Eight of the best design products celebrating Pride Month 2019
With this year's Pride Month in full swing, we've rounded up eight products that you can truly use and wear with pride, from rainbow-printed Nikes to a multicoloured Ercol loveseat.
Pride Month takes place every year in June in celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, which includes encompasses lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, questioning, intersex, non-binary, asexual, polysexual, genderqueer and gender-variant people.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots – a series of demonstrations carried out by a group of drag queens in 1969 in response to the police raid of the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, New York.
It was this that led Brenda Howard, the so-called "mother of pride", to organise the first LGBTQ+ Pride march. The movement took off – today festivals and parades take place all around the world.
To mark the occasion, here are eight products you can use and wear to show your support for the LGBTQ+ community:
BETRUE collection by Nike
To celebrate the impact of political activist and designer Gilbert Baker, the designer of the original Pride rainbow flag, Nike has partnered with the Gilbert Baker Estate to create the 2019 BETRUE unisex collection.
Including footwear, garments and accessories, each item in the collection features the icon's original eight-colour flag, as well as other Pride symbols and "Gilbert-y" touches such as handcrafted embroidery and glittery details.
The 2019 BETRUE collection will release at select global retailers on 1 June, and on 8 June in North America on the Nike website, SNKRS and at select Nike stores.
2LG Love Seat by 2LG Studio and Ercol
Interior design studio 2LG was tasked with reimagining Ercol's iconic Love Seat in honour of Pride month. The duo created four limited-edition benches, each featuring a unique configuration of seven vibrant hues, from ultramarine and coral to violet and luminous yellow.
In addition to reflecting 2LG's distinctive take on colour and design, these alternative shades offer a "fresh twist" on the rainbow palette. Each piece is sprayed by hand to ensure that no two are the same, as a "celebration of diversity".
Three of the Love Seats will be sold and auctioned off for charity, with all proceeds going to Stonewall and the Pride in London charitable foundation.
Pride collection by Converse
Now an annual fixture, this year's Converse Pride collection features version of the classic Chuck Taylor sneaker decked out with rainbow-coloured gradients and glitter bolt designs.
All shoes feature lave tips inspired by the Pride or Trans flag, and the dates 1969–2019 printed on the back of the tongue, marking Pride's 50th anniversary.
The range also includes clothes and accessories with graphic designs inspired by the 60s and 70s.
The 2019 Converse Pride collection will be available globally beginning from May 6 in North America on the Converse website and at select retailers.
IKEA recently launched a rainbow-coloured version of its classic blue Frakta shopping bag to promote equality and show its support for the LGBTQ+ community.
The limited-edition Kvanting tote features six stripes in the colours of the most common version of the Rainbow Flag – the international symbol for gay pride.
It will be on sale in IKEA stores across America to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month this June, with all proceeds going to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, a charity within the nation's largest campaign organisation for equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people.
Universal Pride Flatform Sandal by Teva and the Tegan and Sara Foundation
American footwear brand Teva has released a series of limited-edition rainbow-coloured platform sandals in celebration of Pride month, created in collaboration with the Tegan and Sara Foundation (TSF), which supports girls and women in the LGBTQ+ community.
Teva will donate $15 to the TSF for each pair of Universal Pride Flatform Sandals sold, up to a guaranteed maximum donation of $30,000. The money will go towards funding scholarships for LGBTQ+ youth to attend summer camps that help develop self-confidence and leadership abilities.
Shave With Pride set by Harry's
Men's care brand Harry's has released a limited-edition shaving set for Pride month. Housed inside a colourful box illustrated by Spanish artist José Antonio Roda, the Shave With Pride set includes an iridescent version of the company's Winston razor and shaving gel.
Available to buy online for £28, all profits from the sales of the pride sets will go to the Albert Kennedy Trust, a voluntary organisation based in England that helps young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people who are homeless, living in a hostile environment or in housing crisis.
How We Love by American Apparel
Fashion brand American Apparel shows its continued support for the LGBTQ+ community with a limited-edition capsule collection of statement tees, featuring slogans such as "Loud & Proud", "Everyone's Gay" and "Still here. Still queer."
Called How We Love, the collection aims to celebrate "how we connect, how we express, and how we love".
All net profits will be donated to the Los Angeles LGBT Center's trans-cosmetic donation drive, founded by celebrity hairstylist Andrew Fitzsimons to serve low-income trans and gender non-conforming people.
Pride Month collection by ASOS and GLAAD
ASOS has teamed up with LGBTQ+ support organisation GLAAD for a third collection to mark Pride month with a unisex line of garments and accessories, from multicoloured snake-print shirts and neon track jackets to animal-print bags and accessories.
All net profits will be donated to GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), an American non-governmental media monitoring organisation founded by LGBTQ+ people in the media.
ASOS is also a sponsor of Los Angeles Pride this year, and will have a float in the parade on 9 June.