Fashion industry shows a quieter presence for Pride 2025
Over the past decade, Pride Month has become a major touchpoint for the fashion industry, often marked by bold campaigns and colorful collections. But in 2025, participation has noticeably declined. Although Pride marches took place last weekend in key cities—from Milan and Madrid to Paris and Budapest—many brands scaled back their involvement amid mounting conservative backlash, particularly from the United States.
In the weeks before June, Gravity Research published its annual report on corporate participation in LGBTQIA+ celebrations. The '2025 Pride Pulse Insights' study—based on input from corporate executives—found that 39% of companies planned to reduce their involvement in Pride 2025. Notably, no brands indicated plans to expand their participation.
Conservative backlash impacts Pride strategy
Growing conservative pressure was the primary reason cited for this retreat, with many respondents pointing to recent political shifts. According to Gravity Research, 61% of decision-makers directly referenced the influence of the Trump administration as a key factor behind their reduced engagement.
On June 27, media analytics firm Onclusive released its 'Pride Month 2025 Pulse' report, which tracked how brands showed up during the season. Based on 7.8 million mentions on social media and 104,000 in traditional media between May 1 and June 20, the report showed a clear drop in visibility: fewer public campaigns, the removal of Pride-focused website pages, reduced sponsorship of parades, and a near-total silence on official social channels.
Instead of exiting entirely, some brands chose to adjust their approach. Rather than centering their messaging solely on the LGBTQIA+ community, many shifted to broader themes of inclusion, aiming to appeal to a wider range of identities and audiences.
Luxury: the usual absence from Pride Month
Some luxury players, including LVMH, opted for internal-only recognition of Pride Month. After launching the All LVMH Pride France employee network in 2022, the group was visible at Pride marches in France in 2023 and 2024 and proudly shared its participation. However, this year, the company remained silent on its website and social channels. The collective continues its internal advocacy efforts, as shown in a video published in March on the Inside LVMH platform, in which employees detail their ongoing initiatives.
Broadly speaking, major luxury labels such as Loewe, Chanel, Hermès, and Saint Laurent have rarely participated in Pride Month initiatives. Still, some notable exceptions remain: Versace continues to show active support for the LGBTQIA+ community under Donatella Versace 's leadership, while Erdem launched a unisex Pride T-shirt, with proceeds benefiting the AKT and Not A Phase organizations.
Ready-to-wear brands take the lead during Pride
Unlike the luxury segment, ready-to-wear and mass-market brands have remained at the forefront of Pride Month initiatives. This year, several labels released dedicated collections, with some linking product launches to charitable donations. Converse stood out as one of the most visible participants, unveiling ultra-high sneakers decorated with bold rainbow flames.
Diesel skipped rainbow-colored jeans in favor of garments featuring images of same-sex couples and scenes from gay nightclubs. The brand collaborated with the Tom of Finland Foundation, which preserves the artist's homoerotic artwork. Betsey Johnson 's namesake brand unveiled an extensive Pride collection filled with accessories and heels, booties, and boots decorated with rhinestones, butterflies, flowers, and bold colors. One dollar from each sale will be donated to the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which is already a partner of Versace.
Other brands contributed through symbolic and artistic expressions. Saucony released three sneaker styles inspired by artist Keith Haring. Nike reimagined its classic silhouettes with the help of women athletes from the WNBA.
Subtle details replace bold Pride branding
Some brands opted for a more understated approach this year, moving away from traditional rainbow designs in favor of muted tones like beige. Influencer Connor Clary called out the trend in his content, reviewing Pride pieces from Abercrombie & Fitch, J.C. Penney, and Target. Many of these items could easily be mistaken for non-Pride merchandise, with only small rainbow accents—like stitched logos or trim—hinting at their intended message. Puma, Vans, and Levi's took similar routes. In Levi's case, a rainbow logo on the back of a denim jacket was the only clear Pride reference. The brand, however, maintained its tradition of donating $100,000 to Outright International.
Primark 's Pride offering was similarly low-key, featuring around 30 products. Only select pieces—such as tote bags, umbrellas, and one screen-printed T-shirt—directly referenced Pride. The rest of the line included short skirts, crocheted pieces, slim tops, and boots, designed in a way that could blend into everyday collections. Reiss, for its part, relied on cream tones and varying shades of blue, emphasizing oversized fits more than overt Pride symbols.
This shift toward subtlety across multiple ready-to-wear brands may reflect a reframed commitment—one shaped by a sociopolitical climate that's less receptive to overt minority support.
'Pride Month 2025 seems to mark the end of an era of essentially symbolic marketing, in favor of a more discreet, but potentially more sincere and lasting commitment,' said Onclusive optimistically.
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