ADIDAS COLLABORATES WITH RICH MNISI AND THEBE MAGUGU
ADIDAS COLLABORATES WITH RICH MNISI AND THEBE MAGUGU ON THE 2021 LOVE UNITES PRIDE CAMPAIGN
As a celebration of the love that connects us all, adidas recently partnered with South Africa’s award-winning fashion designers, Rich Mnisi and Thebe Magugu alongside global influential members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community, to headline the 2021 PRIDE collection for its Love Unites campaign.
With pieces spanning across style and performance wear, the expansive collection looks to hero a ‘Do It Yourself’ (DIY) visual aesthetic born from the LGBTQ+ communities who had sought to create their own spaces for self-expression.
To add a local flare to the campaign, Rich and Thebe recreated the Love Unites campaign to tell the story of sport culture in the lens of South African allies and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Speaking on sport culture in the LGBTQ+ community, Rich Mnisi said, “Heteronormativity from professional sports to children's athletics has been seen as the typical model in sports culture. I reimagine this Pride collection by celebrating queer personalities that exist in sport today, dancer, Lebo Otukile, rugby player Soala Amabeoku and soccer player & coach Mpumi Nyandeni”.
Thebe expresses his excitement for this campaign, “this is a homage to everyone moving and pushing through the highest mountains, doing all this through love. More queer athletes are running, shooting hoops, and kicking stereotypes with pride than ever before. In sports, like everyday life, cultivating passion begins with love. As queer athletes leap over stereotypes and break boundaries, let their passion inspire you to wear your heart on your sleeve and stand with pride”. Thebe’s reimagined pride collection features models Lethabo Gailele, Monray Louw and Chalé Darwin.
The 2021 ‘Love Unites’ collection is available now at adidas.co.za and at adidas stores. Follow adidasZA on Instagram using #LoveUnites and richmnisi and thebemagugu to learn more.
