For New York-based designer Willie Norris, clothes and community go hand-in-hand — it even says so in his Instagram bio. Perhaps best known for his wildly popular "Promote Homosexuality" shirts that you may have seen pop up more than once in your feed, Norris' inaugural show last June was Pride month's hottest ticket with appearances by Charlene Incarnate, West Dakota, PAPER's own Michael Love Michael and the runway debut of Aaron Philip. But beyond the buzz, Norris practices what he preaches. The designer operates on the premise of "queer entrepreneurship as a means of defense" while prioritizing things like intersectional representation and ethical production.
In an effort to help provide some relief to his community, which has been hit especially hard by the ongoing global pandemic, Norris has announced that starting now through 11:59 AM EST, April 22, half of all online sales from his shop will go towards the NYC Low-Income Artist + Freelancer Relief Fund, which provides financial relief for BIPOC, trans/ non-binary/ gender-nonconforming, disabled, immigrant and queer individuals who make a living in the creative sector.
The donation will automatically be applied after checkout and there is no cap on how much gets donated so if you have the means and happen to have been eyeing those "What Exactly Is Heterosexuality And What Causes It?" tees but hadn't yet pulled the trigger, now is your time. Head over to the official WILLIENORRISWOKSHOP online store to get yours and head here to contribute directly to the NYC Low-Income Artist + Freelancer Relief Fund directly.
Photo via Instagram
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