Pride Month x Store Manager Jordan Talks Queer Designers
When I was younger, being a boy and being into fashion caused people to immediately label you as gay (for me, it was obviously true), but it would always be said as a negative. But guess what, times have changed!
Whilst there were openly queer designers of the past such as Thierry Mugler, Gianni Versace and Hubert De Givenchy, the uprising in explicit, unapologetic and innovative queer designers has risen to amazing new heights.
Here’s three brands that have stood out to me for different reasons.
GOGO GRAHAM @gogograham
Gogo Graham is a designer that creates clothing exclusively for trans women. Being a trans woman herself, she understood the technical needs of clothing as well as the difference of body size. So after Gogo had gotten enough industry experience, she began designing and creating her own clothing.
Her collections vary in style and theme. It’s something that is completely representative of what the trans community is - diverse. There’s a range from blood soaked models personifying the abuse that trans people go through to, “luxurious softness” in her AW19 collection.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB-oibv1Hqw
GYPSY SPORT @gypsysport
“Gender is a construct, tear it apart!” - Sasha Velour.
Tearing the construct of gender apart is exactly what Gypsy Sport are doing, they’re creating genderless clothing.
Rio Uribe, the designer behind Gypsy Sport stopped designing for genders when they realised that the t-shirts they had specifically designed for boys, were being bought by girls. Something that I find super wonderful about them is the fact that the genderless clothing is fashion. There’s so much substance in their aesthetic that it’s impossible to not be impressed on a visual level. They’re also a sustainable brand!
Words by: Jordan Bromley