Inside Joe Exotic’s Clothing Line Collaboration With Designer Odain

A purr-fect team. Fashion designer Odain Watson is spilling all of the details on his Odaingerous x Joe Exotic Tiger King clothing line collaboration with Joe Exotic in an exclusive interview with In Touch. According to the designer and founder of Odaingerous, The Revenge Line lives up to its name.

“The best revenge is success and that’s what Joe stands for and he’s really excited about it, he’s not down and out, he’s talking about his projects and all he has going on,” Watson tells In Touch exclusively of their collection. The duo sells streetwear apparel that is “bold, iconic, edgy and Odaingerously unapologetic,” their site reveals.

The big cat lover (real name: Joseph Maldonado-Passage) started communicating with Watson directly through “handwritten” letters while serving his 22-year sentence in federal prison for his role in a murder-for-hire plot. “I pitched him my idea surrounding the collection and with the theme of revenge and how I admired his ambition and perseverance,” the fashion guru tells In Touch.

Watson notes his brand supports diversity and inclusion, something he felt would resonate with Joe. “I’m a gay minority designer and Joe is a fellow gay person,” he says. “That connection of being the outsider, we connected on that level of being on the underdog. That’s how we connected, he loved my energy.”

The contract for the six-month collaboration was signed on April 30, a source close to the deal tells In Touch. “Odaingerous is the only fashion brand to officially have inked a deal with Joe Exotic.” The pre-release dropped on May 2, and it wasn’t supposed to launch until May 15, but it sold out within the first hour and made $20,000. “Joe doesn’t know how well the drop went yet. His team hasn’t told him yet but he will be very pleased to hear,” the insider adds.

Joe, 57, isn’t done creating yet, either. Watson reveals they are potentially going to expand the line by offering briefs and lingerie. “He wants to do underwear. He trusted my vision,” the founder says. “He wants something fashion-forward and wearable.” Joe previously sold underwear and is eager to bring it back for his fans.

Watson also expressed interest in having Joe’s husband, Dillon Passage, get involved in the project and model for the collection. “He’s so excited, you see a little on the show, he was dabbling in fashion. Once isolation lets off, we’re going to be working with Dillon all day and every day,” the stylist says. 

Joe’s legal team are the only people allowed to visit and chat with him amid the quarantine, the source explains, so they have been helping secure the details of his collaboration.

“We’re going to be sending PR packages to all the cast who turned their back on Joe,” Watson adds. “He’s also excited about the campaign of getting pardoned … we’re all very hopeful that he’ll be home soon.”

Reporting by Lindsay Hoffman 

Scroll down to see exclusive photos of Odain preparing for the collaboration!