In the month of June, the acronym, LGBT, actually stands for Let’s Get This Bread. In a frantic scramble for the pink pound, it’s only a matter of time until corporations don their rainbow lanyards and line their tills with the same old Pride tat from years gone by. A multicoloured Lynx can is actually very low on the queer agenda but for one month – and not a day over, thank you very much – #loveislove. 

It’s not all bleak, though. In a more authentic display of allyship, Donatella Versace is auctioning a replica of Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” leather jacket, which the singer wore on tour ten years ago. Embellished with metal mesh and golden hardware, the jacket took over 400 hours to recreate, and is being sold via the US fundraising company Omaze – the proceeds of which will go directly to Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation. 

“I am so happy to partner once again with Lady Gaga and the Born This Way Foundation. Our friendship and our efforts to promote equality, diversity, and inclusion have only become stronger with time,” said Donatella. “It’s been 10 years since we created the looks for her Born This Way Ball, so we’ve decided to revisit the leather jacket – one of my favorite pieces from the tour – to be auctioned for a great cause. Gaga and her foundation are so inspiring, I love the work they do with vulnerable youth and the LGBTQ+ community”.

Where many designers have shirked from social commentary, particularly when it comes to queer rights, Donatella, a Stonewall ambassador, has always made her support clear – something she has accredited to to her late brother, Gianni, who was gay. So while most corporations say little more than ‘if you’re going to queer bash, do it in our rainbow hoodie’, Donatella is once again, demonstrating how it can and should be done.

To coincide with the auction, Versace is also raising funds with a limited-edition “Born This Way” t-shirt and beret, which can be purchased online. Otherwise, check out the most outrageous looks from Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” era here.