How to degender fashion according to ALOK American author featured in UGG's new campaign talks about the future he dreams for fashion

For this year’s Pride celebration , Southern Californian-based global lifestyle brand UGG has launched its campaign dubbed “Feel Good,” created in collaboration with Switchboard — one of the UK’s oldest volunteer-led charities serving the LGBTQ+ communities. In the spirit of the campaign’s title, the brand is supporting Switchboard by way of a $50,000 donation towards the creation of a telephone lifeline, for LGBTQIA+ people to be heard. This will activate life affirming services for people who are  struggling with their sexuality, gender, identity and overall wellbeing to have a chat with trained volunteers. With recent spikes in hate crime against queer people, the lifeline will be open from 10am-10pm , 365 days a year via phone, email or instant message as they aim to help strengthen a sense of community and continue to dismantle the stigma around mental health.

What can we do as a community at large to ensure that the same level and quality of care is at the disposal of LGBTQIA+ people?

We must be vocal and unapologetic as we advocate for dignity for our communities. We must learn from history to inform our future. We must love each other more than they could ever hate us. That means not stopping our pursuit of justice until all of us have access to equal care.

How are you finding your ventures in the world of fashion, and how would you describe your personal sense of style?

Unfortunately, the fashion world continues to be sutured to the gender binary: dividing clothes and products into “men’s or“women’s.” While “gender neutrality,” is increasingly being recognized as an aesthetic, this superficial engagement hasn’t really led to the structural changes we need in the industry to stop advancing retrograde gender norms. So my relationship with fashion has been mixed: Okay you like my look, but are you going to stay around and listen to what I have to say? We need to #DeGenderFashion ! That doesn’t look like a spinoff gender neutral collection, it looks like removing gender markers from all products.