Target Pride collection designer speaks out about pulled merchandise

When Target pulled Humankind’s Pride Month collection from its shelves, the CEO and founder of the gender-inclusive swimwear brand company, Haily Marzullo, said she found out from a Wall Street Journal reporter. Six days later, on June 1, Marzullo received confirmation from Target that the Pride collection she designed with the retailer would no longer be sold in Target stores or on its website. On May 24, Target announced that it was “making adjustments” to its Pride plans after facing backlash from some customers and “threats to employees.” Marzullo called Target's decision to pull her brand's merchandise “disappointing” in an interview. “Working with a nationwide retailer afforded us significantly wider reach and increased production volume,” Marzullo said. “Target’s resources and reputation as a trusted brand were invaluable assets in furthering our mission to make gender-inclusive swimwear accessible to all.” Related: How brands can navigate Pride Month marketing The retailer notified Marzullo that it “had to make some changes to the assortment to protect their team members, including swimwear.” Target did not respond to a request for comment on this story. The Los Angeles-based Humankind, which was founded in 2018, has worked only with Target as a retail partner, since 2021. Outside of the pulled Target Pride collection, Humankind’s products are sold only DTC. “Target’s stores reached a customer base who may not have come looking for these pieces otherwise,” said Marzullo, who added that Humankind is a small brand with only two full-time employees. Marzullo declined to share what percentage of Humankind’s sales the Target collection represented. Humankind wasn’t the only Pride collection that Target pulled—accessories brand Abprallen’s Target Pride collection, for instance, was also removed. LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have since condemned Target for its decision. Humankind creates gender-inclusive swimwear. For this year’s Target collection, that meant compression swim tops and “tuck-friendly” swim bottoms for adults, or a swim bottom with a wider gusset. That swim bottom is not yet available on Humankind’s website, meaning that Target was the only place they were available. Prior to Target's decision to pull the clothing, a conservative podcast host falsely claimed that the “tuck-friendly” apparel was in the children's section—which was not the case, Marzullo said—and that false claim quickly spread on social media. Humankind's prior Pride collection with Target sold out, Marzullo said; it's unclear whether they will continue to work together moving forward. “I look forward to communication from Target confirming that they’d like to continue to involve us,” Marzullo said. Marzullo has also consulted for brands such as Kylie Cosmetics and Buck Mason, and was recently honored on the Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list. See all of Ad Age's 2023 Leading Women here Target isn’t alone in facing choices like this ahead of Pride Month, which has, in recent years, become a time when brands publicly celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Outerwear company The North Face, for instance, also faced scrutiny from consumers for its Pride collection, but opted against pulling the apparel. Walmart also publicly stated its commitment to offering Pride merch. In April, so-called “anti-woke” consumers boycotted Bud Light when it partnered with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Soon after, its marketing VP Alissa Heinerscheid took a leave of absence, with Bud Light also citing employee safety as a key factor in its decisions. In recent years, Target emerged as an LGBTQ+ ally, according to Marzullo. “2022’s choice to spotlight small queer creators (like myself) made that believable, effectively avoiding accusations of rainbow-washing in a way that was impressive to many of us in the community.” Marzullo said. “I will be transparent that their choice to back down now is disappointing.” “While the products available on our site are similar, there is not perfect overlap—for example, the adult tuck-friendly bottom was something we worked on with Target, but Humankind won’t have anything similar available until later this year,” Marzullo said. Sign up for Ad Age newsletters From influencer marketing to agencies, get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox Click here

Target Pride collection designer speaks out about pulled merchandise

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