In Celebration of Pride Month: In Conversation with Christiane Nickel
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
Imposter syndrome has plagued most of my identity—as a writer and as a femme dyke. I bring 12 years of copywriting experience, as well as years of navigating the murky waters of being out in the workplace. While there are many gay and queer people in the industry, finding like-minded lesbian coworkers has been few and far between.
I never chose copywriting—it was born out of the necessity of paying bills and escaping a fraught relationship. It was the only trade I could semi-successfully get by on while still participating in the fashion industry. I originally went to grad school for Fashion & Textile Studies, hoping to get my PhD and become a curator. After a few years of adjuncting and a barrage of retail jobs, though, those aspirations began to feel impossible—riddled with financial sacrifices I couldn’t manage. When I was hired as a product writer for Mytheresa, the stability of it all felt like a godsend. It gave me a way to balance technical writing with creative flair. This was ultimately liberating after my half-hearted attempt at academia.
This style of writing came with its own challenges. I had to confront the same blocks and anxieties I’d suffered from in school. For the first 24 years of my life, I experienced tremendous anxiety—partly due to one of my many learning disabilities. I was told I could never write and should stick to something more visually creative because I “had such great style” in high school. Regardless, I got into a prestigious graduate program and sold myself through my ideas and charm. As a copywriter, I always felt like an imposter, because I didn't qualify as “gifted.”
It wasn’t until college that I had the space to sit and figure out my femme identity—which, in truth, took just under a month at the women’s college I was enrolled in. I became a hyperbole of my new self in order to feel seen and validated. This is where high camp and exaggerated explorations of femininity helped me cope. It also pushed me further into activism—standing up for queer and trans people in my community and rooting myself more deeply into living as a dyke.
Coming out of the closet is still the best thing that ever happened to me. Femmephobia, however, is real—and can be debilitating. Yes, the privilege of passing as straight is enormous, but the assumptions that come with it can be suffocating.
Ultimately, it’s the nuances of our layered identities that articulate who we are. It’s how we grapple with our many facets—embracing the cringe, accepting our faults, and transcending internalized shame. Indulging in the complexity of ourselves, while staying accountable to the community that made us—and working to uphold and protect the sacredness of identifying as LGBTQIA2S+.
How has being a part of the LGBTQIA2S+ community shaped the course of your career?
Working on the creative side of the fashion industry in New York alongside LGBTQIA2S+ individuals has offered a safe space. I feel seen, heard, and appreciated and that’s something It has helped me evolve my skill set, while allowing me to be a part of a unique community of creatives
Is pride month different for you this year? And how are you raising awareness this year?
Now more than ever, I continue fighting for my community, my causes, but “look into the darkness, don’t stare.” Finding joy and living well is existential to my survival and resilience.
What’s an exciting change you’ve seen with regard to support for LGBTQIA2S+ community and what do you hope to see in the future?
It’s not really an exciting change but consistency. Seeing companies continuing with their DEI programs. Even if that number of corporations have been dramatically reduced.
The person I admire most for their LGBTQIA2S+ activism is….. and why?
Cecilia Gentili. From co-founding the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center to fighting to protect non-discrimination protections for gender identity, her relentlessness was unmatched.
The first time I felt a tremendous sense of pride in being part of the LGBTQIA2S+ community:
I feel a sense of pride every day. It’s not about firsts, but about the emotional impact. For me, it was June 26, 2015, when same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide.
Complete the sentence: I felt most represented when I saw…..
Jenna Lyons
3 words you think of when you hear the word acceptance:
Comfort, Agency, Safety
What does being an ally with the LGBTQIA2S+ community mean to you?
Listening. Being conscious of the space allies innately take up in a CIS Heteronormative society, and offering it up to others.
LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiane-nickel-68680b66/
Instagram: @scattermyashesataldi
