How Artists and Activists Use Fashion to Express Identity Wearing Marc Jacobs Summer ’18

The Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender Center upholds the promise of its name. It is an integral part of the New York queer community, serving as home to over 300 hundred organizations and servicing over 8,900 people a year. Marc Jacobs has been a long time supporter of The Center and was honored alongside Hillary Clinton at the 2017 Center Dinner. Given The Center’s vital role in the community and its ongoing relationship with Marc Jacobs, shooting the Pride 2018 campaign there felt like a given. I served as creative director on the shoot, and the casting was comprised of New York-based queer activists and artists who reflect The Center's rich history and embody our community's promising future.

On set, 19-year-old artist Chella Man felt right at home in the second floor bathroom painted by Keith Haring; both Haring and Chella use a fluid, often abstract yet heavily emotive, freehand style to express themselves. Model and downtown sweetheart Richie Shazam carries an aura of love, acceptance, warmth and hope similar to pioneer Edie Windsor. Edie was the lead plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that overturned the Defense of Marriage Act and she chose to hold her press conference at the Center. In between takes, I had the opportunity to chat with the cast about how fashion interacted with their queer identity and what pride meant to them. Read on for their responses.