Rio Uribe has always thoughtfully designed with his community in mind. The upcycled, oft bottle-cap-accented garments that saunter down his Gypsy Sport runway each season have always reflected the gender-fluid mentality of Uribe’s community, arguably years before the broader fashion industry caught on. His shows also serve as visual expressions of his politics. His fall 2017 collection is a memorable example: The sporty, camo-heavy items included everyday objects like tennis balls and safety pins that referenced the makeshift clothing he saw in refugee villages and tent cities across the world, whether it was Paris, Mexico, or his native Los Angeles. It was an attempt to shine light on those pushed onto the streets for their religion, sexual orientation, or a combination of those and other forces.
It’s no surprise, then, that Uribe would take on Pride month, which elsewhere has reached unseen levels of corporate co-optation, with a radically inclusive alternative. GSpot, an LGBTQ+ Pride party centered on body positivity and diversity, took over the Ledge, a new tropical-flora-covered rooftop bar in Bushwick, the day before the New York City Pride Parade this past weekend. “Just like we do at a fashion show, I wanted to bring that same diversity and inclusivity to Pride,” Uribe says of the origins of the festival, which included a panel discussion with activists Adam Eli and Renée Imperato and models like Yves Mathieu, Munroe Bergdorf, and Aaron Philip. Together, they shared a deeply empathetic conversation touching on the importance of pronouns, their relationship to gender, the authentic meaning of Pride, and the importance of fighting for the rights and lives of trans women of color in the LGBTQ+ movement. In addition to the panel, programming included an original short documentary film screening and a drag show to top it all off. “GSpot is a response to the capitalist agendas of Fashion Week and the corporate takeovers of Pride parades,” Uribe says. “This festival was mostly about creating awareness of the issues affecting our community and remembering how Pride began.”
Given that Uribe tapped 30 former Gypsy Sport runway models to host the event, there was no shortage of fashion-forward looks. Uribe described the scene aptly: “The fashion at the event was sickening.” There was actual incentive to attend GSpot decked out in one’s Pride-worthy best, too, as the best-dressed guest would win a walking spot at the brand’s next runway show. “There was glam, there was camp, there was nudity. Some people were serving extravaganza and others were serving Gypsy Sport realness.”
It’s true that many of the models and panelists sported the label’s designs, but true to the underground spirit of the world that Uribe has carefully created, many attendees came in clothes they had crafted themselves. See the totally alien silicone dress that was the centerpiece of a RISD final fashion design collection, or the homemade body chains that accented a leopard-print slip captured in the portraits below. Uribe found multiple people he will likely tap to walk this September, and one guest’s homemade sunglasses and jewelry impressed him so much that they’re already working on a collaboration for next season.
