Meet The Canadian Men’s Brand Quietly Reinventing Basics—One Boxer Brief At A Time

There’s a reason men become irrationally loyal to certain basics.

A perfect T-shirt. A pair of boxer briefs that somehow survive years of wear. Pants that actually fit properly without requiring emotional negotiation. Once they find “the one,” they rarely stray.

And increasingly, that loyalty seems to belong to MANMADE, the Montreal-based essentials brand that has quietly exploded into one of Canada’s biggest direct-to-consumer success stories.

Founded in 2021 by four lifelong friends and former finance professionals—Anthony Ciavirella, Philip Santagata, Robert Marzin, and Roberto “Berto” Rebelo—the Canadian label was built around a surprisingly ambitious idea: reinvent men’s basics by obsessing over the details most brands overlook.

The result? A loyal fanbase, a wildly successful appearance on Dragons’ Den, partnerships with everyone from Howie Mandel and Georges St-Pierre to the Montreal Canadiens and the Canadian Football League—and now, the opening of the brand’s very first retail store inside Carrefour Laval.

But let’s talk about the product everyone seems genuinely obsessed with: the boxer briefs.

Made from ultra-soft, plant-based modal fabric derived from beech trees, MANMADE’s signature underwear has become the brand’s hero piece thanks to its breathable, moisture-wicking, anti-chafe design that somehow manages to feel both supportive and barely there at the same time.

The secret sauce? A signature “Mansack” construction designed to create structure and separation without feeling restrictive—a detail that has earned the brand an almost alarming level of customer devotion online.

And while the underwear may have built the empire, MANMADE has since expanded into a full range of elevated everyday essentials including performance-driven pants, ultra-soft tees, socks, swim shorts, and curated seasonal bundles designed for actual real-life wearability.

Part of what makes the brand resonate feels tied to a larger cultural shift happening in menswear right now: men increasingly want fewer things—but better things. Less trend-chasing. More comfort, quality, functionality, and thoughtful fit.

Even the new Laval storefront reflects that philosophy. Rather than creating a traditional retail environment, the brand intentionally designed the space to feel more experiential and hospitality-driven—part showroom, part lifestyle destination.

In an era where fashion often swings between maximalism and algorithm-driven microtrends, MANMADE’s appeal feels refreshingly straightforward.

Good basics. Thoughtfully designed. No gimmicks.

Which, honestly, may be exactly why it’s working. —Noa Nichol