Uniquely yours, is the new unisex capsule collection from workwear wizards, Dickies. To celebrate the month of pride, they’ve teamed up with pioneering LGBTQ creatives from the US and Europe on an exclusive collaboration that comes straight from the heart. The small but perfectly formed capsule sees Dickies utilitarian apparel become the canvas for Peterborough’s Rene Matić and Los Angeles-based Amber Ibarreche’s powerful messages.
Matić is a multi-disciplined artist who now lives in London, with artistic talents that span across painting, sculpture, film, photography, and textiles her work explores the themes of post-blackness, glitch feminism, and subcultural theory. As pride coincides with the ongoing movement for social justice Matić has dedicated her ’Yours, Ours T-shirt’ to the black queer community. Combining the signature rainbow colours of pride with The Pan-African flag; the continent’s symbol of togetherness that represents both unity and individualism. Custom screen prints adorn the front chest pocket and back of the tee whilst the words “Uniquely Yours, Uniquely Ours” symbolise the pillars of identity, individualism, and pride.
“I am dedicating my t-shirt to the black queer community,” said Matić. “It often feels like we can’t stake a claim in the rainbow flag so the colors I’ve used reference the Pan-African flag. Pan Africanism fits perfectly with the ‘Uniquely Yours’ theme, it’s about unity, collectivity, and transmission but also identity, individualism, and pride.”
Ibarreche, on the other hand is a Stateside designer, artist, and poet renowned for her ability to incorporate powerful language into her work. This sentiment shines through in her ‘Work of Art’ bib overalls, an impactful statement piece that inspires hope and solidarity whilst recognising the struggles members of the LGBTQ community still face to this day. Ibarreche has also produced a limited run of Uniquely Yours embroidered, iron-on patches which can be applied to your favourite jacket, bag or hat.
“When we embrace uniqueness and allow it to distinguish us instead of defining us, it becomes a superpower,” said Ibarreche. “My contribution to this collection celebrates that ethos and will hopefully inspire our community to embrace themselves, if they are supported and safe to do so.”
In the spirit of the collection, Dickies have donated to Switchboard a fantastic UK-based crisis hotline dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ community and The Trevor Project a US-based organisation that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ young people.
Available to buy globally, the Uniquely Yours collection lands on Wednesday 23rd June and can be purchased right here.
