One brand tapped five creative LGBTQ+ “All-Stars” to design pieces, including a young Filipino
“Stonewall Manila” was the first Pride march in the Philippines in June 1994, where over 30 LGBTQIA members protested for gay rights. The 1969 riots in Stonewall, New York, inspired the movement, which sparked global action toward LGBTQ+ liberation actions.
Since then, the number of participants in the June Pride Marches grew from just over 30 to over 70,000 in 2019. For many members of the Philippine LGBTQIA community and their allies, engaging in Pride activities is a yearly routine. However, since last year, many celebrations and events have turned digital since there is an ongoing pandemic.
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Other than getting in on Pride Month celebrations virtually, you can also support causes when you’re looking to shop for new fashion pieces. Many brands have been launching yearly Pride collections where part of the proceeds go toward foundations and mental health services for the LGBTQ+ community.
With that, we round up colorful, Pride-themed, philanthropic collections that may suit your style and help you honor and celebrate this year’s Pride month all year round.
Versace x Born This Way Foundation
In celebration of Pride month, eclectic singer and well-known LGBTQ+ ally Lady Gaga teams up with Donatella Versace to design the Versace x Born This Way collection. The set consists of a unisex t-shirt design which comes in black and white, and a beret.
Thirty percent of the proceeds earned from this collection will be donated to Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation. Gaga’s initiative, which started in 2011, has been supporting youth-focused programs that “increase access to resources, drive action, and build communities.”
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Kate Spade x The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project began in 1998 as an organization that provides 24/7 suicide prevention and crisis intervention to the LGBTQ+ community members under 25 years old. The organization, which started in America, also provides help to those in need internationally through TrevorSpace.
This Pride month is the second year they’re partnering with New York fashion brand Kate Spade to raise funds for their cause, with 20 percent of the profits going to The Trevor Project. With the Pride rainbow colors as its theme, Kate Spade’s signature fanciful designs are amplified in the collection’s market tote, sweatshirt, and various accessories.
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Cos X Coco Capitán
Known for her work as a fashion photographer, artist Coco Capitán partners with contemporary clothing brand Cos to raise funds for LGBTQ+ causes globally through selected charities. The capsule collection includes t-shirts in the Spain native’s handwriting with sayings like “always love because love is always love” Capitán’s past relationships inspire the messages printed on the shirts.
All of the proceeds made from the line will be donated to Kaleidoscope Trust, a UK-based charity fighting for the human rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. In addition, Cos will donate at least $50,000 to The Trevor Project.
Savage x Fenty
Barbadian pop and R&B singer Rihanna launches her first Pride capsule collection through her lingerie label with apparel brand Savage. At the beginning of the month, Savage X Fenty donated US$250,000 to various organizations supporting LGBTQIA communities in partnership with Rihanna’s own nonprofit, Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF).
One of the organizations which received donations is the Trans Wellness Center, which provides “life-sustaining” services to transgender and non-binary people. The center provides them with legal services, housing, support groups, and mental health services.
In the limited collection titled “Savage x Pride,” each piece is made to flatter any body type. From boxers to garter belts, each item’s sizing is available from extra small to triple XL.
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Puma x Cara Delevingne
Activewear brand Puma partners with their LGBTQ+ activist ambassador to create their second Pride month capsule collection. This year, they launched “Forever Free Pride,” which is “made to inspire others and be free from fear and believe in themselves.”
The unisex collection includes multi-colored footwear, hoodies, leggings, t-shirts, and accessories. On the company’s website, Delevigne says that this collection is not only to celebrate Pride month but more specifically to honor the community’s strength regarding mental health hurdles that they have faced.
To raise awareness and support for the cause, Puma will donate 20 percent of the collection’s proceeds to the Cara Delevingne foundation, a project of the Giving Back Fund. The latter is a program that helps influential people with their philanthropic goals and guides them in reaching their charitable mission.
Converse x LGBTQ+ All-Stars
Converse taps five young and creative LGBTQ+ “All-Stars” from different parts of the world to help create each piece for the bright summer collection. One of them is Xandro Miguell from the Philippines, who grew up into his Pride from a “shy, girly little boy” to a “proud gay man.”
His custom design imagines a gleeful metamorphosis, with illustrations of butterflies to symbolize being out and free. On the Converse website, Xando shares what Pride means to him, “Pride is like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.”
“Celebrating the joy in finding your pride” is the message of Converse’s sixth annual Pride collection. Since 2015, the footwear brand has been making contributions through its Pride capsules to organizations Bagly, It Gets Better Project, and OUT.
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Banner photo from Puma.com
