It’s now June, and Pride month this year is full of new and exciting surprises in the fashion scene… the most unexpected drop is perhaps Balenciaga’s pride collection, especially considering how unwilling these fashion houses are to drop their aesthetics for the purpose of spreading a message. And Demna Gvasalia at Balenciaga is certainly continuing to amaze us this year, even after the Gucci ‘hacking’ collaboration. It is always a sore point in fashion when it comes to being political, especially considering how much designs need to be simplified to get the message across. But Balenciaga took the message to heart this year and used this capsule collection to commit and direct awareness towards such an urgent social issue. 

Available in selected stores and online, items in this collection include baseball caps, shirts, hoodies, waistbands, underwear, sports bra, and more. Its wearability fits their selling point, with two unique designs (still very conforming to the issue) that we predict will be seen on nearly every influencer for this pride month. 

The first design comes in a varsity-style lettering that spells out “GAY PRIDE BALENCIAGA 2021”, with the word GAY emblazoned with a rainbow flag. Every look of the collection announces pride in a simple yet straightforward style. While some designs highlight the rainbow flag, others focus on the though-provoking lettering. A colorful rainbow can be seen around the waist of men and women’s underwear, and whilst it’s not the first brand to have embraced this design, Balenciaga always knows how to make their clothes irresistible. Other rainbow styles include socks, party bracelets, and fake fur shoulder strap coin purses. But if you want to opt for more low key staples from the collection, the metal brooches are very eccentric and the collection of colourful caps are to die for.

This collection not only actively celebrates this unprecedented pride month, but also largely supports the Trevor Project and its mission to end LGBTQ youth suicide. Balenciaga will donate 15% of the sales price from the Pride 2021 capsule collection to The Trevor Project. Founded in 1998, it is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people, offering 24/7 intervention suite, advocating for the approval of pro-LGBTQ legislations and helping young LGBTQ people in crisis. Whilst this collection may not steal the show in terms of its designs, it is certainly always appreciated when brands speak out about these matters in such an unfiltered, loud, and direct way, and we’re here for it.

Words By Tommaso Donati

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