At the end of July, Dutch streetwear brand Filling Pieces launched a capsule collection created in partnership with German skate company Dagger. Dagger is a rising German brand with a close relationship in collaboration with the LGBTQ+ community and tends to refer to the glamour punk era. With a hefty dose of leopard print, the collection was distinct from the ones we’re familiar with by Filling Pieces (known in part for its Low Top shoe, which connects streetwear and high fashion). The brand introduced an exclusive collection from Filling Pieces along with Yamuna at the beginning of August. An artist from multiple disciplines dedicated to promoting and serving the underground LGBTQ and subculture ballroom communities. This resulted in a swathe filled with soft, vibrant designs.
The current breeze of freshness in the air gives thoughts. What is it going to be LGBTQ+ representation in streetwear in general? As per Filling Pieces marketing manager Alberto Lopez, the fashion sector has an extensive way to go in this direction. Particularly when compared to fashion like high-end, for instance, progress is being made regarding the inclusion of women and their representation. There are significant differences, as per Lopez. With recent fashion collaborations, the designer hopes to connect queer and mainstream fashion so that we can create an inclusive future.
The Filling Pieces is the best spot for it, according to his experience. Since Filling Pieces was founded by Guillaume Philibert Chin in 2009, its ethos was that bridging the gap was its primary goal and the company’s central pillar. The brand has connected people from different ethnicities and cultures for over ten years. When Lopez joined the brand two years ago and began discussing LGBTQ+ representation with Chin, its ethos was revered; however, it was on entirely new ground.
The first significant project that focused on this was Zalando. It was a reflection of an entire year during which Filling Pieces made internal changes and were evident in its collaborations and projects, Lopez explains. There was also an alliance with Joolz that focused on family members who are not traditional, and, in the newest Keti Koti campaign, there was a particular focus on queer talents. Keti Koti is a celebration that takes place in The Netherlands that commemorates the freedom of enslaved people. The festival is observed on the 1st of July, also called Emancipation Day in Suriname, an ex-colony of The Netherlands.
Additionally, a more significant percentage of Filling Pieces team members are queer and come from various backgrounds. “This has come about organically, but diversity is our main value anyway,” Lopez declares. FashionUnited spoke to Lopez about the collection and their roles in Filling Pieces and the fashion industry.
Do you want to talk more about the importance of representation and inclusion in streetwear?
Streetwear is still a very masculine style. It’s woven into the communities and the heritage. Of course, plenty of fashion brands connect to the queer community, and the representation of queer people is growing in streetwear. However, there’s still much to be done. This is precisely what I would like to see change at Filling Pieces. When I first joined this brand, I was uncomfortable and noticed that the image that was projected by Filling Pieces as an entity was highly masculine. I wanted to be more flexible in communicating different kinds of energy, thus making the brand more appealing.
What happened?
It’s lovely to be supported by the person who founded the brand. We share the same goals, which has been an excellent experience for everyone in the company. This is all related to our brand’s values and Chin’s idea of “bridging the gap.” That is, bridging different types of cultures and people. Together with Chin, I discussed the idea that if we genuinely want to create a brand based on this, it is necessary to take action. Then, we began to look at not just race and ethnicity but genders and sexualities.
It was a pleasure when Chin and I sat down at the table, and he was eager to understand how we can be more diversifying as a brand and implement it internally. He believed in my vision and decided to go down this route. We recruited people to help me build this and give the brand credibility and authority. The result was in-house initiatives. We established a ‘culture club’ to inform our staff on the importance of culture and issues affecting those belonging to the LGBTQ community. We organize events like panel discussions or trips every other fortnight. I’m also queer; however, when you employ employees who are gay, it doesn’t mean that everything changes in a single day. My experience was listening to others and experimenting with different ways to work.
What made you join forces on a project with Dagger and Yamuna?
We have collaborated with Zalando and Joolz before, and we have also worked together with LGBTQ+ artists for Keti Koti. This collaboration was looking to address specifically the issues of diversity and identity. Energy was a crucial element in this. This is also the motto for the two ads: “Energy is everything.” We wanted to expand on the idea that fashion is an individual thing. What is masculine, feminine, or neutral varies for every person. Therefore, we decided to transcend the polarization of gender and femininity and instead connect these two concepts to a sense of feeling that can vary daily. No matter the gender or sexuality you identify with, the fashion industry shouldn’t focus on that. It’s about the expression of your personality. In the morning, you might feel very feminine or possess vital energy, but in the evening, you can change. We set out to develop capsules for all to release different types of energy in different periods.
We picked the two brands we believed best reflected that feeling because they each have distinct and distinct energy. If you get to know Yamuna, she’s confident, bold, and powerful with a feminine, distinctively pink vibe, and Dagger’s vibe is more underground, punk, and brave. However, both are gay, and they feel comfortable with that. We wanted to pick brands that exude distinct energy yet collaborate under the same umbrella.
It was also crucial to us to provide the impression of various markets. This is why we picked Dagger from Germany and Yamuna, located in the Netherlands.
Please tell us more details about the process of creation behind these collections.
In this instance, we were primarily an intermediary. When we say that we offer a platform for the queer community, We are referring to it. We met with them, discussed the meaning of identity and energy, and then explained our values and brand’s identity, which they knew very well and respected. The loafer is one of our most recognizable items, so we offered them the piece to make the capsule and collection. So, all three brand names were represented in the same way. We provided them with the essential elements and existing clothing designs they used to create their own version of the concept. To respect the distinctiveness of both brands, we also selected the photographer and the assistant director and cast for the campaign as a team. It was indeed a team effort.
What has the reaction to the new pieces been?
I understand why it may initially seem unsettling for certain people from how we’re accustomed to it. As I stated earlier, the brand was aware of the concept of diversity by ethnicity. We’re now opening the doors and letting people know that diversity is many more things, particularly in fashion and streetwear. It’s an abrupt contrast in the beginning. Many have stated this is extravagant for our company, but this is fine. It has to do with how our company is built on specific aesthetics and is an entirely new direction. As of now, all reactions we’ve received have been very positive. Our community is aware of the new vision, and I was expecting that.
However, staying consistent and investing is essential to make this happen. These are just tiny steps. We’ll need to create the path. Keep working on projects the way we’ve been doing. This isn’t just a one-off occasion. I do not wish to make anyone think we’re just doing it for the sake of a show. We’ve been working with the community for over a year and will continue to work with them. This is more than simply transmitting a signal.
Outside of its direct impact on Filling Pieces, how do you view the next steps for streetwear regarding inclusion?
There are more and more members of those in the LGBTQ+ community represented in streetwear, and I believe that’s the direction we’ll be heading in. I can see this with companies like Daily Paper, which also run in this direction and pay attention to the community. However, it is a slow process and needs to be done quicker. This is why we have taken these steps because an announcement is sometimes required. There’s no time to waste.
Any additional collaborations are in the works?
We want to continue working with the queer community and other minorities. It’s important to emphasize that it’s not only working with different brands that are queer. However, we constantly work with queer models, photographers, creatives, and stylists. Our team and the people we work with regularly are typically queer talents that help us convey the brand’s vision. At present, we are working on collaborations that are planned together with the Dutch brand Fest. However, the people you collaborate with are crucial for bringing the associations to fruition.
Looking back at two years ago and where we are today, I am thrilled. The two capsule collections feel like my children’s. It’s like a culmination of everything we’ve been doing and trying to make changes within our company. Of course, we’ve got the collaboration with Zalando and the numerous other associations that we’ve done in this regard. However, having two of these exceptional queer brands is an incredible honor for me and the brand I’m a part of.
This Filling Pieces x Dagger drop includes an all-black blouse, tank top shorts, loafers, and a tank top featuring leopard print as well as the signature blue color of the brand.
The filling Pieces of the x Yamuna drop come with the knitted cardigan, Spencer with a chic monogram print top, and loafers featuring original artwork by Yamuna herself.
The article originally appeared on FashionUnited.NL. Editing and translation of Dutch to English done by Veerle Versteeg.