10 LGBTQ trailblazers excelling in fashion, art and design

Following on from the success of last year’s inaugural list, Attitude 101 is back and once again we’re celebrating 100 LGBTQ trailblazers across 10 categories, and one person of the year. This time around we’re proud to be empowered by Bentley. 

The categories are Politics; The Future, supported by Clifford Chance; Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths; Media and Broadcast; Travel; Film TV and Music, supported by Taimi; Business, Financial and Legal; Third Sector and the Community; and Sport. Our Person of the Year is game-changing rapper Lil Nas X. 

You can check out the full list and interviews with some of those included in the Attitude 101 issue – out now to download and to order globally. Check out our Fashion, Art, and Design supported by Klarna category below.

Marcelino Sambé, Ballet dancer

Photo: Kosmas Pavlos

A newly-crowned Principal of the Royal Ballet, Marcelino Sambé tells Attitude his hope is that the art form can reach new audiences and that his ambition, as a Black queer dancer, is to inspire others to follow in his footsteps. He was promoted to the prestigious position in one of the most famous companies on the planet just before lockdown began in 2020. After hanging up his ballet shoes for almost a year, the dancer has taken centre-stage in some of the highest-profile, most-loved productions, including Romeo and Juliet and Giselle.

Reece King, Model

Photo: Eddie Blagborough

The undisputed king of covers, Reece King has graced the front of 12 magazines to date — including this one. Whether he’s taking part in vogue balls (the boy’s got moves) or exploring the masculine and the feminine in his personal style and on photoshoots, Reece’s queerness is always firmly infused in his aesthetic. More than just a model, Reece puts his reach of half a million followers on Instagram to good use by taking part in panels at Student Prides, and speaking about his experiences as a POC queer man working in the fashion industry.

Chella Man, Artist, writer & director

Photo: Antonio Ysursa 

Chella Man is an internationally acclaimed artist who identifies as deaf, genderqueer, trans-masculine, Jewish, and Chinese. As a multi-hyphenate, his work is not limited to one medium and spans writing, painting, film, collage, and performance art, through which he explores the continuum of identity and deconstructing binaries within disability, gender, race, and morality. This year alone, his book, Continuum, was published; The Beauty of Being Deaf, a short film he directed, was released; and TV series Trans in Trumpland, for which he was an executive producer, was broadcast — is there anything he can’t do?

Robert Diament, Director & art expert

Photo: Dave Benett

In 2018, Robert co-founded podcast, Talk Art, along with his pal Russell Tovey (who, have no fear, is featured elsewhere on our 101 List), as a way to make art more accessible. With downloads in excess of 3.5 million, listeners in more than 160 countries around the world, and a Sunday Times bestselling book, they certainly fulfilled their original brief. Diament is also director of the Carl Freedman Gallery in Margate, and Counter Editions, which produces prints and multiples by leading contemporary artists such as Tracey Emin and is rooted in the notion that art is for all.

Joshua Cummings, Model

US model Joshua Cummings is hitting the big time and then some. As well as landing a cover for French luxury fashion magazine L’Officiel Hommes last year, he’s also just vogued in Dsquared2’s latest denim campaign, shot by the legendary Steven Klein. Wearing just a pair of jeans, Joshua hopped into the shower for the Canadian mega-brand — helmed by Dean and Dan Caten — and sure did make a splash. Next year certainly won’t be a washout as he ventures across the pond to show Europe what he’s got. We can’t wait!

Daniel w. Fletcher, Designer

Photo: Francisco Gomez de Villaboa 

Straight out of the gate, Daniel w. Fletcher set a high bar, with Opening Ceremony buying his entire 2015 Central Saint Martins graduate collection. Having already checked in at Burberry, and spiced up his life with Victoria Beckham, his meteoric ascent to the top shows no signs of slowing down. The designer’s eponymous brand — a favourite of Harry Styles’ — has gone from strength and strength, and Daniel also made a seamless transition into TV in Netflix’s Next in Fashion. More recently, he was appointed creative director of Fiorucci.

Roja Dove, Perfumer

Hailed as having “the world’s most impressive nose” (move over Adam Driver), Roja Dove has poured his natural gift and skill into every scent he has created. After honing his craft during two decades at the House of Guerlain, Roja started his own fragrance brand, Roja Parfums, in 2011. Driven by the philosophy that “only the best will do”, he hits all the right notes as one of the world’s most esteemed luxury perfumers. With a shop in London’s prestigious Burlington Arcade, Roja proves that passion always pays off.

Grete Henriette, Designer

Since graduating, Grete Henriette has hit the ground running, expressing her queer identity and relationship with sexuality through her designs. She has dressed everyone from Lil Nas X, Bimini, and multiple Met Gala attendees and become known for her signature chain-mail dresses as well as huge, billowing Bridgerton-esque silhouettes. Grete’s work celebrates female and LGBTQ+ empowerment, the beauty of queer love, and fights against lesbian erasure within the industry. If Grete’s embellished creations are anything to go by, the future is bright and sparkly.

Dom & Ink, Illustrator

Photo: Tom Buck

A freelance illustrator — and self-proclaimed merman — London- based, Bolton-born Dom&Ink aims to empower with his art. Inspired by everything from LGBTQ+ rights, mental health awareness, and body positivity to drag and girl groups, Dom’s latest book, Queer Power, published in May, is an illustrated journal of icons, activists, and game changers from across the rainbow. He has also put pen to paper to create eye-catching designs for Little Mix, UGG, Selfridges, RuPaul’s Drag Race the UK, and actress Emma Watson.

Jack Guinness, Writer

Jack Guinness started out as a model, starring in global campaigns for L’Oréal and Dunhill. Now a writer, he’s a firm favourite with British GQ and has interviewed stars including Rihanna and Lady Gaga. In 2021, he compiled The Queer Bible, celebrating the global queer community with essays from contributors such as Elton John, Lady Phyll, Tan France, and Paris Lees. Jack’s podcast of the same name continues to spread the love, with Sir Ian McKellen, Munroe Bergdorf, and Russell T Davies among the guests. In the wider world, he is a member of The Mayor of London’s Commission for Diversity.

Check out the full, detailed list in the Attitude 101 issue, which is out now to download and to order globally. The Attitude 101 issue includes the FREE Attitude 2022 calendar, presented in association with Taimi.

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