Exclusive Interview: Todd Sanfield

“I think the underwear line’s going to sell,” Todd Sanfield told me back in 2014 after the launch of his first underwear collection. “I’m a hard worker and I’m passionate. I don’t know how big it’s going to get, but with my passion and perseverance I’m not going to stop until it’s as big as it can be.” Almost two years later, Sanfield is hard at work promoting his third collection. Sanfield will admit that he had a few bumps in the road with his first two collections; but, for him, the shortcomings come with the territory of diving head first into entrepreneurship. In other words, taking risks and growing is part of the job. We recently caught up with the Pharmacy student/model/designer to get the scoop on his new line as well as catch up on his education, which includes a passion for HIV research.

Born: Detroit, Michigan
Current Location: Detroit, Michigan
Relationship Status: Single
Astrological Sign: Gemini
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Ethnicity: Romanian/Belgian (50/50)

My new collection differs from my first two collections in that…the first two collections were basic designs and colors. The pouch had minimal room and the fit was too small. For instance, you would need to order a medium if you were a small. This new collection has more of sporty look while still maintaining a classy image. The pouch has plenty of room and provides an added lift to the package. As for the fit, that has been corrected as well. If you were a medium in other brands, you will wear a medium in our brand, respectively.

My inspiration for the new collection comes from…my athletic background and my time spent in New York City. My mom provides added inspiration as well. She has been creative my entire life, more creative than me, but it has been on a smaller scale, therefore people cannot see her talents. I am a reflection of her.

My mom…talked me into modeling when I was younger, which resulted shortly after in my first magazine cover, then followed by a move to NYC. Modeling, however, was not always my main interest. I only started modeling because I had no other way into the clothing industry.

My advice to people wanting to model or design underwear is to…just dive in! After graduating from Michigan State University, I moved to NYC with $300 in my pocket.

My most memorable shoot is…a shoot that recently happened December 2013 on a tropical island in the Caribbean with photographer Kevin McDermott. This was by far the best location I have ever used to take pictures. I am known for hitting home runs with my photo shoots, but when this shoot is released, we will have hit a grand slam!

The underwear I can’t stand wearing is…everything except The Todd Sanfield Collection, wink, haha!

My favorite underwear from my collection are…the current white briefs because they look very clean and show off my body the best.

The sexiest underwear people like on me is…no underwear at all! If I had to pick one pair, it would most likely be an ultra thin white brief… soaked in water, haha.

The harshest critique I’ve gotten about my underwear was…in regards to the quality of my first two collections, which I cannot completely argue against. What those people did not know is, I’m a young entrepreneur, and mistakes are always made when you are new to a business. These were my first two collections out of 10,000 collections. You have to make mistakes to make corrections.

I think the key to building a nice body is…consistency, perseverance, and patience. When trying to build a body, you need to set realistic goals. I knew it would take at least 10 years of exercising to start seeing some noticeable changes. If you compare some of my earlier photos to current photos, you will see a difference. For example, look at my first DNA cover back in 2007 and compare it to the current image on my website home page. I am also really good with what I put into my body. My diet consists of a significant amount of various fruits, colorful vegetables, whole grains, oatmeal, mixed raw nuts, lean white meat, healthy essential oils, etc.

My favorite cheat food is…nothing. I don’t really cheat anymore. I have been eating healthy for so long that cheat meals are like alcohol poisoning to me now. If I had to choose one type of food, it would definitely be pizza. Jet’s pizza!

My advice to people wanting to model nude is…to go ahead if you are confident enough to pull it off and you are working with the right photographer. However, I see a significant amount of guys that look very insecure in nude photos, so use caution because once they hit the web they are never going away.

A surprising fact about myself is that…I am a fish geek! When I was a young teenager, I had 15 tropical fish aquariums that ranged from 125 gallons to 10 gallons. I love aquarium fish, specifically Cichlids. Currently, I do not have any fish tanks set up due to always having to relocate over the past few years, but, once I finish with school and get settled again, I plan on having one. It will most likely be a big tank or two, both about 500 gallons, maybe even bigger.

My education…comes first. To be completely honest, modeling and the line have been a secondary concern next to my education. Fortunately, my business strategies kept my head above water over the last four years.


In five years…I see myself very successful, but it is impossible to predict how everything will unfold. As for the medical side, I hope to be more involved with HIV medicine.While finishing up my fourth year of pharmacy school, I spent a great deal of time studying the virus by reading countless scientific journals, utilizing specific reputable online databases, and constantly referencing and navigating the guidelines. I learned about the history, the statistics, how the medications are used to combat the virus, resistance issues, diagnosing, CD4 count, viral load, pathophysiology, the patient-populations who have been most infected, those at the highest risk of contracting the virus, and essentially everything else that comes with being infected.

 I did this because I knew in the next five years there would be a good chance I would get an opportunity to work in this area of focus and I do not want that opportunity to pass me by. I said this in a past interview with Dorian magazine and I will say it again, “I have a good reputation and it will continue to grow, so I need to use it to help make a change.”