Fashion brands and retailers are celebrating Pride this month with positive messages of inclusivity and sizable donations to charitable organizations that provide support to their LGBTQ+ customers.
The United Nations Foundation announced this week that H&M and Banana Republic are partnering with UN Free & Equal for Pride Month to raise awareness and funds in support of LGBTQ+ equality worldwide. H&M will donate $100,000 to the global campaign this year, while Banana Republic will donate $60,000 this month.
Brands are also building more meaning into their Pride merchandise this year by working with artists that identify as LGBTQ+ to design items that can make a difference.
Here’s a look at the latest Pride capsule collections to launch.
Mavi
Mavi unveiled its first ever Pride Collection, launching June 7 in the U.S. and Canada. The gender-fluid collection promotes uplifting messages like “All For Love” across jean jackets, T-shirts, tote bags and other accessories. Highlights include a vintage wash denim jacket and a light bleach-wash denim jacket with a retro elastic hem, both decorated with the Pride flag on the back.
In partnership with two LGBTQI charitable organizations, the U.S.-based Ali Forney Center, and Canada-based Egale Canada, Mavi will donate 100 percent of net proceeds sold to both organizations from June to August 2021. The capsule collection retails for $10-$160.
Mavi
“We believe in connecting with our community and celebrating our individuality by wearing our love directly on our bodies through the clothing we wear. We are thrilled to be partnering with Ali Forney Center and Egale Canada to spread optimism from the inside out, and by helping to bring together those individuals who need support the most, especially after a very tough year,” said Arkun Durmaz, Mavi North America president. “Mavi is here to stand with all communities and to help celebrate the uniqueness of every single person that makes up these communities through the common thread of love.”
Citizens of Humanity
To celebrate Pride month, Citizens of Humanity is launching a themed T-shirt that will channel all proceeds to the Los Angeles LGBT Center. The organization has provided the local LGBTQ+ community with assistance across health, social services and housing, culture and education, and leadership and advocacy categories since 1969.
Designed by Simon and Nikolai Haas, also known as The Haas Brothers, the black long-sleeved T-shirt depicts the word “family” in a neon rainbow color palette with 3-D effects. According to the artists, the term is an accurate portrayal of the community’s bond.
Citizens of Humanity
“The LGBTQ+ community is made of so many people, groups, identities, struggles and triumphs—we are not a one-size-fits-all group—but we stand up for each other, we love one another, we lift each other up,” they said in a joint statement. “We’re more than a community—we’re a family.”
The brand worked with the artists in the past to design limited-edition face masks in celebration of Pride last year. Masks featured a colorful cat mouth design inspired by the artists’ children’s book. All proceeds were donated to the Los Angeles LGBT Center. The “family” T-shirt is available on citizensofhumanity.com and retails for $34.
Ron Herman
L.A.’s iconic California lifestyle boutique Ron Herman is celebrating Pride with a collaboration featuring designs from artist Arron Mendoza, who identifies as a member of the LGTBQ+ community. The collection consists of upcycled and individually hand-dyed vintage denim showcasing Mendoza’s signature tie-dye effects. A portion of the net sales from all products will also benefit the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
“Our doors and our values have always been open to supporting individuality and authenticity, and it is our belief that beauty can only exist with diversity and inclusivity,” said Toshi Fujita, Ron Herman vice president. “We are excited to grow our values and show our pride through this capsule and artist collaboration—and most importantly support the Los Angeles LGBT Center and their work within the community.”
Jean sizes range from 26-38 and jacket range from S-XL. The collection retails for $270-$295.
Ron Herman
In addition to the collaboration, the company is launching an RHLA Pride capsule featuring essentials such as a crewneck T-shirt, crewneck sweatshirt, sweat shorts and sweatpants made of 100 percent cotton. Sizes range from XS-XL and retail for $125-$225.
The RHLA Pride capsule and Ron Herman x Arron Mendoza are available now online and in store for a limited time.
Rue21
Specialty retailer Rue21 is showing its support for the LGBTQ+ community with its largest collection to-date. The Pride collection includes a gender-neutral “Unity” fragrance, as well as T-shirts, underwear and accessories featuring phrases like “Let’s get one thing straight, I’m not” and “Can’t even think straight.”
The brand teamed with The Trevor Project, a national suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people. Through the partnership, Rue21 will drive awareness to the organization with in-store and online efforts. In addition, the company donated $50,000 to build crisis services capacity and additional outreach support.
Rue21
“Rue21 is known for its inclusive fashion that gives our loyal customers accessible options to celebrate their individuality. That’s why we’re thrilled to release a Pride collection that is fun, bold and creative and gives our customers the opportunity to become ambassadors for tolerance, acceptance and love,” said Bill Brand, Rue21 CEO. “It was a natural extension of our brand’s mission to become an official partner with The Trevor Project. Ending LGBTQ+ youth suicide is urgent, and we are educating our employees and customers on the problem so that we can leverage our amazing rue21 community to be a part of the solution together.”
The collection follows through on the brand’s recent commitment to size-inclusive fashion, and is available now online and in stores in sizes S-XL as well as plus sizes.
Dickies
Dickies is celebrating Pride with the help of two artists, Amber Ibarrechem and Rene Matić, who each designed an item in the brand’s “Uniquely Yours” collection. The workwear capsule collection includes overalls with positive messaging and a custom embroidered patch set designed by Ibarrechem, and a “Yours, Ours” T-Shirt featuring the Pan-African flag, designed by Matić.
“I am dedicating my T-shirt to the Black queer community,” Matić said. “It often feels like we can’t stake a claim in the rainbow flag, so the colors I’ve used reference the Pan-African flag. Pan Africanism fits perfectly with the ‘Uniquely Yours’ theme—it’s about unity, collectivity and transmission but also identity, individualism and pride.”
Rene Matic
The collection is available now and retails for $20-$100. Dickies will donate $10 for every shirt and bib overall purchased from the collection to the Trevor Project in North America and LGBTQ+ telephone helpline Switchboard in Europe.
Gap
Artwork is one way Gap is working to elevate voices in the LGBTQ+ community. The retailer introduced a collection designed by artists Star Casimir, Rachel Lindsey and Abayomi “AC” Carey, who are all members of Pride @ Gap Inc., an employee resource group that creates an inclusive and supportive environment. Each artist designed a graphic tee, with artwork spanning rainbow-hued arms wrapped around the planet to tie-dye and retro rainbows. Phrases like “You me we” and “Love for all” express sentiments of unity and inclusivity. The collection also includes a Pride-themed logo tee and a T-shirt that pays homage to National Coming Out Day.
Gap
The 100 percent organic cotton tees are available in adult unisex sizes XS-XXXL and retail for $29.95. Along with the collection, Gap is donating $50,000 to GLAAD, a media advocacy organization working to accelerate acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community.
Levi’s
For Pride 2021, Levi’s aims to encourage empathy and inclusivity with a new Pride collection that celebrates LGBTQIA individuals and underscores the importance of learning and respecting proper pronoun use. Called “All Pronouns. All Love,” Levi’s says the collection is “focused on stories of big love, understanding and optimism.”
The unisex collection features modern interpretations of Levi’s classics such as Trucker jackets with dropped shoulders, denim shortalls and a canvas jumpsuit. The phrase “they/them, she/her, he/him, we,” is prominently featured in the unisex collection. Garments are also accented with holographic rainbow foil and graphics like rainbow paneling, which is inspired by the waving rainbow flag of the Castro District in Levi’s hometown of San Francisco.
Levi’s
The Pride 2021 collection will help further the efforts of OutRight Action International, an organization that works to advance the rights of LGBTQIA people all over the world. For the third consecutive year, all net proceeds from Levi’s Pride collection will go to the organization.
“We are proud to celebrate the LGBTQIA community each year with our Pride collection and by participating in Pride events across the globe,” said Jen Sey, Levi’s brand president. “We find it so important to see people as they want to be seen. Which is why this year, our goal is to showcase the Pride collection with a call you can’t ignore: Respect all pronouns.”
