Adidas customers have defended the brand for using a male-presenting model in an advertisement for a female swimsuit.
This week, the German athletic apparel and footwear brand launched its Pride 2023 swimwear range - which is a collection by South African designer Rich Mnisi, and features his signature bold prints.
Dubbed Let Love Be Your Legacy, the range coincides with the upcoming celebration of Pride Month in June, with the brand's website describing the collection as "a celebration of self-expression, imagination and the unwavering belief that love unites."
Though, rather than discussing the positive messages being sent by the collection, many netizens have been solely focused on Adidas' choice of model for one particular product.
A vibrantly patterned one-piece called the Pride Swimsuit was being advertised for $70 under the women's section of the collection and was being shown off by an apparent male model who also was also displaying a noticeable bulge in the crotch area.
On the site, an accompanying video depicts the model strutting in the one-piece, with the camera zooming in at one point to reveal a small patch of chest hair above the neckline. It is unclear if the model identifies as male or transgender.
Earlier this week, Adidas published a press release explaining that the collection "is inspired by a love letter Mnisi wrote to his younger self," and works to serve as "a rallying cry for active allyship to empower and champion the LGBTQIA+ community."
Mnisi himself commented on the range, stating via the website: "In creating this collection, I had a strong impulse to speak to my inner-child and express to the world how LGBTQIA+ allyship can create a legacy of love. Unifying these themes together through my own visual language and adidas' iconic performance and lifestyle pieces is a powerful combination - making the collection a symbol for self-acceptance and LGBTQIA+ advocacy.
"My hope is this range inspires LGBTQIA+ allies to speak up more for the queer people they love and not let them fight for acceptance alone," he continued.
Though, not everyone was impressed by the range. In fact, internet personality Oli London - who himself previously identified as a trans woman, but has since detransitioned - tweeted the screenshots from Adidas' site with the caption: "The new Adidas Women's Swimwear Range modelled by … men."
Another user commented underneath London's tweet: "I'm running out of brands to wear…" prompting London to respond: "There doesn't seem to be a single brand left that isn't woke."
Other netizens defended the range, with one Twitter user stating: "They're marketing to younger generations, because people under 40 - 45 don't get offended by things that don't hurt them."
A further tweet read: "i rhink its empowering [...] clothing doesnt have to be for a specific gender [sic]."
"It's really not that deep...just a guy wearing a swimsuit [...]," someone else chimed in.
Another person wrote: "OFFENSIVE TO WOMEN? HOW?"
Evidently, the move was bound to create some buzz - but with summer and Pride Month just around the corner, let's hope we see people rocking Mnisi's collection while they enjoy the nice warm weather!
