominate its niche on Amazon. It taught Luke invaluable lessons in product design, logistics, and consumer psychology. Those hard-earned lessons became the foundation for Tusq.
Redefining shapewear for all men
Tusq is the result of every lesson Luke fought for. This isn’t shapewear as the industry knows it. Where most brands focus on function and stop there, Tusq blends engineered support with an elevated aesthetic. It’s confidence built from the inside out.
“We’re here to take the stigma out of men’s shapewear. It’s not about hiding; it’s about backing yourself and showing up sharp,” Luke says.
The brand’s ethos is rooted in empowerment and authenticity. We design for plus-size men first, solving the fit, movement, and comfort problems that the industry ignored for decades. Then, we wrap that engineering in a premium, fashion-forward finish that holds its own anywhere.
“We want Tusq to sit alongside premium fashion labels in department stores. Men deserve products that feel good, look good, and elevate their confidence.”
Taking shapewear out of the shadows
Men’s shapewear has long been treated as something to keep hidden, a quiet secret for those too embarrassed to talk about body image. But Luke is changing that.
“With Tusq, we’re making shapewear cool. We want men to be proud of backing themselves. This isn’t about shame. It’s about swagger.”
And the shift is already showing. Tusq might be a young label, but it’s built on a proven track record. Luke has taken what he learned from building a category leader online and refined it into something elevated: high-quality materials, clean lines, and a premium finish.
Now, he is steering Tusq toward department store shelves and broader retail spaces, widening the space for men to see themselves differently. More importantly, he’s sparking long overdue conversations about men’s body image.
The hustle and the growth
The polished brand you see today sits on top of years of grind. Nothing about Luke’s path was instant. It was late nights teaching himself code, hustling on the computer while recovering from surgery, and pouring every spare dollar back into the work while everyone else clocked off for the weekend.
“The hustle forced me to grow. Every mistake became a lesson. Every setback gave me resilience,” Luke shares. That same resilience is what he wants men to feel when they pull on Tusq gear, a quiet reminder that confidence starts within.
Beyond compression: A lifestyle movement
For Luke, Tusq is about more than clothing. It’s about shifting how men see themselves. Luke is building a space where body confidence isn’t a joke or a secret but something men can own without hesitation. The team is investing heavily in creators and campaigns designed to make these conversations normal. “We want to make it aspirational, not taboo,” he says.
Future drops will push beyond shapewear into fashion-led pieces shaped for real men and real bodies. The vision is simple: Tusq becomes the name men associate with empowerment, style, and modern masculinity done right.
Standing tall with Tusq
Today, Luke is proud, not just of the brand he’s built, but of the movement he’s helping ignite. More than men’s shapewear, Tusq is a redefinition of confidence for men everywhere, especially those who’ve been overlooked for too long.
“Real confidence starts underneath,” Luke says. And with Tusq, he’s proving that when men feel supported from the inside out, they stand taller, look sharper, and rewrite the game.
