DKNY Launches Pride Collection Benefitting Hetrick-Martin Institute
DKNY has partnered with the Hetrick-Martin Institute ("HMI") to celebrate the New York arrival of WorldPride, which commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising and a half-century of LGBTQ liberation. The summer capsule collection debuts apparel, accessories, eyewear, intimates, and jewelry, all emblazoned with the Pride flag, a global symbol of the LGBTQ community's diversity. Hetrick-Martin, America's oldest and largest LGBTQ+ youth services organization, is integrated into the collection's campaign, and a donation has been made by DKNY to HMI to support its pioneering mission and empowering results.
Founded in 1979, HMI provides social support and programming to underserved, high-risk, marginalized, and homeless youth. For the past four decades, the non-profit agency has impacted the lives of over 2,000 youth in 38 states and continues to partner with over 50 community-based organizations, government agencies, and NGOs on initiatives ranging from direct services and youth events to advocacy and awareness campaigns. At its New York City space alone, HMI serves over 11,000 meals annually.
The DKNY Pride collection observes a significant moment in LGBTQ+ history. In 2019, for the first time in its 20 years, WorldPride, the world's largest LGBTQ+ festival, comes to the United States, landing in the cultural crossroads of New York City, the birthplace of DKNY. This year's WorldPride will comprise over fifty events over the entire month of June and will culminate in the NYC Pride march on Sunday, June 30. The DKNY collection aims to build awareness of Hetrick-Martin's arts and culture programming during this time.
In the corresponding campaign, DKNY translates the Pride flag into color-drenched portraits of six representatives of HMI's "music masters" art program, each of whom poses against backdrops of strong color with dramatic light effect. The campaign includes still portraits, lifestyle imagery, and video and will expand on digital through a celebrity and influencer seeding initiative.
The DKNY Pride collection reveals vibrant applications of the iconic DKNY logo, interpreted in a variety of multi-color motifs. The celebratory range also features the signature, city-ready silhouettes, bold graphics, and progressive fabrics for which DKNY is globally recognized. Sleek black activewear proclaims Pride with rainbow taping across its chest, down its back, and along its legs.
All-over printed sweatshirts, light parkas, and leggings reinterpret the logomania trend with colorful repetition of the letters D-K-N-Y. Easy, go-everywhere hoodies arrive in both cropped and elongated styles. Utility-focused totes and waist bags feature rainbow webbed straps with contrasting white logos, while ball caps and leather sneakers enable a fully coordinated, head-to-toe Pride look.