BRAND APPOINTS MULTI-DISCIPLINARY ARTIST
ALOK AS CREATIVE PARTNER FOR A COLLECTION ROOTED IN
SAFE-SPACE STORYTELLING & SUPPORT FOR LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY
SANTA
BARBARA, Calif., May 15, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Southern California-based global lifestyle
brand UGG® (a division of Deckers Brands [NYSE: DECK])
partnered with internationally-acclaimed comedian and author
ALOK (they/them) to co-create the new URSeen
collection for Pride 2024, an expressive offering with and for the
LGBTQ+ community. Together with ALOK, UGG® is reenergizing its
year-round mission to make self-expression comfortable for all
through creating deep partnerships that amplify the community's
voices.
UGG® and ALOK, who share the same values of an inclusive
community, unpacked how Pride can be expressed for a new fashion
era. The all-gender collection features the URSeen Platform
and URSeen Dress, designed to embrace the creativity,
adaptability, and confidence of the LGBTQ+ community. Serving
color-stacked pops of pink and green head to toe, this uplifting
collaboration encourages endless self-expression for Pride Month
and beyond.
Collaboration is key to feeling heard and feeling seen. In
addition to the co-creation with ALOK, UGG® tapped ALOK's close
friends from their network of multi-hyphenate creatives to appear
alongside them in the URSeen campaign. Model, media influencer,
hair stylist, image consultant, and creative
director B3NTL3Y (all pronouns), celebrity hairstylist,
personality, and founder of Útiles Beauty Alyx
Liu (all pronouns), and model, actor, coach, and cultural
strategist Chrissy (they/them) style the collection in a way
that makes them feel empowered to show the versatility of the
pieces.
"My childhood was about hiding myself, having to cover up,
disappear, to not draw attention to myself. So, so much of what I
was trying to do in this collection with UGG is to take something
audacious like courage and put it into a platform shoe and bodycon
dress, so that when people are feeling a little timid, putting on
these pieces can actually give you that sense of power." - ALOK,
Comedian and Author
- URSeen Platform, $180: A
champion for embracing your true self and making everyone feel
accepted, ALOK influenced the URSeen Platform with a triumphantly
bold color gradient platform, a leather upper, soft sheepskin
lining, and an upcycled wool-blend UGGplush™ sock liner.
- URSeen Dress, $128: The URSeen Dress is an expressive
co-creation with renowned gender non-conforming artist ALOK.
Designed to embrace the creativity, adaptability, and confidence of
the LGBTQ+ community, this vivacious dress has an asymmetrical
shape with a form-fitting faux-fur fabrication inspired by the Feel
of UGG®.
UGG® is honored to celebrate organizations that it gives back to
beyond the month of June. To support their mission all year long,
the brand has donated, in total, $200,000 across It Gets Better, Pacific
Pride Foundation, and PFLAG National over the past year
to encourage inclusion, connect with members of the community, and
further promote a caring, just, and affirming world for LGBTQ+
people and those who love them. To read more on the UGG® brand's
purpose initiatives and partnerships, please visit the UGG®
website here.
Taking this initiative to the community level, UGG® is welcoming
friends of the brand to its first-ever Pride float to celebrate
Pride Month. In partnership with LA Pride, UGG® will
participate in the LA Pride Parade on June
9 in Los Angeles,
California. The float will take inspiration from the URSeen
collection co-created by ALOK, and represent the bold style the
brand is associated with.
The URSeen collection is available now for purchase at UGG.com,
UGG® stores and select wholesale retailers nationwide.
About UGG®
Founded in 1978 by an Australian surfer on the coast of
California, UGG® is a global
lifestyle brand renowned for its iconic Classic Boot. First worn by
Hollywood royalty, fashion
editors, and then the world, UGG® designs and retails footwear,
apparel, accessories, and homewares with an uncompromising attitude
toward quality and craftsmanship. UGG® is an environmentally and
socially conscious brand which strives to be socially just,
economically inclusive, and environmentally restorative. Delivering
more than $1.5 billion in annual
sales, UGG® partners with the best retailers globally and owns
concept and outlet stores worldwide in key markets, including
New York, San Francisco, Los
Angeles, Paris,
London, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Beijing. For more information, please visit
www.ugg.com @ugg #FeelsLikeUGG.
About ALOK
Alok Vaid-Menon (they/them),
author, poet, comedian, and public speaker, delves into trauma,
belonging, and the human condition through their signature
mixed-media artistry. ALOK's literary works "Beyond the Gender
Binary," "Femme in Public," and "Your Wound, My Garden," have garnered global recognition.
Their dynamic presence has captivated audiences in over 40
countries, with sold-out shows at venues including Edinburgh Fringe
Festival and London Soho Theatre and headlining numerous Just For
Laughs Festivals.
In May 2024, ALOK is slated to take center stage at the
Netflix is a Joke Festival. The docu-short "ALOK," which made its
debut at Sundance, follows ALOK's compelling performances in the
films "Absolute Dominion" and "Complicated Order," coupled with
their roles in television series like "SORT OF" and "Planet Sex
with Cara Delevingne."
ALOK's relentless advocacy for LGBTQ rights and the dismantling
of traditional fashion norms have garnered them accolades including
the ACLU Centennial Bill of Rights Award. As the visionary behind
#DeGenderFashion and the Creative Partner for UGG's eagerly
anticipated 2024 collection, they are pioneering a transformative
era in fashion.
Their leadership is paving the way for a fashion industry that
celebrates unbridled personal expression, championing a culture of
inclusivity and the celebration of unique identities.
About B3NTL3Y
Known for their welcoming energy and openness, B3NTL3Y
(bent-lee) takes every opportunity to practice their mantra of "B3
You, B3 Confident, B3 Unstoppable." Working as a model, media
influencer, hair stylist, image consultant and creative director
across a variety of industries, cultures, and lived experiences has
provided many opportunities to be curious and challenge the status
quo. B3NTL3Y draws on their own journey of self-discovery in
challenging others to live authentically – sharing their
perspective on navigating their identity as a black, non-binary,
queer son of immigrant parents and giving permission for others to
explore their own identity. In doing so, B3NTL3Y has a unique
ability to make others feel seen, safe, and inspired to be
themselves.
About Alyx Liu
Alyx Liu is a gender
non-conforming (all pronouns) celebrity hairstylist, personality,
and founder of Útiles Beauty.
Bridging the gap between hairstyling and queer representation,
Alyx has become an influential figure on social media and LA queer
life. Most notably, bringing awareness to inclusivity and hosting
speed dating events for the LGBTQIA+ community. Their passions for
activism and social justice extend beyond their professional
capabilities in the beauty space. Clients include Ariana Grande, Demi
Lovato, Miranda Kerr,
Faouzia, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan,
Ivy Getty, among others.
About Chrissy
Chrissy is a model, actor, coach, and cultural strategist based
in Los Angeles. As a black
non-binary immigrant hailing from Ayiti (Haiti,) Chrissy seeks to live in a world where
all people have access to the healing and resourcing that they
need. In their spare time, Chrissy is learning how to drive, making
butter from scratch, and recreating their grandmother's recipes
purely from ancestral memory and vibes.
Press Contact:
UGG®
Sarajane
McQuaid
Associate PR Manager
Mobile: (913) 744 7553
sarajane.mcquaid@deckers.com
Karla Otto New York
Erica
Morelli
Senior Director
erica.morelli@karlaotto.com
HIGH-RES CONTENT
Campaign + product photography content credit:
UGG®
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