Balenciaga 'Anybody Is Queer' 2022 Ad Campaign

Review of Balenciaga ‘Anybody Is Queer’ 2022 Ad Campaign by Photographer Patrick Welde

Balenciaga celebrates the infinite diversity of queer identity with its new campaign for Pride 2022, captured by photographer Patrick Welde.

In characteristic Balenciaga fashion, the house’s Pride collection sees it take a relatively minimal, incisively subdued approach. Nothing here is plastered with rainbows; instead Balenciaga has subtly reworked binary symbology into inclusive, gender-fluid imagery, and celebrated the many inclusivity flags around the world.

Welde’s campaign imagery consists of portraits of queer artists and activists posing in everyday scenes from their lives while dressed in looks that incorporate pieces of the capsule and other Balenciaga pieces into their own personal style. The message is clearly one of diversity and inclusivity, proving that there is not a typical look for someone who falls into the categories of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, or queer.

Highlighting a commitment to bringing this message to the forefront of its cultural presence this month, Balenciaga has scrubbed its Instagram presence in order to upload images from this campaign alone. Each portrait is accompanied by a quote from its subject in which they share insight on what Pride means to them.

15% of the profits from the collection will be donated to Outright Action International, an organization that works at a global, regional, and national level to eradicate the persecution, inequality, and violence that LGBTIQ people face around the world.

Speaking to this partnership via a post on its Instagram story, the house says, “Outright builds capacity for LGBTIQ movements, documents human rights violations, advocates for inclusion and equality, and holds leaders accountable for protecting the rights of people everywhere. In recent years, many countries have experienced a decline in LGBTIQ acceptance: funds raised through the Balenciaga Pride 22 series will help address the immediate need of ensuring human rights for LGBTIQ people everywhere.”