By Nathan Duke
An ex-NYPD officer from Astoria may have gained recognition in the past for disrobing, but he now hopes to be known for keeping people clothed.
Eddie Mallia, 43, who lives on the border of Astoria and East Elmhurst and previously worked for Flushing’s 109th Precinct, last week launched a new line of clothing that he designed.
On Sept. 15, the former police officer debuted Somewear-USA, which features cotton T-shirts with colorful slogans such as “Product of New York City,” “Sorry, We’re Stoned” and “Pooh-Pooh Platter”, with a depiction of Winnie the Pooh, as well as some other more racy designs.
In 1995, Mallia was pictured on the cover of Playgirl Magazine as well as in a nude photo spread.
“I came up with the idea for the company 15 years ago, but I recently revamped the whole plan,” Mallia said. “Over the years, I’ve seen my humor coming out more and more in my designs.”
Mallia, who is also known as “Fast Eddie,” said he has since turned Somewear-USA into a corporation and officially unveiled his clothing line last week.
“It took me a while to get the designs and the manufacturing in place, but it’s behind me now,” he said. “Now, it’s a matter of getting the word out and getting attention.”
The clothing designer first began working with the city Police Department in October 1990 and retired in November 1995.
Mallia’s company is entirely based online at the website somewear-usa.com.
Shirts in the collection cost $25 and the site also hawks hats of varying colors at the same price.
The clothes are broken down into four categories: Girly Wear; NYC Wear, which shows scenes from New York City; Wacky Wear; and Baked Wear, with slogans calling for the legalization of marijuana.
On the site, the T-shirts are described as “hip, comfortable and high quality” that can be worn to “night clubs and restaurants to fine dining restaurants, from movie premieres to music videos, from the beach to the classroom and, oh yeah, the gym to everyday life.”
Mallia said he plans to eventually design sweaters and shorts and that he already has 1,200 logos created for T-shirts.
“I’m getting orders from all over the world,” he said.
He is also in the process of writing a screenplay about his life as well as working on a cookbook.
“I’m a renaissance man,” he said. “But now I’m just trying to take one thing at a time and do the best I possibly can.”
Reach reporter Nathan Duke by e-mail at nduke@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.
