The brand celebrates queer love and chosen family in the heartwarming new campaign. By Dani Maher

PRIDE MONTH IS JUST about to kick off, and Calvin Klein have unveiled their latest campaign just in time for the month of celebration and commemoration of the advancement of queer rights.

The ‘This Is Love’ campaign is centred on the theme of chosen family — a theme close to many LGBTQIA+ people’s hearts. The term describes the bond one shares with a group of people they’re connected to by choice rather than blood; a family that is found, rather than given, and strengthened by vulnerability and shared life experiences.

“The bond I have with this family is probably better than my own family,” says a member of the legendary ballroom House of Xtravaganza in a campaign video shot by Alima Lee.

“He is my blood, but he also is chosen. I feel like I chose him from the universe,” actress and star of the recently released Conversations With Friends, Sasha Lane, says of her brother Sergio D’arcy Lane.

The cast of the campaign, with photos shot family-album-style by John Edmonds, also features trailblazing queer filmmaker John Waters and longtime muse Mink Stole; team members of nonprofit LGBT youth organisation The Trevor Project; musician Snail Mail alongside her chosen family; hairstylist Holli Smith and fiancé Pony; actors and boyfriends Justice Smith and Nic Ashe; and Afrofuturistic arts collective TRIBE.

The cast are styled in the new ‘This Is Love’ collection of apparel, underwear and activewear, in shades inspired by the Pride Progress Flag, with woven labels explaining the symbolism behind each colour: Black for Beauty; Brown for Power; Pink for Sex; Orange for Healing; Yellow for Sunlight; Tan for Harmony; White for Non-binary; Turquoise for Magic; Blue for Serenity. Like the campaign, the collection celebrates diversity and intersectionality within the queer community; redefining the idea of what a family “should” look like and instead embracing the love that thrives in all manner of nontraditional families.

Not just for show, the campaign also highlights Calvin Klein’s commitment to supporting the queer community. The brand revealed that they have raised USD$400,000 in 2022 to support organisations fighting for the safety and rights of LGBTQIA+ people. The brand will also continue its partnerships with PFLAG National and Transgender Law Center to support queer education, inclusion and justice; while locally in Australia, they are working with BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation, a network dedicated to strengthening the visibility of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQ+ community.

You can shop the 2022 ‘This Is Love’ Calvin Klein Pride collection here.

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