UGG & ALOK CO-CREATE EXPRESSIVE 'URSEEN' COLLECTION FOR PRIDE 2024
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
Campaign + product photography content credit: UGG®
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