The merch drops today (just in time for Pride celebrations!), and features among other treasures a hat that says “WIG,” a t-shirt that reads “all my friends are queer,” (true) and many more. A portion of the proceeds will be going to Third Wave Fund, which is led by women and intersex, queer, and trans people of color under the age of 35, and provides financial support to these same communities.

Formichetti took the world by storm during his four years as Diesel’s artistic director, and he has since collaborated with MAC Cosmetics and Champion while working as Uniqlo’s fashion director. The talented designer took some time to talk to them. about the clothes, his inspiration behind the designs, and what Pride means to him.

Hey Nicola! Tell us a little bit about how this collaboration came about.

At NicoPanda, we really love what them. represents. We have very similar core values about inclusivity and diversity. We’re friends! We wanted to do something together for Pride Month to celebrate something fun, something you can share — love.

For us, it was very important to make everything very inclusive from pricing to the sizing, from XS to XXXL, trying to make a large collection possible with a reasonable price. And it’s so cute!

What was the inspiration behind the design?

It was a take on the classic college style, but through queer eyes and for queer people. That’s what we always do, that kind of streetwear, but especially for this we wanted to go there because in that world of college, it’s not always queer. We wanted to do college, but with a queer touch. It’s a little tongue-in-cheek. We made one design with a fake summer camp for queer people and words like “wig” and “drag me.”

You’re a queer person. Did you put a lot of yourself into this collection?

Every time I do something, I always imagine myself in it. Even when I do something really outrageous or crazy. Especially for NicoPanda, it’s sort of everyday wear. I always imagine it on me or my friends. NicoPanda is very community-oriented. I want to look good in it, but what about my friends? Will they like it? So, yes, for sure.

There’s a lot of cute stuff here that would be perfect for Pride. What does Pride mean to you?

Well, for me, Pride is every day. It’s year-round. I feel like them. does that too, in celebrating all of us all the time. But it’s a good excuse to scream even more. Pride is very important because we are proud every day, but this is an opportunity to be even louder and make sure the community is all together and talking to each other and supporting each other. It’s a good thing to do.

You have a lot going on with NicoPanda right now. What else is happening in your world?

I departed with Diesel in December to concentrate more on my personal stuff and I’ve been working a lot on NicoPanda. This year will be really mental and loving. I’m also trying to find time for myself, because I’ve been traveling like crazy these past five years and I still work for Uniqlo so I’m in Japan a lot. But we just launched a line with MAC Cosmetics and we have a project with Macy’s, and I think we’re going to have a lot of fun this year.

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