7 Queer Brands Doing the Work to Make Fashion Visibly More Inclusive

As the Creative Director of LA-based Baja East, Scott Studenberg continues to channel what the brand refers to as "surf-to-street edge" for everyone. Baja East was built on the concept of ambisexual dressing and attracted the likes of Lizzo, Saweetie, Madonna, Chloe and Halle Bailey, Demi Lovato, J Lo, and Lady Gaga. Trust, the list goes on. Studenberg spent years as Sales Director at Lanvin and in spring 2014, showed Baja's idea for gender-less dressing on the runway. "Every piece looked as good on a guy as it did on a girl. Our runway shows followed suit, showing men in women's seasons, and then I started to see it become a norm in luxury. I hope to continue pushing boundaries," he says. Studenberg tries to make sure there's at least one portion of his site fully dedicated to giving back to the LGBTQ+ community at all times.

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When I moved from Michigan to NY to model in 2002 . . . "I definitely felt the pressure to stay closeted, watched my hand movements at castings, and butched up my voice. 2002 was SOOOO different. We had Will & Grace, Ellen [DeGeneres], that kiss on Roseanne, and Queer as Folk — not much representation in the media like we have today. It wasn't a great feeling at all, but doing that was my entryway into fashion and I'm so thankful for the experience. I've always felt 100 percent comfortable as a designer, in event production, or as a sales director on this side of the fashion industry."

When I think of inclusivity . . . "I think of giving everyone the opportunity to feel their fantasy. This takes price and size into consideration, and a few of the things I've been doing to broaden Baja East's reach is to carry higher stock on my larger sized items (those are my top selling items of recent), and continue to work with retailers like 11 Honoré, which help broaden the Baja fantasy even further."

Dressing Madonna and Lizzo was . . . "an insanely cool experience. Madonna is a pioneer for the gay community and has stood up to the general public for us through years and years of discrimination. I loved dressing Lizzo because she stands for inclusivity and f*cking the social norm. I did some custom pieces for her — one was away from the body; sexy, and the other more tightly draped around the body — and loved seeing both designs be brought to life by her awesome spirit."

When I guest edited Out Magazine . . . "they gave me full creative control and after brainstorming around the k.d. lang and Cindy Crawford Vanity Fair cover from 1993, I gathered my inner circle of drag race super fan best friends. Freddie Aspiras, Kat Typaldos, legendary drag royalty Shea Couleé, and photographer Christine Hahn helped me bring the concept to life. I also got to write the editor's letter, which felt pretty powerful. I used the platform to hopefully help people in the dark find their way to the light through being honest about my experiences with depression and suicide."