FASHION
May 24, 2023, 15:33
Colorful spots, the lettering "Love Unites" and the obligatory three stripes adorn the garment that causes discussion. Yet the swimsuit from the Pride collection of German sportswear manufacturer Adidas is neither particularly racy in cut, nor does it expose an extraordinary amount of skin.
The reason for the uproar on social media is not the piece of fabric itself, but a model. The swimsuit is worn in the company's online store by a male read model, among others. It comes from queer South African designer Rich Mnisi's 30-piece collection. The image breaks with societal expectations with the choice of model.
This caused ill-feeling in conservative US circles. A post by U.S. swimmer Riley Gaines on Twitter provoked a particularly large number of reactions. The athlete, who campaigns for the exclusion of trans women in professional sports, accused the company of wanting to "erase women" and repeated her criticism in an interview with the Fox News channel.
At least on the company's German-language website, this criticism is refuted: the same swimsuit is also advertised with a female-looking model. The collection, which was created in cooperation with the non-profit organization Ahtlete Ally, is part of the company's commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community, the company says.
The German sporting goods manufacturer is not the only fashion company that sells swimsuits for men. This year, the Italian fashion house Versace has a model on offer that shows considerably more skin. Critics and detractors like Riley Gaines will probably have to live with the fact that the swimsuit is for everyone. After all, it's all a matter of getting used to it: even Ronald Reagan wore a swimsuit in 1927. (red, 5/24/2023)
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Why a swimsuit is causing a stir for everyone
German company Adidas advertises the garment from its Pride collection with a male read model. This does not please allMay 24, 2023, 15:33
Colorful spots, the lettering "Love Unites" and the obligatory three stripes adorn the garment that causes discussion. Yet the swimsuit from the Pride collection of German sportswear manufacturer Adidas is neither particularly racy in cut, nor does it expose an extraordinary amount of skin.
The reason for the uproar on social media is not the piece of fabric itself, but a model. The swimsuit is worn in the company's online store by a male read model, among others. It comes from queer South African designer Rich Mnisi's 30-piece collection. The image breaks with societal expectations with the choice of model.
This caused ill-feeling in conservative US circles. A post by U.S. swimmer Riley Gaines on Twitter provoked a particularly large number of reactions. The athlete, who campaigns for the exclusion of trans women in professional sports, accused the company of wanting to "erase women" and repeated her criticism in an interview with the Fox News channel.
At least on the company's German-language website, this criticism is refuted: the same swimsuit is also advertised with a female-looking model. The collection, which was created in cooperation with the non-profit organization Ahtlete Ally, is part of the company's commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community, the company says.
The German sporting goods manufacturer is not the only fashion company that sells swimsuits for men. This year, the Italian fashion house Versace has a model on offer that shows considerably more skin. Critics and detractors like Riley Gaines will probably have to live with the fact that the swimsuit is for everyone. After all, it's all a matter of getting used to it: even Ronald Reagan wore a swimsuit in 1927. (red, 5/24/2023)
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