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Fashion

Why Everyone Is Buying From Queer-Owned Businesses In 2025

From labels that champion fluidity in fashion to those reimagining tradition with a queer lens, these creatives are building something more meaningful than a capsule collection. And more people are shopping from them.

| Vishakha Punjabi
Diljit Carrying Nukkad Studios
Diljit Dosanjh (centre) carrying a tote by Nukkad Studios (all pics for representation only)

While rainbow capitalism tends to rear its head every Pride Month, it’s high time we looked beyond the corporate bandwagon and started investing in brands that actually represent the LGBTQIA+ community, not just during June, but all year round. 

A New Wave Of Queer-Owned Labels

Enter small businesses that aren’t simply selling products; they’re selling perspectives. Whether it’s about reclaiming identity through clothing, spotlighting South Asian heritage through a queer lens, or building inclusive beauty and lifestyle spaces, these brands are pushing boundaries with both intention and aesthetic. Here’s our edit of homegrown queer-led brands that deserve your attention, not just your allyship.

Nukkad Studios

Rooted in storytelling and shaped by personal politics, Nukkad Studios isn’t just another streetwear brand; it’s a movement in the making. With graphic-heavy drops that touch on queerness, gender, caste, and community, each piece is a statement (sometimes quite literally). Co-founded by queer creatives, Akash, Rythem, and Palash, the brand thrives on bold visuals, collaborative campaigns, and a language that resonates with the marginalised. Think protest meets play, printed onto your everyday wardrobe.

Kai by Mangi

Handmade with heart and high gloss, Kai by Mangi is a queer-owned beauty brand that celebrates gender fluidity through shimmer and self-expression. Founded by Mangi, a trans-femme creative, the label offers small-batch, vegan lip glosses that are lovingly crafted and unapologetically bold. These aren’t just glosses—they’re soft rebellions in cute packaging. A swipe of Kai is a swipe of affirmation.

Buni Shop

Jewellery that speaks volumes. Buni Shop is a queer-owned label creating playful, statement accessories that celebrate queerness, whimsy, and individuality. From bold earrings that serve looks to dainty charms with a deeper meaning, Buni is all about wearing your truth proudly. Every piece is handmade, making it feel personal and rooted in intention. It’s joy you can wear.

Rune By Vaibhav Tanna

Delicate, detailed, and deeply personal, Rune is the artistic practice of Vaibhav Tanna, a queer embroidery artist who uses thread as a form of quiet resistance. His work explores identity, emotion, queerness, and softness, stitched into canvases that feel both sacred and subversive. From ethereal portraits to textured narratives, Rune’s art invites you to slow down and feel. It’s not fashion, it’s feeling, embroidered. Queer artists are coming up to make a name for themselves and we are here for it.

Shop Bistrina

Illuminating the scene in a delightfully unexpected way, Shop Bistrina is a queer-run candle-making business that’s as much about ambience as it is about community. More than just crafting beautifully scented candles, they’re passionate about creating spaces for connection, hosting workshops where participants can learn the art of candle making and share in collective creativity. Each candle is hand-poured with intention, making your space feel warm and uniquely personal while celebrating queer artistry in every flicker.

Queerness isn’t a trend, it’s a truth, lived and expressed through art, fashion, and creativity. These brands are proof that when queer voices are given the space to lead, the results aren’t just beautiful, they’re revolutionary. Whether you’re shopping, scrolling or simply showing support, these are the names worth bookmarking for more than just Pride.

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