The hottest new item by fashion designer Andrew Christian isn’t a pair of latex underwear — it’s a three pound, reflective silver coffee table book. Now, the provocateur-turned-author is stopping by Seattle and Portland to promote “Sex=Power=Freedom” and dance the night away.
Described as his “passion project”, “Sex=Power=Freedom” tows the line of scandalous on each one of the 200 black and white glossed pages. The book consists of images that showcase the Andrew Christian models explicitly engaged with one another. The book is sexy, but topical: Christian’s commentary on today’s political climate.
“A person’s openness to their sexuality directly relates to their emotional freedom,” says Christian, who knew the importance of the book following the outcome of the November election, “furthermore, society’s acceptance of the LGBT community constitutes our political freedom.”
Freedom is a key point to the book. It features imagery and phrases that unblushingly push for LGBT equality around the world. “Sex=Power=Freedom” is an in-your-face defender of gay rights and gay sex.
“My artistic vision for the book was to show all facets of sexuality without any judgement or morality,” says Christian, “I don’t consider anything to go too far.” The controversy in “Sex=Power=Freedom” goes past the soft-core pornographic imagery. It discusses religion, addiction, immigration, and of course, Donald Trump.
Perhaps the quote on the first page of “Sex=Power=Freedom” describes it best: “This book is about sex. Sex is power, it’s emotion, it’s creation, it’s personal expression, and most of all it’s political freedom.”
The book includes one of Christian’s models, Arad Winwin, an Iranian immigrant who escaped his home country for freedom in America.
“People are unaware what it is like for those who have to live in countries where people are denied every type of freedom,” says Arad, “this book lets me tell my story and bring awareness to the struggle of those who have been imprisoned, tortured, or killed simply because they were LGBT.”
Through the United Nations refugee program, Arad immigrated to America where he quickly become one of Andrew Christian’s most popular models.
“If Trump’s extreme vetting had been in place during the last eight years, Arad would surely be dead today,” says Christian, “I want ‘Sex=Power=Freedom’ to raise awareness for the plight of those who live in hostile, oppressive countries and to help make Americans understand that people from the Middle East are just like us. They want to live in peace and freedom, and many good people like Arad look to the United States for assistance.”
Now, Arad and Christian are traveling in style. On Thursday, March 30th Christian will be hosting a book signing in Seattle at the underU4Men store in Capitol Hill. The signing will take place from 5:30-7PM and will be followed by an after party at R Place starting at 9PM. RSVP HERE
The following day, Friday March 31st, the two will be signing books at underU4Men in Portland on SW Washington Street from 7:30-9PM. You can see them again at the after party at Stag PDX at 9PM. RSVP HERE
The events are free to attend and are open to the public. “Sex=Power=Freedom” is on sale at underU4men stores in both Seattle and Portland. Silver and limited edition gold copies of the book will be available throughout the weekend.
