PARIS – Viktor & Rolf has forged a long-term partnership with GLAAD, the LGBTQ media advocacy group, including a digital campaign slated for Pride Month, starting June 21.
“We wanted to partner with an organization with an incredibly strong history of defending LGBTQ + rights,” Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren jointly said.
The directors of L’Oréal, holder of the V&R perfume and beauty license, spoke with the creators.
“We had a lot of talk about what we could do together as a brand – fashion and fragrances – to really get the point across,” said Guillaume de Lesquen, global president, international designer brand fragrances, at L ‘ Oréal, describing him as one of love, equality, inclusion and acceptance.
The campaign, titled “Free to Love, Free to Be Me,” is comprised of films made by LGBTQ influencers and activists, includes drag artists Miss Fame and Tia Kofi; choreographer Ryan Heffington; dancer and content creator Donte Colley; life coach and activist Barrett Pall; model and influencer Baptiste Giabiconi; writer and activist Raquel Willis; and transgender activist Geena Rocero.
“With GLAAD’s guidance and partnership, we hope these stories resonate with people around the world, bringing us one step closer to equality and acceptance,” said the designers. “This partnership is a reflection of the brand’s continued efforts to champion the LGBTQ + community, as well as a testament to the core values that have shaped the brand since its inception.”
For the campaign, people were asked to create spots – using GoPro or cell phones – on their interpretation of “freedom”.
“The idea was to tap into what freedom means to us – it’s the ability to be your most authentic self,” Horsting and Snoeren said. “Representation is a fundamental step in terms of acceptance and equality. We believe that when LGBTQ + stories are shared in a genuine and honest way, it creates a positive dialogue around the LGBTQ + experience. Sharing these authentic stories is a powerful way to challenge the stigma and stereotypes that pervade societies around the world. For us personally, the importance of advocacy work has of course been informed by our own experience as proud and vocal members of the LGBTQ + community.
“We have chosen to partner with a group of talented LGBTQ + influencers and activists, who will offer insight into the authentic LGBTQ + experience,” they continued. “Through these stories, we hope to amplify LGBTQ + voices and share a message that will resonate with anyone struggling with their identity or acceptance. “
Miss Fame (née Kurtis Dam-Mikkelsen) has a long-standing relationship with V&R, most recently as an ambassador for her fragrance Flowerbomb.
“Freedom is an evolution of the self,” said Miss Fame, explaining that the art form of dragging was liberating and let its feminine side shine through. “By identifying myself as a man early in my drag journey in my early twenties, I was really able to say, ‘It’s me here, and it’s me here when I’m in the middle of dragging. But as I continued to explore my femininity through this art form, I found it to be a lot smoother than that.
“I explore my truth and do a lot of things in private to find my strength,” Miss Fame said. “Sometimes we feel pressured by the company to say, ‘I have to own this title today.’ Sometimes you don’t, you just have to take some time for yourself and find what you feel is strong in your own bubble, with your own sacred people, where you can say, “I’m on a journey. You can take your time. Don’t feel pressured or obligated to tick boxes. If we can, maybe we’ll remove the boxes, and when we’re ready we’ll say, “OK, I’ve found a place that really suits me.
For the campaign, the performer and activist filmed at home.
“I was pretty much captured in my own space where I live, think and often talk to my husband about my fears, frustrations and celebrations – when we have a victory,” Miss Fame said. “So having this opportunity to create from home, I was a little anxious, because I protect my sacred place from the public. And also, I didn’t go into full and heavy glamor. I wasn’t going into fashion. Miss Fame in her own right.
“I kind of revealed the Kurtis to me, which I don’t often let people see,” Miss Fame continued. “I only share myself when I’m not completely glamorous when I feel comfortable doing it. It’s part of my letting go process – it makes me feel like I’m enough even without all of the embellishments I’ve created in my relationship to fashion.
Miss Fame used no wigs and minimal makeup to be ready for the camera.
“Hold a camera an inch from my face and pan over this amazing Viktor & Rolf piece of clothing – it was super vibrant,” Miss Fame said. “It was very revealing, but maybe now is the perfect time to be at this level. What’s the point of activism if you can’t pull it all off? Activism is not about your appearance. It’s about what we feel and how we communicate those feelings.
Miss Fame chose to wear a hot pink V&R trench coat with bangs, explaining, “That just spoke to me. I’m a fan of any trench coat, any coat all the time because it’s non-sexist.
Along with the coat, there were lace pants, gloves from Miss Fame’s dredge bag, glasses, and chunky-soled shoes.
Free to Love films should be shared on V & R’s social media platforms, for fashion and beauty, as well as on each influencer platform.
There are other things related to GLAAD. The advocacy group helps train V&R teams around the world on LGBTQ history and how to honor and support this community with precision and respect.
“This is to make sure that everything we say and do is perfectly aligned with what needs to be said today,” said de Lesquen.
There is also a limited edition “Pride Up” rainbow bracelet offered as a gift with the brand’s Spicebomb Infrared Eau de Toilette. It will also be presented to 500 of GLAAD’s main supporters and other influential members of the LGBTQ community.
The V&R brand is to contribute financially to GLAAD each year, while activations with the organization will be launched several times during the year.
For more information, see:
Viktor & Rolf Couture Spring 2021
EXCLUSIVE: Viktor & Rolf Returns to Men’s Clothing with a New Conscious Approach
How Beauty Brands Celebrate Pride Month
