Why Grindr Launched A Clothing Line To Benefit Queer Athletes

It's the latest move from the gay brand.
A selection of the 29 pieces from Grindr's collection.
A selection of the 29 pieces from Grindr's collection.
John Arsenault

On Friday, gay hook-up and dating app Grindr announced a new clothing line that, in many ways, is attempting to disrupt the traditionally heteronormative sports world.

The Varsity Collection, as it’s called, is a full-range menswear line in collaboration with printing design studio Print All Over Me. The collection is meant to elevate awareness of the way queer experience intersects with sports. All profits will be donated to Athlete Ally’s Principle 6 campaign, an initiative dedicated to combating homophobia and transphobia in the sporting world.

The Varsity Collection.
The Varsity Collection.
John Arsenault

“As we keep evolving, we are looking for ways to combine things people enjoy with ways to help the community globally,” Landis Smithers, Creative Director of Grindr, said in a statement. “The collection feels sexy, cheeky, fun, but in the end, all profits are going to an amazing group that helps athletes with the issues the gay community faces all around the world. It felt like a different way to approach sports, and every partner in the mix has been amazing.”

The Varsity Collection is the latest way Grindr is expanding beyond the world of gay hook-ups and dating. In February, the brand first tried to break into fashion by live-streaming the fall 2016 men’s wear show of J. W. Anderson.

Head here for more information on the Principle 6 campaign or here to check out The Varsity Collection.

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