Pride Month 2021 fashion: Coach, Versace, Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren and 6 more luxury brands releasing rainbow pieces and donating to LGBT charities
- Versace is collaborating with Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation to promote diversity and equality with a black beret and other pieces
- Taking place in June every year to commemorate the Stonewall Riots in New York City in 1969, Pride Month sees an outpouring of self-expression and support
Records of LGBTQ+ people have existed from as early as 2400 BCE; according to a New York Times article, some believed that Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum of Ancient Egypt were the first-ever recorded same-sex couple in human history.
So what’s Pride month all about? On June 28, 1969, police officers raided Stonewall Inn, a gay club in New York City, prompting club patrons and other members of the LGBTQ+ community to fight back. The incident sparked the gay rights movement in the United States, and the concept of Pride spread across the globe.
Waving a rainbow flag or donning apparel or accessories featuring the iconic Pride symbol is customary and, as LGBTQ+ visibility rises, brands show solidarity by releasing Pride-themed collections in June – although not all countries celebrate Pride at the same time. Not only do these Pride-themed pieces add colour and joy to our wardrobes, they also signify the progression in spreading love and acceptance.
From bright and bold rainbow-hued pieces to subtler designs, here are some of the Pride-themed fashion collections to look out for this year.
Versace
A collaboration between Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation and Versace to promote equality, diversity and inclusion, the Pride Month collection features an array of fashionable pieces that’ll let you support the movement in style. A portion of sales will be donated to Gaga’s charitable foundation in support of LGBTQ+ communities.
Balenciaga
Rather than opting for the traditional rainbow colours, Balenciaga launched a hoodie that only comes in pink, black and dark blue with the text “gay” and “pride” emblazoned in the centre. To further support LGBTQ+ communities, Balenciaga has also partnered up with the Trevor Project, a non-profit organisation devoted to preventing suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth.