With Pride Month Over, Champion Says There’s Still Work To Be Done
“On one hand, we have the celebration, the pride of how far we’ve come [but] we need to remember the sacrifices that have been made to be here,” campaign director James J. Robinson says of his latest work for Champion.
How do we measure the impact of a brand in 2023? Is it in their follower count? Their ability to serve witty comebacks in TikTok comments? Their sales numbers? Ad spend? Coolest viral collaboration? For Champion, impact is found in altruism and the positive snowball effect they can have on society.
This year, the iconic global sportswear brand has used its power for good once more with the launch of a powerful campaign and genderless Pride collection.
Fittingly titled The Game is Not Over, the purpose-led campaign shines a light on their long-standing partner, Australia and New Zealand’s QSA (Queer Sporting Alliance), while acknowledging the long way we still have to go in making queer folks feel comfortable in the world of sport.
The campaign’s film and imagery were shot and directed by renowned LGBTQIA+ activist and director, James J. Robinson. If that name sounds familiar, it’s probably because over his decade of shooting, his portfolio of work has featured everyone from Rihanna to Virgil Abloh and Megan Thee Stallion. But Robinson’s influence comes from beyond the camera, too. In his 2019 TED Talk titled “How Does Poor Representation Shape Our Youth?”, he shared about his experiences as a queer person of colour growing up in a stereotype-filled society.
When dreaming up visuals for Champion, Robinson drew on his signature realism aesthetic and style of narrative storytelling to bring a fresh LGBTQIA+ perspective to the classic 90s locker room.
Why a locker room? According to Robinson, it’s about reclaiming an inherently exclusive space that’s typically associated with toxic masculinity. It’s something he’s experienced first hand during years of playing basketball, hockey and rowing in his youth. “When I got to a certain age, systemic attitudes started to pierce the bubble. It became a demonstration of who was the most ‘masculine’, who could show off the most.”
James J. Robinson
Consider the bubble well and truly popped by a swell of queer attitude, colour and strength.
During the making of The Game Is Not Over, it was just as important for Champion to showcase queer talent behind the camera as it was to have them in front of the lens. For Robinson, that representation is everything.
“For queer people, if we’re only offered breadcrumbs of inauthentic representation, the gaze becomes internalised and that fight to find yourself can be ten times harder,” he says. “When we start showing people other ways of existing, suddenly the world doesn’t seem so scary because you can see how you fit within it.”
“To create that kind of representation authentically, it needs to come from people who have lived experience, otherwise you’re only basing the depictions of our community off of old stereotypes, and this creates a cycle.”
As a gay man of Filipino heritage, Robinson believes there are layers and nuance to contributing to the Pride conversation. “On one hand, we have the celebration, the pride of how far we’ve come and where the world is today when we think about sexuality and gender,” he says.
“On the other hand, we need to remember the sacrifices that have been made to be here. To remember the queer people, who were mostly brown and black, who paved the stones we walk on today.” To only focus on the celebration, he says, would be a disservice to the ongoing fight for equality and acceptance.
James J. Robinson
James J. Robinson
Champion’s campaign is not only a celebration of the recent Sydney WorldPride 2023 and the beautiful progress we’ve made as a society, it’s a reminder that the fight for equality is ongoing. The abolition of discrimination, hate, and intolerance – especially in the world of sport – is something we all need to keep pushing for long after the parade is over.
Champion has been committed to sparking this change for many years, through their partnership with QSA.
“Since 2021, [we’ve] partnered with QSA as its major sponsor. [Their] mission is to ensure LGBTQIA+ folk can access and participate in community sport,” explains Champion’s Head of Design and Innovation Thanasi Athanasiou. “Through this partnership we have designed, produced, and donated all-new basketball jerseys for all QSA members nationwide, championed QSA members in our campaigns, co-hosted safe events as well as delivered ongoing funding to support the great work QSA do.”
Beyond the work of the campaign and partnership, Champion is trailblazing a future of inclusive streetwear and sportswear through their genderless collection. “We produced the range from a viewpoint of longevity. In the same way that our garments have lasted decades, we wanted this range to transcend WorldPride and continue to give back to its wearer,” says Athanasiou.”Genderless fashion for Champion goes back many years. Long before it was trending, we discovered that the cool shapes of streetwear appealed to everyone – regardless of gender – and that people don’t shop streetwear according to binary gender lines, they buy it to support their self-expression. For us, it’s always been part of our heritage and it’s here to stay.”
“We ensured that every LGBTIQA+ identity was represented with the colours of the Progress Pride Flag integrated throughout [and[ the full range is also genderless in its sizing and shape to ensure that it was for everyone.”
At its core, Champion believes there are no rules when it comes to fashion. “That’s the fun of it,” says Athanasiou. “People don’t shop streetwear according to binary gender lines, they buy it to support their self-expression. I think the industry more broadly is starting to recognise that style can be fluid and flexible. What you identify with and choose to express on any different day can vary.”
Say it louder for the people in the back.
Be sure to get involved by checking out The Game Is Not Over film and Champion’s Genderless Collection at champion.com.au, including hoodies, crews, tees, hats, socks, and jerseys. You can even head in-store to customise your merch with a series of colourful Pride patches with 100% of profits going directly to QSA, which works to create safe spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community to enjoy sport without discrimination.
