San Diego Pride Debuts Fabric of Pride Fashion Show Fundraiser

By Joslyn Hatfield

San Diego Pride is flipping the script on what a nonprofit fundraiser can look like — and sound like, and feel like, and stand for. This spring, the organization unveils its inaugural fashion show fundraiser, Fabric of Pride, an event that intentionally turns the traditional gala model on its head. It’s fabulous, fierce, and full of queer joy. Gone are quiet auction paddles and ballroom lighting. Icons, unapologetic self-expression, and a runway filled with wearable art created by local LGBTQIA+ designers take center stage.

The foundation of queer culture has long existed at the intersection of art and resistance. We heal ourselves through expression. From underground ballroom scenes to street protests where clothing became armor, code, and storytelling, fashion has always been a language of liberation. Fabric of Pride draws directly from that history and begs the question: what would happen if a fundraiser centered identity, expression, and queer joy?

The answer is a cultural experience grounded in community, celebration, and yes — fashion. In a world that often asks LGBTQIA+ people to shrink, soften their presence, or silence their voices, this event invites attendees to hold space fully, firmly, and full of Pride. Fabric of Pride is an evening demanding visibility, fueled by the belief that expressions of queer joy are themselves acts of resistance.

Fashion has always been a place for our community to claim power and rewrite narratives on our own terms. Within LGBTQIA+ spaces, serving a lewk has never been simply aesthetic. It has been survival, defiance, and celebration woven together. Fabric of Pride honors that legacy through fashion as art while exploring gender, cultural heritage, resilience, and joy. Every look that sashays down the runway reflects a lived experience.

Adding to the energy of the evening, acclaimed drag artist, model, and performer Symone — winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 13 — will headline the event. Celebrated for her fashion-driven drag and powerful cultural storytelling, Symone has emerged as a defining voice in contemporary queer artistry. A member of the Los Angeles-based House of Avalon, her work often references Black history and civil rights movements, blending high fashion with activism in ways that resonate far beyond the runway. Her presence elevates the event into a moment of cultural celebration that bridges performance, fashion, and movement work.

The designers and models themselves weave the Fabric of Pride. They are artists, neighbors, and community leaders whose creativity shapes San Diego’s queer cultural landscape. Their presence reinforces a powerful truth: Pride will not be confined to a single week each summer. It is built daily through the work, imagination, and courage of community members who continue to create space for themselves and each other.

Fabric of Pride reclaims fashion as movement work. Every ticket purchased helps sustain San Diego Pride’s year-round advocacy, education initiatives, and community programs. It’s philanthropy reimagined and an invitation to support the future while celebrating the artistry that defines our present.

Guests are encouraged to lean fully into personal style. Authenticity is the only dress code. Fabric of Pride signals a new chapter in how San Diego Pride approaches fundraising: innovative, culturally grounded, and unapologetically queer. It’s a reminder that art can be activism, fashion can be storytelling, and community can shape new traditions that reflect who we are now and who we are becoming.

Saturday, March 28 | 6–10 PM
The US Grant Hotel | 326 Broadway, San Diego, CA
Tickets available at sdpride.org/fabricofpride