Why Should You Wear Inanna?

We create one-of-a-kind, up-cycled, gender-free garments, transforming discarded fabric—think sheets, tablecloths, etc.—into little works of art for your body. Our styles invoke a sense of power, wonder, and whimsy, inviting fashion curiosity and play.

Wonder

Discover magic in every stitch
Whimsy

Playful pieces for boundless creativity
Power

Wear your strength, embody the star

About Inanna Designs

Founded in 2024, Inanna Designs is named after the Mesopotamian “Queen of Heaven” Inanna. This ancient deity—originally worshiped by Sumerians (circa 3100–4000 BCE) as Inanna, and later by the Akkadians, Asyrians, and Babylonians as Ishtar—had a mix of feminine and masculine traits. She was the goddess of love and fertility and was often associated with feminine domains like sensuality and beauty. But she was also the goddess of war and was associated with other masculine domains like divine law and political power.

There are many stories about Inanna, perhaps the most famous being The Descent of Inanna or Inanna’s Descent Into the Underworld. Though there are various translations and interpretations of the story, it always details Inanna’s journey to save her deceased husband, Dumuzid, from her sister, Ereshkigal, Queen of the Underworld. This story introduces a number of concepts from which Inanna Designs draws inspiration: the immortality of love and the lengths we will go to help those we care about; the idea that clothing and jewelry can hold aspects of our power; and how the impossible can become possible once we shirk society’s oppressive “rules” about the way express ourselves. The story also introduces a being named Asushunamir, who may be the world’s first nonbinary/agender hero, and explains why Inanna’s temples welcomed people of all types and especially honored those who did not fall along the gender binary.

Like each piece in the Inanna Designs catalog, Inanna was unique, powerful, and beautiful. Unlike the other gods in the patheon, who had fixed roles and domains (as gods throughout history often did), Inanna changed over time and grew in power, one conquest after another. She always went after what she wanted, regardless of what anyone else thought or said—or deemed impossible. It is our hope that Inanna Designs helps you do the same.

Meet the Maker

Joey Bennington-Castro grew up in the rural town of Waiʻanae on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, and then spent a lifetime on a long and meandering path to Inanna.

Though born to a family of amazing seamstresses, Joey’s interests initially lay in the stars rather than the seams. His undergrad years were spent studying physics and astronomy, after which point Joey ditched the telescope for the pen. Joey and their husband/every-life partner, Allan, moved to New York City, where Joey pursued a graduate degree and career in science journalism.

Joey and Allan soon felt the pull of the islands and they returned home to Hawaiʻi, where Joey worked as a freelance science writer for many popular outlets, from National Geographic to USA Today to NBC News. He then took a position with a federal marine conservation agency, writing and producing videos about the efforts to save endangered marine species and their habitats, revitalize ancient Hawaiian fishponds (loko iʻa), and provide sustainable seafood to our local markets.

After more than 8 years in this work, Joey lost his federal contract… but they soon found Inanna and founded Inanna Designs. Prior to this point, Joey—with ever-loving support from Allan (his Dumuzid)—spent many months exploring their self-expression through clothing, allowing him to realize and understand her identity as an agender individual (someone who does not identify with any one gender or subscribe to the societal construct of gender). And with a newfound blank career canvas, Joey began painting a completely new life for himself, one in which she helps other people use fashion to similarly discover who they are—whatever that means to them—and how they want to present themselves to the world.