Three Creatives Celebrate Queer Joy with Gap and PAPER

For this year’s Pride celebration, PAPER and Gap have teamed up to spotlight three creatives who embody the spirit of chosen family, connection and bold self-expression: Marz Lovejoy, Myles Loftin and Bobbi Salvör Menuez. Through vibrant visuals and candid conversation, they’re showing how queer community — like style — is ever-evolving, deeply personal and absolutely essential.

“Fashion is like another language that you can use to communicate who you are and what you stand for,” says Myles Loftin, a NYC-based photographer, DJ and all-around creative force. Describing his style as “young, fun and fluid,” Loftin sees fashion as a vital extension of self: “I use it as a way to express myself and feel comfortable in my body.”

Whether it’s a baby tee with boots or loose-fitting pieces for park hangs, Loftin dresses for comfort, confidence and, above all, joy. “Summer is always kind of about having fun,” he says. “But this year, I want to be more intentional — spending time with my community, doing the things we used to love as kids. Going to the beach, the pool, the amusement park... that innocent kind of fun.”

“Community is one of the most important things in my life,” Loftin continues. “Especially as an artist of color navigating spaces that aren’t always built for me.” With Pride on the horizon, he’s focused on lifting up those in his community who may not yet feel safe or supported enough to speak freely. “For me, Pride means owning your identity and showing up as yourself in every facet of your life… The moment to be loud and proud is now. This month is all about being yourself loudly, because it encourages others to do the same.”

For activist artist Bobbi Salvör Menuez, fashion is equal parts play and purpose. “Something that I think about when I get dressed is, ‘What’s the story this outfit is telling?’” they say. “There’s no such thing as a neutral garment — they all carry historical and cultural significance. I think it’s fun to be aware of that and play with it.”

As a trans, nonbinary actor raised in New York, Menuez sees style as both self-expression and quiet resistance, drawing inspiration from cinema and their own evolving sense of self. “It’s definitely a space where I explore different parts of myself and my gender expression,” they explain. “I like to mix it up and play around.” That spirit of mix-and-match creativity aligns naturally with Gap’s summer styling, where playing with new combinations creates endless potential for unique outfits.

At the heart of it all is community. From embracing your most authentic self to turning heads at Pride in a coordinating Gap look, there’s nothing like finding your people. “I carry my community everywhere I go,” Menuez says. “It’s not separate from who I am.”

For community activist Marz Lovejoy, that sentiment resonates loud and proud. “Community to me is the foundation. It is the baseline of all things… from how we interact to how we show up for each other,” she says. “I’m very fortunate to come from a community with an abundance of love at all times. So I have so much love to give — I love my community for loving me, and, in turn, I'm able to love my community back.”

A writer, mother and multi-hyphenate creative, Lovejoy finds beauty in fluidity of style, gender and identity. “Everything is a little queer,” she says. “We’re all just flowing from one thing to the next.”

That sense of flow extends to how she dresses. “I really want to be comfortable,” she says. “Then it’s about tweaking it to fit my tastes: swagging it out, mixing and matching, going with your own flow, not someone else’s.” Asked to sum up her style, she laughs: “Like hoarder, but minimalist — and fun.”

But it’s her relationship to self-expression that stands out most. “Thank God my style has changed,” she says. Her confidence came with time. “I used to want to be the big chick with the big booty,” she says. “But that’s not my design. So I had to learn to love my body. And through that, I’ve been able to just show up in whatever I want.”

This summer, all three artists are reclaiming joy on their own terms. For Loftin, it’s all about presence. “Summer goes by really quickly if you’re not living in it,” he says. “I just want to take a beat to really appreciate what’s going on while it’s happening.” For Menuez, it’s rest, sunshine and soft moments shared with chosen family. And for Lovejoy, it’s about staying grounded — on her bike, in the grass, surrounded by the people she loves. Whether it’s essentials like tees, hoodies and denim jackets or something entirely unexpected, Gap’s summer collection is about creating looks true to yourself: mixing, matching and making it your own.

This article is a collaboration between Gap and PAPER.

Photography: Ruben Chamorro
Video: Reese Fleming
Styling: Marion Kelly
Makeup: Ryann Carter
Hair: Sergio Estrada

Photo assistant: Benjamin White
Production assistant: Enrique Marshall

Managing editor: Matt Wille
Executive creative producer: Angelina Cantú
Strategy and talent lead: Aires Amor
VP Brand Partnerships: Jamie Granoff
President: Jason Ve
Story: Tara Finley
Publisher: Brian Calle