Tan France
Tanveer Wasim "Tan" France (né Safdar; born 20 April 1983) is an English-American fashion designer, entrepreneur, and television personality.[1] He is best known as the fashion expert for the Netflix series Queer Eye, host of the web series Dressing Funny, and co-host of Next In Fashion.[2][3][4] His memoir, Naturally Tan, was released in June 2019.[5] Being of Pakistani descent, he is one of the first openly gay South Asian men on a major show,[lower-alpha 1][12] and one of the first openly gay Muslim men on western television.[12]
Tan France | |
---|---|
![]() France in June 2018 | |
Born | Tanveer Wasim Safdar 20 April 1983 Doncaster, England |
Education | Doncaster College |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 2011–present |
Spouse |
Rob France
(m. 2007) |
Children | 2 |
Early life
France was born Tanveer Wasim Safdar in Doncaster on 20 April 1983, the son of Muslim Pakistani immigrant parents.[13] In his memoir, he discussed how he felt alienated while growing up in Doncaster due to his experience in a household where homosexuality was viewed negatively, the lack of representation in media of his community (and of LGBTQ Pakistanis in particular), and his personal experiences of physical and verbal racism in his childhood and adult life. He said, "Our home wasn't super religious but we had a profound connection to our Muslim heritage."[14][2]
France's interest in fashion began at a young age, inspired by the Disney-themed clothing that was made in his grandparents' denim factory in Bury, Greater Manchester, where he spent time working.[15] By the age of 13, he had learned how to construct and embellish a denim jacket. In 2019, he learned that his grandfather had allegedly been forced to close the factory due to the products made in the factory being Disney knockoffs.[16] He attended Hall Cross School and later studied fashion at Doncaster College,[17] after which he moved to Manchester, and then to London.[18]
Career
France began work as a designer and director for Zara,[15] Selfridges, and Bershka, among other retailers, to further improve his knowledge of the wholesale business of retail; he later went on to work at a number of brands in order to learn more about manufacturing.[19] He started in menswear and later progressed in womenswear, which he majored in for his fashion degree. France commented that he would often work as a stylist if a high-profile client came into the stores where he was working.
France began working in the United States in 2008, initially living in New York City, and emigrated to the US in 2015.[18] France was company director at Shade Clothing before he opened his solo fashion company in 2011, called Kingdom & State.[15][20] The brand included clothing designed to meet Mormon clothing guidelines, a group that represented a significant population in Utah, where France was living.[2] He later created two smaller apparel brands. France's designs were purchased by retailers ModCloth and Forever 21.[21] The designs were displayed on the website and stores under the brand name for many years. In 2016 he later became co-founder, fashion designer, and CEO for the Rachel Parcell Inc clothing line, which was sold at Nordstrom.[22]
After selling his businesses,[23][24] France officially retired, having the intention to start a family with his husband, but he was later contacted by Netflix. This started his journey as a media figure through his role as the fashion expert on Queer Eye, which premiered in February 2018. In 2019, France appeared in the music video for Taylor Swift's song "You Need to Calm Down".[25] He also appeared in 2020 in a special charity edition of The Great British Bake Off, in order to raise funds for Stand Up To Cancer, and he was the winner of the episode[26] That year, it was also announced that France would be co-hosting the new Netflix series Next In Fashion with Alexa Chung.[27] In interviews with the ITV programme This Morning and with NPR, France disclosed that he had sold all three of his businesses after starting work for Netflix.[28]
In 2019, France designed an eyewear line by partnering with Eyebuydirect. Since 2019, he is a GQ Middle East official columnist. From 2020, he is Express’s monthly stylist.
France was nominated for an Emmy alongside his Queer Eye co-stars for best hosting as reality or competition program in July 2020. In September 2020, France was announced as a style instructor on MasterClass, an educational streaming video platform.[29][30] In September 2020, the Tan France x Etsy limited edition collection was launched. France co-designed a collection of home decor and foods with thirteen independent sellers. France also made a guest appearance on The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C).
France presented a 2022 BBC Two documentary about colourism titled Beauty and the Bleach.[31]
Personal life
France currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. He married pediatric nurse and illustrator Rob France in 2007,[32][33] with the two first having married in London and again in New York City following the legalization of same-sex marriage in the US. In April 2021, he announced on Instagram that he and his husband were expecting their first child via surrogate.[34] Their son was born seven weeks early on 10 July 2021, and had to spend three weeks in the NICU.[35] In May 2023, France announced on Instagram the arrival of their second son.[36]
Having been "working towards" it for 10 years, France was naturalized as an American citizen on 9 June 2020,[37] making him a dual British and American citizen.[38] He has discussed his love for cooking and baking, having learned how to cook and sew at the age of nine.[39]
France has been vocal about the colorism, racism, and Islamophobia he has endured throughout his life; in September 2019, he created an Instagram account called Shaded, where he promotes black people, people of colour, and cultural diversity.[40][41][42][43][44] In September 2020, he revealed on an episode of The Carlos Watson Show that experiencing racism in the UK was one of his primary reasons for moving to the US.[45]
Books
France released a memoir, Naturally Tan, in June 2019 through St. Martin's Press.[5] It became a NYT best seller.[46] It is about his experience growing up "gay in a traditional Muslim family, as one of the few people of colour in Doncaster, England". The memoir starts with his childhood in England where episodes of racism were everyday occurrences – like having to run back to school to avoid getting beaten up by racist thugs. The book follows up with heavy topics, such as colourism across South Asia and the Islamophobia he faced before and after the 9/11 attacks.
Filmography
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2018–present | Queer Eye | Himself | Main cast (47 episodes) |
2018 | Nailed It! | Himself | Episode: "3, 2, 1...Ya Not Done!!" |
Don't Watch This | Himself | Episode: "Antoni Psycho" | |
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend | Fett Ragoso | Episode: "I'm Making Up for Lost Time" | |
2019 | The Big Narstie Show | Himself | Season 2, Episode 1 |
Lip Sync Battle | Himself | Episode: Queer Eye | |
2019–2020 | Dressing Funny | Himself | Host |
2019 | Big Mouth | Himself (voice) | Episode: "Disclosure the Movie: The Musical!" |
2020–present | Next In Fashion[47] | Himself | Co-Host |
2020 | The Great Celebrity Bake Off for SU2C | Himself | Contestant |
The Big Process Ep.5 | Himself | Contestant | |
Served! | Himself | Guest | |
Boost My Business By Facebook | Himself | Host | |
Celebrity Family Feud | Himself | Contestant | |
2021 | Waffles + Mochi | Himself | Parodying Queer Eye Role |
Nickelodeon's Unfiltered | Himself | Episode: "Rollin' with the Fun Guy!" | |
Selling Sunset | Himself | Host - Series 5:The Reunion | |
2023 | The Circle | Himself | Judge |
Music videos
Year | Song | Artist |
---|---|---|
2018 | "This Is Me (The Reimagined Remix)" | Keala Settle, Kesha, & Missy Elliott |
2019 | "You Need To Calm Down" | Taylor Swift |
Notes
- Ranj Singh, of Indian Sikh descent, came out as a gay and has appeared on British and international TV since 2012;[6][7] Mawaan Rizwan came out in 2012 and has appeared on British and international television;[8] Tamal Ray came out in 2015 while appearing on The Great British Bake Off televised internationally;[9][10] and Sushant Divgikar is an openly gay Indian TV personality known for his appearance in Bigg Boss.[11]
References
- Ross, Sophie (7 February 2018). "The One Thing You Should Never Wear to a Wedding, According to Tan France of 'Queer Eye'". The Knot. XO. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
- Crummy, Colin (9 March 2019). "Queer Eye's Tan France: 'The word gay was never mentioned in my parents' home'". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- "Naturally Tan". US Macmillan. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
- Peregrin, Tony (26 June 2019). "BOOKS Tan about town, 'Queer Eye' guru pens new memoir - Gay Lesbian Bi Trans News - Windy City Times". Windy City Times. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
- Peregrin, Tony (26 June 2019). "Books: Tan about town, 'Queer Eye' guru pens new memoir". Windy City Times. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- Stroude, Will (5 November 2018). "Strictly's Dr. Ranj Singh: 'Coming out as gay to my wife was hard, but telling my family was another level'". Attitude. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- Thompson, Danny (20 November 2018). "Dr Ranj Singh Gaysians cover interview: "As queer Asians, we have so much to offer ourselves and to the wider world"". Gay Times. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- Zane, Zachary (27 November 2017). "The Doc 'How Gay is Pakistan?' Is Now on Netflix, and It's Required Viewing for LGBTQ Millennials". Hornet. Archived from the original on 12 April 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- McGrath, Rachel (30 October 2015). "'Great British Bake Off' Star Tamal Ray Shares His Coming Out Experience: 'The Conversations Were Canyons of Awkwardness, The Freedoms They Gave Me Were Priceless'". HuffPost. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- Rudolph, Christopher (26 November 2019). "When "The Great British Bake Off" Met "RuPaul's Drag Race U.K."". LOGO News. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- "I cried like a baby". The Tribune India. 10 April 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- Sarner, Lauren (31 January 2020). "'Queer Eye' expert Tan France lands new show 'Next in Fashion'". New York Post. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
"France is also the first out gay South Asian man – and openly gay Muslim man – on TV".
- Bahler, Kristen (20 February 2018). "'Queer Eye' Star Says Getting Dumped Helped Launch His Career". Money.com. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
- Brown, Steve (11 March 2019). "Tan France says the Asian community aren't seen as 'desirable' due to lack of representation in the media". Attitude. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
- Melody (8 December 2014). "An interview with Tan Safdar, Owner and Designer at Kingdom & State". Omika. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
- Interview, Wednesday, 6 January 2020 episode with Jane Fonda; The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
- Thomas, Chris (8 December 2017). "Meet the Five Fab Men of Netflix's Queer Eye Reboot". Out. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
- Mulkerin, Tim (21 February 2018). "Tan France on his hopes for a second season of Queer Eye and the thousands of DMs about his hair". Mic. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
- Shores, Lindsey (13 October 2013). "British fashion in Utah with Kingdom & State". Herald Extra: The Mom Click. Herald Communications. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
- "Kingdom & State – About". Kingdom & State. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
- France, Tan, Naturally Tan, p. 113, ISBN 978-1-250-21107-1, OCLC 1105752822
- O'Connor, Amy (3 June 2019). "Tan France: 'We don't really talk about successful gay relationships'". The Irish Times.
- Göksenin, Lili. "Queer Eye's Tan France Is Everything You Want Him To Be". Express.com. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020.
- Pasarow, Anabel (15 August 2019). "How Tan France Retired At Age 33 — Yes, Even Before Queer Eye". Refinery29.
- Grady, Constance (17 June 2019). "An annotated guide to Taylor Swift's star-studded "You Need to Calm Down" video". Vox. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
- Fenwick, George (24 March 2020). "Tan France reveals his deepest, darkest fear on Bake Off". Evening Standard. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- Bruce Haring (17 May 2019). "'Next In Fashion' Reality Competition Will Bow on Netflix, Offering Designers $250K And Showcase". Retrieved 14 January 2020.
- Gross, Terry (11 September 2019). "Why Fashion Expert Tan France Nearly Turned Down 'Queer Eye'". NPR.
- MasterClass. "MasterClass Announces Queer Eye's Tan France to Teach Style for Everyone". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 11 September 2020.
- Carley, Brennan (11 September 2020). "Back to School With Tan France". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
- Cormack, Morgan. "BBC Two's Tan France – Beauty And The Bleach: viewers react to the important documentary, which explores colourism in minority communities". Stylist. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
- Sarner, Lauren (21 February 2018). "How a Muslim immigrant became the breakout 'Queer Eye' star". New York Post.
- Harding, Laura (16 June 2018). "Queer Eye's Tan France: I will use surrogacy to have children". Irish Independent. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- Newcomb, Alyssa (13 April 2021). "'Queer Eye' star Tan France is expecting a baby: See the announcement!". TODAY.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- Slater, Georgia; VanHoose, Benjamin (2 August 2021). "Queer Eye's Tan France and husband Rob welcome baby son Ismail via surrogate". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
- Kayembe, Astrid. "'The greatest gift': 'Queer Eye' star Tan France welcomes second child via surrogate". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- Kinane, Ruth (10 June 2020). "Queer Eye's Tan France becomes an American citizen, is ready to vote: 'The timing couldn't be more perfect'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- Carley, Brennan (11 September 2020). "Back to School With Tan France". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- Hind, John (15 June 2019). "Tan France: 'I'm a nightmare in the kitchen'". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- "Queer Eye star 'bleached skin as a child'". BBC News. 5 June 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- Roy, Natasha (6 February 2020). "Tan France says he won't return to living in the U.K. because of racism". NBC News. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- Moodley, Kiran (22 June 2019). "Queer Eye's Tan France on racism and why he left the UK". Channel 4 News. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- Leighton-Dore, Samuel (3 October 2019). "Tan France launches 'Shaded': 'A place to celebrate every shade of skin'". Topics. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- Images Staff (10 October 2019). "Tan France has something to say about fairness creams". Images. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- Why Business Mogul Tan France Tried to Quit Queer Eye, retrieved 2 April 2021
- "Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - June 23, 2019 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
- Petter, Olivia (18 May 2019). "Next in Fashion: Alexa Chung and Tan France to Host Netflix Show". The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2020.