Under Armour has released its 2020 Pride collection and this year the company is going retro. The selection of athletic apparel is based on the original hand-dyed Pride flag.
This is the third year the company has released a Pride-themed collection, but the striking tie-dyed look harkens back to Gilbert Baker’s original design.
Related: Gilbert Baker may have designed the rainbow flag, but this woman made it happen
The flag’s colors have changed over the years with hot pink being removed and indigo and turquoise combined into royal blue. The UA design has the current color scheme but shows a hand-dyed feel like the first flag, which over 30 people helped make.
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The company’s Pride-themed sneaker, of course, is the highlight of the collection. Other items include backpacks, shirts, headbands, and shorts.
“As the focal point of Under Armour’s third Pride collection, the HOVR Phantom 1 Slip represents more than a product. It symbolizes the power of community and the importance of allyship,” the company told LGBTQ Nation. “Just as one person didn’t create the original Rainbow Pride Flag, one person didn’t design the Phantom Slip, and one person won’t solve the issues faced by the LGBTQ+ community.”
Unified, the company’s LGBTQ employee resource group, helped to design the shoe and “had a heavy influence on the design.”
“The allyship that the design team has built with Unified is extremely important. Having the opportunity to be a part of the many rounds of design review and feedback gave us ownership of the collection and, at the end of the day, a shoe we are really proud of,” Perry Williams, the former co-chair of the group said.
The company has also established the UA PRIDE Grant Program, which seeks to alleviate financial hardships that have fallen upon LGBTQ community-focused non-profits due to COVID-19. The program focuses specifically on Baltimore, Maryland and Austin, Texas, where the company has offices.
Eligible organizations that are facing a budget crisis can apply for a one-time grant ranging between $2,500-$15,000. The application deadline is June 10.
