June is observed annually as LGBTQIA2S+ Pride Month in memory of the Stonewall Uprising in New York City on June 28, 1969. The co-lab is honored to celebrate alongside the LGBTQIA2S+ community by recognizing the remarkable progress that has been made since Stonewall and the contributions, achievements, and influence the community has had within our industries and communities. We also take this time to acknowledge and stand in solidarity with the ongoing fight for equal justice and opportunity.

In celebration of Pride Month and elevating LGBTQIA2S+ identifying voices, we are highlighting some of our wonderful LGBTQIA2S+ co-lab members on our Instagram @jointhecolab and on our website.

As told to the co-lab

I have worked in the fashion industry for 20 years, oftentimes feeling like the only lesbian in my industry. While queer creatives and designers have long shaped the fashion industry, my representation remains limited. The majority of positions of power in both industries are also still held by those who adhere to conventional heteronormative standards, perpetuating a system where queer voices, especially those of queer women, are underrepresented. While women like Jenna Lyons and Daniella Kallmeyer have broken through, a notable imbalance in lesbian visibility persists. In the fashion world, typically gay men have led the way as designers, while lesbians often remain in behind-the-scenes roles.

I am always looking for ways to embrace queerness in my work. One example of this happened in 2011 when I worked at Cotton Incorporated. My team and I created the cult color of what would become known as Millennial Pink, a color that ended up defining a generation. It was created based on our research trips around the world, where we started to discover gender neutral clothing brands in various countries. We were even seeing a gender role reversal happening in culture and the push for gay marriage was rapidly growing. This color was rooted with a quiet protest for change and I was one of the few key trend forecasters that would predict Millennial Pink not just as a color, but as a social movement for queerness to come. In 2015 gay marriage became legal and Millennial Pink became the 'it' color in fashion and culture, not just for queers but for everyone. It was that year I felt a strong sense of pride being part of the queer community and finally feeling seen.

Today, I proudly work alongside my wife, Lish Steiling, who is a chef and award-winning culinary producer. In our brand The Taste Curators, we merge food, fashion and color through events, collabs and talks. We also have a cookbook series called "Palate Palette" where we link the flavor palates of food with the color palettes of design. And you can be sure that in our red and pink book, Millennial Pink is prevalent.