While most parades and parties have been shuttered this year, men’s care brand Harry’s is marking Pride month with its Design with Pride campaign to celebrate creatives in the LGBTQ community, along with a special edition Pride shave kit. Harry’s collaborated with Spanish illustrator José Roda to create a digital experience that shares the inspirational stories of 12 creative talents and their journeys to personal happiness and professional success. To go along with their own words, Roda illustrated each creative in a vibrant color palette that complements the Pride shave kit’s packaging. The creatives that participated are: branding wizard and writer Debbie Millman, product designer Lee Broom, designer Cas Holman, designers Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin of Formafantasma, illustrator and art director Fredrik Andersson, fragrance designer and architect Carlos Huber, artist Gilbert Baker, artist Matthew Placek, architect Matthias Hollwich, fashion designer NiK Kacy, and fashion designers Robert Tagliapietra and Jeffrey Costello of JC-RT.
This project is a culmination of so many things that are fundamental to us at Harry’s – supporting the LGBTQ community and working with talented, creative designers. Design with Pride truly is a celebration of the individuals that sit between these worlds, and inspire us all.
-Scott Newlin, VP of Design at Harry’s
Debbie Millman | President, Masters in Branding at The School of Visual Arts; Chair of Design Matters
What does Pride mean to you?
To me, pride means feeling proud of who I am, as is. It means being comfortable in my own skin as a gay woman, artist, writer and educator. It means being happy to be who I am, in totality.
Are there any LGBTQ artists/designers that you’re currently a fan of?
SO MANY! I love the artists Lisa Congdon, Deborah Kass, Patricia Cronin, Chip Kidd, Adam J. Kurtz, Jonathan Adler, the writers Carmen Maria Machado, Grace Bonney, Maria Popova, Tea Uglow, Thomas Page McBee, Elissa Altman, Simon Doonon, musicians Kaki King, Erin McKweon, Lucy Wainwright Roche, writer and chef Julia Turshen, writer and astrologers Chani Nicholas and Christopher Renstrom and so many more!
What’s the next big trend happening in branding and design that you’d like to see?
I find the role of branding now incredibly, incredibly exciting and a lot of that has to do with the energy and intellect of the new generation of designers and makers. Movements such as Black Lives Matter and #MeToo are some of the most important instigators of change to enter our cultural discourse in a long time. As is the use of the Pink Pussy hat. Design has finally become democratized, and these efforts are not about anything commercial. These efforts have not been initiated for any financial benefit. They have been created by the people for the people to serve the highest purpose design has: to bring people together for the benefit of humanity. This is creating an environment wherein design and branding are not just tools of capitalism, rather they have become profound manifestations of the human spirit.
Lee Broom | Product Designer
What does Pride mean to you?
For me it means self-acceptance without exception, and being part of a community that accepts who you are.
Are there any LGBTQ artists/designers that you’re currently a fan of?
I adore Christine and the Queens. She is a breath of fresh air in every respect.
What advice do you have for young people in the LGBTQ community who want to pursue a creative path?
Be authentic to who you are and how you create – you need to have a point of difference if you want to become successful in the creative industry. Combined with lots of hard work, it will all just fall into place eventually.
Cas Holman | Designer, President of Heroes Will Rise
Describe a moment when being both an artist/designer and a part of this community has helped you through a difficult time / helped you find a way forward.
LGBTQI folks are naturally great designers because many of us, in an effort to make a world that fits who we are and feels right, have designed our own identities and ways of existing. As a young queer kid I didn’t see any models (in the media or my small town) that were even remotely appealing to me. I think it was because I had a designer’s mindset that I began to invent my own version of how to live and work, and most importantly build my own non-traditional family to explore that with.
As a toy designer, what is the biggest difference between designer for children versus for adults?
I think adulthood is a performance, and one that I don’t find very compelling, so I prefer to design for children! As we become adults we train ourselves out of many natural instincts – play being the most obvious. We are born knowing how to play, express ourselves, be open to the world and curious… and somewhere in the process of “growing up” we stop valuing those traits and activities. I’m biased, of course, but I think queers are really good at playing because we inherently challenge many rules and norms.
What advice do you have for young people in the LGBTQ community who want to pursue a creative path?
Realize and believe that your perspective as an outsider or outlier or “weirdo” is an asset. Bring who you are to what you do. Be confident in the value of the creative work you’ve done just to be who you are, and make it part of your work.
Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin | Designers, Formafantasma
Describe a moment when being both an artist/designer and a part of this community has helped you through a difficult time / helped you find a way forward.
The realization of being gay and the social stigma that comes with it was a difficult moment. At the same time, we quickly moved on because we also always loved queerness in the sense of strangeness, of anything that is different than normal. We always perceived diversity as something thrilling and the ultimate and most interesting feature of all living creatures on planet earth. The love for the unexpected and the queer is also what ultimately made us love ourselves for who we are. This might sound a bit cliche’, but it is how we feel about it.
Are there any LGBTQ artists/designers that you’re currently a fan of?
Anhoni for her contribution to music, ecofeminist values and ecological activism.
Any tips on working successfully as a design duo?
Make sure to have a very clear schedule and to never work at night. Organization is the secret of making it work.
How has sustainability changed the way you design? What does it mean to actually be sustainable in design?
This is a difficult question because while there are some parameters that we could describe, we actually believe the best way to approach this is another. We think every person, not only designers, should always consider the ethical implications of what they do and understand what they are or are not willing to compromise on.
Fred Andersson | Illustrator, Art Director
Are there any LGBTQ artists/designers that you’re currently a fan of?
There are so many, but at the moment I’d say Broobs (@Broobs.PSD on Instagram). They are putting a lot of effort into support for workers’ unions during this epidemic, and I find that the way they express their compassion very inspiring.
What is The Outside Project, and what do you do in your capacity for them?
The Outside Project is the UK’s first LGBTQIA+ shelter and community centre, and we have been around for 3 years. I joined about 2 years ago. I volunteer as an art director and help out with organizing the community centre. I also run my youth group (Queer Youth Art Collective) for queer kids who have an interest in the arts. Because so many of my teachers in art school (as is true with so many schools) were white cis het tutors who thought that they understood queerness, I attempt to work through this with these groups. Queer artists deserve better.
What’s the next big trend happening in design that you’d like to see?
I would say something that I believe designers, artists and everybody should be better at is talking about social issues or political causes [productively]. As good as it is to highlight problems, do your research to make sure you find the people that are working towards a solution.
The Harry’s Shave with Pride Kits are $25 with 100% of proceeds going to The Trevor Project (US) and £10 of every sold set will go to the Albert Kennedy Trust (UK).
To see the entire Design with Pride collaboration and full interviews, visit designwithpride.harrys.com/, and to purchase the Harry’s Shave with Pride Kit, head to harrys.com.
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