We have officially welcomed Pride Month, and with this celebration also the wave of initiatives in support of the LGBTQ+ community that this occasion cyclically fuels. But the end of this particular month surely doesn’t imply that the LGBTQ+ community and the attention, the commitment or the responsibility towards the battles for civil rights should be forgotten. The project 365 Days of Pride, launched by Opening Ceremony, has exactly this aim at its core: to underline that concrete actions in support of the community are crucial and necessary every single day of the year.
Founded in 2020, the project at first manifested itself in a capsule inspired by the queer safe spaces of New York. This year’s capsule, instead, wants to support queer arts and practices, held back by the economic crisis which has violently shattered independent and marginalised scenes and businesses. Created in collaboration with Herb Ritts Foundation, the organisation founded by the late photographer, the capsule wants to raise awareness on the struggles which orbit around queer practices, once again underlining the importance of addressing the urgent issues related to HIV/AIDS.
The result of this partnership are four T-shirts inspired by Ritts’ work. Forget glitter, rainbows and unicorns: the capsule embodies the same glamour and statuesque aesthetic typical of the American photographer’s works, surrounding us with that same steamy atmosphere which can characterise niche queer productions. Ritts, with his unforgettable talent, managed to shape the imagery of the ‘80s and the ‘90s through the glamour of his photos. His art has been universally acknowledged and celebrated over the decades and is still influencing many creatives today. Through his work he often challenged conventional notions of gender or race, and the simplicity and sleekness of his language allowed his images to emotionally get to the audience instantaneously.
Through the collaboration, Opening Ceremony brings queer art to the centre of the collective discourse, underlining its relevance and urgency. Proving once more its consistency and dedication to the cause, the brand has chosen Gabriella Grimes, Mohammed Fayaz, Lauren YS and Miguel Doyle– artists and members of the LGBTQ+ community–to create four original artworks, which will be features in the brand’s Instagram account throughout the whole month of June.
The Opening Ceremony x Herb Ritts capsule will be available for purchase from the 11th of June, on the brand’s ecommerce site. Last but not least, you will also find the collection at James Veloria, the legendary vintage store in New York, and at Chifa LA, Humberto Leon’s restaurant based in Los Angeles.
Opening Ceremony x Herb Ritts’ capsule collection will be available from the 11th of June on Opening Ceremony’s ecommerce and on Farfetch–on this particular website, you will also find an exclusive limited edition T-shirt.
