Man Repeller media brand changes its name to ‘Repeller’

The name change is part of a rebrand ‘internally and externally’ for the company founded by Leandra Medine Cohen

(Rex Features)

In a post titled “Notice Anything Different Around Here?”, the website formerly named Man Repeller announced on Wednesday that it was dropping the “man” from its title.

The post stated that the name change is “just one part of the larger changes we’ve been working toward this year both internally and externally—a transformation that extends beyond the surface level of what Repeller simply looks like and actually reimagines what it is.”

It added that more changes were to come for the brand.

Of the name change, the brand stated that while the name “Man Repeller” resonated strongly ten years ago when the site was founded, as it “was defined as empowering yourself by deflecting the male gaze” that a refresh was needed to keep up with the current climate.

The announcement came with the launch of a new shopping section and contributor page to allow people to find content from their favourite authors more easily.

“[T]oday discovering yourself and earning your confidence feels far more multidimensional”, it explained.

Leandra Medine Cohen began the brand in 2010 as a style blog while she was a student. It grew to become a media brand with a small staff, but has remained independent and is known for its irreverant content.

Earlier this year, Cohen announced via her Instagram that she was stepping back from the brand after it faced criticism for a lack of diversity in terms of both its content and contributors. 

Medine is still listed as its founder and last month she announced via a post on Substack that she would be returning in some capacity.

The former blogger said that conversations with former and current staff at Repeller had “brought up lots of feelings of shame but have also reminded me of the value of connection — the foundational principle on which I started Man Repeller in the first place.”