Tan France

Tan France
Tanveer Wasim "Tan" France (né Safdar; born 20 April 1983) is an English-American fashion designer, entrepreneur, and television personality. 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. His memoir, Naturally Tan, was released in June 2019. Being of Pakistani descent, he is one of the first openly gay South Asian men on a major show, and one of the first openly gay Muslim men on western television.
Early life
France was born Tanveer Wasim Safdar in Doncaster on 20 April 1983, the son of Muslim Pakistani immigrant parents. 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."
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. 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. He attended Hall Cross School and later studied fashion at Doncaster College, after which he moved to Manchester, and then to London.
Career
France began work as a designer and director for Zara, 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. 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. France was company director at Shade Clothing before he opened his solo fashion company in 2011, called Kingdom & State. The brand included clothing designed to meet Mormon clothing guidelines, a group that represented a significant population in Utah, where France was living. He later created two smaller apparel brands. France's designs were purchased by retailers ModCloth and Forever 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.
After selling his businesses, 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". 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 That year, it was also announced that France would be co-hosting the new Netflix series Next In Fashion with Alexa Chung. 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.
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. 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.
Personal life
France currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. He married pediatric nurse and illustrator Rob France in 2007, 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. Their son was born seven weeks early on 10 July 2021, and had to spend three weeks in the NICU. In May 2023, France announced on Instagram the arrival of their second son.
Having been "working towards" it for 10 years, France was naturalized as an American citizen on 9 June 2020, making him a dual British and American citizen. He has discussed his love for cooking and baking, having learned how to cook and sew at the age of nine.
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. 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.
Books
France released a memoir, Naturally Tan, in June 2019 through St. Martin's Press. It became a NYT best seller. 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
Music videos
Notes
References
External links
Living people
1983 births
American fashion designers
American LGBT entertainers
American people of Pakistani descent
American television personalities
British emigrants to the United States
British television personalities
Designers from Yorkshire
English fashion designers
English LGBT entertainers
English Muslims
English people of Pakistani descent
Gay entertainers
Gay Muslims
LGBT fashion designers
LGBT people from Yorkshire
Naturalized citizens of the United States
People from Doncaster
Television personalities from South Yorkshire