Filming Frederick's

Over the decades, Frederick’s grew beyond Hollywood and into the streets and malls of America. These brick-and-mortar stores are the sites that first piqued my interest in the brand. I wanted to know how workers and customers experienced gender and sexuality at Frederick’s, and video proved to be the most exciting medium for viewing this action. After all, Frederick’s was known for its kitsch, and without any brick-and-mortar stores left, the next-best way to interact with this kitsch is to rewatch it on screen.

The following carousel includes short videos depicting the experience of being at Frederick’s. The first three videos are from the eighties. They each come from different news channels in different cities, all showing the interactions between people, product, and promotional tools in Frederick’s stores. Acting as liaisons between shoppers and viewers at home, the newscasters from these segments show off edible underwear, singing jockstraps, and undergarments with eyes, while also covering gender relations in the stores and even gossiping about which lingerie is worn by local cops. The last three videos are from the 2010s. Of these, two are promotional videos for over-the-top in-store events, and the last is a news segment discussing the mass closures of Frederick’s stores in the face of bankruptcy. Scroll through the carousel to view these videos in chronological order.