I’ve designed costumes for Beyoncé and Ariana Grande – now my gender-bending swimwear includes a micro bikini for men
HE’S dressed Beyoncé and Ariana Grande, but one designer’s theatrical style isn’t just for the ladies.
Michael Ngo’s unisex designs even include teeny bikinis — one of which was rocked by a male model on the runway last month.
Ngo is no stranger to designing clothes for a big — no, massive — audience.
He made the spacesuit for Beyoncé’s Verizon Super Bowl commercial, as well as several pieces for Ariana Grande’s Sweetener tour.
Just last week, Paris Hilton wore a sparkly pink number he designed to DJ at Nylon Nights NYFW event in New York City.
But he showcased some more accessible looks at the inaugural Swim Week Las Vegas powered by Art Hearts Fashion in August.
Taking to the runway at Zouk Nightclub in Resorts World Las Vegas, one female model sported more traditionally masculine swim trunks — but they were paired with a bikini top and corset.
A male model sported a “manikini,” a triangle bikini top worn with glitzy shorts and a matching jacket.
The Micro-Mirror Dot Micro Bikini Top is gender-neutral and sells for $25, and Ngo said that it has been incredibly popular.
It is covered in sparkly sequins and secured around the chest and neck like a halter.
Another model wore a seriously bedazzled — and tiny — swim bottom with an equally glitzy jacket.
The sexually fluid showcase pushed limits, with male models coming out in crop tops, high heels, and other formfitting items.
Several of the looks in the presentation were meant to recreate the energy of Jennifer Lopez’s Waiting for Tonight music video and the re-emergence and popularity of the Y2K era.
Ngo is a self-described “homosensual” and believes anyone can be and wear anything they want.
He told The U.S. Sun that he usually doesn’t “have a lot of boys in heels or girls in more masculine pieces,” but he enjoys “playing with gender.”
“It’s about mixing the genders, but also just being really free for whoever wants to wear the pieces,” he said.
He added that being very open and inclusive is a “staple” of his brand, but he’s also focused on “not taking anything too seriously.”
“Black is my favorite color as a person and as a designer, but I like to add a little of metallics, features, and embellished pieces,” Ngo said.
As a former dancer, Ngo knew he had an entertainment factor while in Sin City.
In a jaw-dropping moment during the Las Vegas, a woman came out in a silver bikini walking a man out on a leash.
“When I put together this show, I knew it was going to be in Vegas. I really wanted to play on the sexy, fun, dominatrix vibe. Just very strong,” he said.
“It was a really cute nod to just the glitz, glam, and sexual freedom that Vegas embodies.”
Since he is West Coast-based, Ngo normally doesn’t show his collections at Miami Swim Week or New York Fashion Week.
But he has regularly showcased his work at Los Angeles Fashion Week for many years through Art Hearts Fashion.
“I’ve been a part of the brand for a while. All my big shows have been with them,” Ngo said.
He added that since he is continuously, “growing and growing,” they let him have the creative freedom to do the theatrics that he does.
NOTABLE WORKS
Ngo clearly knows how to entertain an audience, having designed custom pieces for Shakira, Gwen Stefani, Megan Thee Stallion, and Chloe Bailey, to name a few.
But two of his most career-shifting experiences were with Ariana Grande and Beyoncé’.
“One of the projects that really pushed me was doing Ariana Grande’s Sweetener tour in 2019 because she still wanted to have a strong vibe, but still very romantic and sensual and kind of girly.”
He added that it was “really fun to do,” especially the additional frills of puff sleeves and wings.
“All of that hard, adrenaline vibe is really a part of my design aesthetic, but I also can make it more feminine or switch it up,” he explained.
Ngo was approached by Beyoncé’s team to design her spacesuit in her recent Verizon “Can’t B Broken” Super Bowl commercial.
“It was cool to do that for Beyoncé and have this moment where she’s actually fully covered in space, but it was still very sexy and very Beyoncé.”