Love Your Labels invites you to be Queer AF in Denim at our Art+Fashion Show this September.

Denim is more than just a fabric. It is a record of labor, resistance, reinvention, and style. This textile’s history begins with exploitation and enslaved labor. Rugged and transcendent, the garment became a symbol of resistance, solidarity with the working class, and youthful rebellion. From patchwork to embellishments, from indigo to acid wash, this textile embodies our uniqueness and authenticity.

This summer, Queer AF is exploring four denim archetypes:

The Renegade: This punk-rocker or outsider doesn’t play by the rules

The Throwback: This character is all about vintage charm, reinventing storied looks

The Shapeshifter: A style chameleon, this persona knows fashion transcends norms and binaries

The Truthteller: This historian honors the realities and complexities of denim and the people who wear it

Join us at the Queer Met Gala of Massachusetts and let your imagination and creativity drive — we encourage you to take a well-loved, worn-in pair of jeans to the sewing machine for an evolution. What is your story, and how can you weave it into one of the world’s most beloved fabrics?

Queer AF 2026 will be a multitude of textures. Designers will imagine new tales to tell with this storied fabric, and shades of blue will pop on the runway.

Join us on Friday, Sept. 18, at Mechanics Hall in Worcester — during the Big Queer Worcester Weekend — as we celebrate queer fashion, art, community, and joy.