A gender-fluid clothing company based in Manchester has unveiled four famous faces as brand ambassadors as part of a new campaign to “undress discrimination”.
With Manchester being home to one of the highest populations of LGBTQIA+ people in the UK, but with recent statistics from Rainbow Mind sadly finding that 42% of gay men and 70% of lesbian women experience mental health problems, Kontroversial is “on a mission to share the struggles” faced by some of the most diverse communities.
The streetwear brand – which is based right here in Manchester, and was founded back in 2019 by brother and sister duo, Kate and Chris Friar – has launched the ‘Undressing Discrimination’ campaign today, which is the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.
The campaign focuses on mental health and features local stars of the stage and screen.
Unfamiliar with Kontroversial? Well, with a vision of a society where clothing is “less gender-specific and focused more on creativity and freedom”, the authentic streetwear brand is always aiming to challenge the issues connected with identity and stereotypes, and looks to empower people of all ages, genres, and sizes to feel comfortable with themselves and what they wear.
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As part of the ‘Undressing Discrimination’ campaign, Kontroversial has chosen five brand ambassadors that it says “challenge the norm” by way of either their gender, profession, sexuality, or beliefs.
Kontroversial is “on a mission to share the struggles” faced by some of the most diverse communities / Credit: Kontroversial
The new campaign features a series of hard-hitting interviews that delve into the experiences of the ambassadors, who have all suffered mental health issues due to discrimination.
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One of the chosen ambassadors is glamour model, Only Fans content creator, and the UK’s most-tattooed woman, Rebecca Holt – who has over 250,000 avid online fans, is a regular in national newspapers, has recently appeared in a Channel 4 documentary examining body confidence and positivity, and has a passion for supporting projects based around the LGBTQIA+ community.
Professional dancer and model Reece Daniels has also been brought on as an ambassador after he spent most of his younger years hiding his homosexuality due to fear of attack and bullying, but since coming out, has travelled the world performing for global superstars such as Rita Ora, and has become the face of campaigns for high street fashion brand and makeup brands.
Joining Reece and Rebecca are gender-fluid performers Denon James and Darnell Gledhill.
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Known as ‘The Girls’, the pair regularly perform at flamboyant events nationwide, representing Manchester’s House of Ghetto, and are well-known nationally for competing within the underground ‘Ballroom’ scene, which is a subculture community based around drag.
The Manchester brand’s campaign focuses on mental health and features five local stars of the stage and screen / Credit: Kontroversial
Kontroversial’s collection of new brand ambassadors is completed by fitness influencer and mental health mentor Toby Holt – a former drug user who experienced severe depression and suicidal thoughts, but had his life saved by fitness and is now a professional personal trainer and online life mentor.
“I’m so proud to work with our new brand ambassadors,” said Kate Friar, co-founder and designer at Kontroversial.
“They represent confidence and body positivity and are not afraid to be who they truly are, which is a message we fully support, and through sharing their experiences, we hope to encourage others to have the confidence to be their authentic selves.
“For us to show different genders wearing the same clothes but worn in totally different ways shows the variety of possibilities within the same product, while also inspiring people to think outside the box of the gender norms and stereotypes associated with it.”
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As part of the ‘Undressing Discrimination’ campaign, Kontroversial has teamed up with mental health charity Rainbow Minds to donate 20% of profits from sales in May and June to the charity that helps young people navigate mental health challenges associated with being within the LGBTQA+ community.
It features a series of hard-hitting interviews that delve into the experiences of the ambassadors / Credit: Kontroversial
“We’re incredibly grateful for Kontroversial’s generous support,” said Naomi Evans – Strategic Communications Lead for Rainbow Mind.
“Our Rainbow Mind project offers inclusive mental health support for LGBTQ+ people, providing a safe space for people to be their authentic selves free from judgement or discrimination [and Kontroversial’s] exciting new launch celebrates self-expression and gender inclusivity, values that also reflect our ethos.”
Kontroversial says it hopes the new campaign will help to create a reality where people of all genders, beliefs and races are “free to style and present themselves without fear”.
All the stories shared by the brand ambassadors for the campaign can be read in full on the Kontroversial website here.
Featured Image – Kontroversial
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Thanks to Terminal 2’s major upgrade, now holidays really do start at Manchester Airport
Danny Jones
It’s a phrase that’s almost as old as air travel itself, but luckily, Manchester Airport are well and truly getting your holidays started early, courtesy of the new and improved Terminal 2.
T2‘s massive upgrade technically finished in 2025, but with other bits debuting already this year and even more to come in 2026, Manchester’s biggest terminal is a more fully-fledged travel hub than ever.
Complete everything from the essentials and a healthy supply of food and drink, to lots of luxuries and plenty of ways to unwind and kill time between both before and after flights, you can feel extra smug about getting to the airport early.
As part of their latest ‘Terminal Explorer’ campaign, we recently paid a visit to see just how much fun we could get up to in and around T2. Spoilers: quite a lot.
With a little help from their wayfinding screens dotted around the various areas, from the World Duty Free section and ever-growing internal shopping district, to all the bars and restaurants that have opened since the big refurb, we took ourselves on a very fun day out.
And that was without even having an actual holiday booked to look forward to, so just imagine how good it must feel to top all this off with a real trip away.
In fact, you don’t even need to think that hard about it; roughly 80% of all passengers heading in and out of Manchester Airport now come through T2, and with the experience improving all the time, they’re seeing a serious uptick in visitors and their time spent enjoying some leisure before their getaway.
From additions like the LEGO store to keep the kids entertained, as well as numerous places to grab a brew, a bite, or even your first adult beverage of the holiday, it’s up to you how you choose to explore – they’ve just given you plenty of options.
There’s no bigger testament to the latest hospitality offerings in Terminal 2 than the recently opened Great Northern Market, which brings a rather big taste of the Mackie Mayor vibe to Manchester Airport.
A VERY comfortable place to wind down any wait times before you fly.
You’ll be blown away by the amount of choice on offer in here – we certainly were – and, of course, the multi-vendor culinary destination epicentre is just one of many fantastic food and drink offerings now boasted by the T2 ‘2.0.’
For instance, we could happily spend most of the time before our next hypothetical flight just chilling in the super stylish Fever-Tree Bar, which includes a wonderful range of breakfast and light bites, charcuterie boards, small plates, sandwiches and so on – plus a cocktail menu perfect for any occasion.
Put simply, you’ve now been given all the tools and means to turn downtime of almost any duration into an excuse to explore Manchester Airport at its best; in fact, scratch that: it’s an opportunity to go for a wander and make the most of it – and it’s one you don’t want to waste.
Whether it’s stocking up pre-flight or kicking back with your first drink of many, don’t just be another person sitting watching the departures board, be a terminal explorer.
Sensory-friendly Northern Lights to illuminate Printworks’ digital ceiling to mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week
Emily Sergeant
This week marks the start of Neurodiversity Celebration Week.
Approximately 15-20% of the population has a neurological difference, according to the most recent statistics, and Neurodiversity Celebration Week (16-20 March 2026) highlighting the importance of championing, raising awareness of, and accommodating neurodiverse people.
And Printworks is marking the occasion in its own special way, with a series of new initiatives designed to create a more ‘inclusive’ and ‘sensory-friendly’ environment.
You may already know that the popular indoor entertainment complex in the heart of Manchester city centre is home to more than a dozen bars, restaurants, and leisure activities – including one of the largest IMAX screens on the continent – and Europe’s largest digital ceiling too, of course, but this week’s experience is unlike anything the venue has welcomed before.
Throughout the week, Printworks will be transforming its digital ceiling with calming Northern Lights and constellations which have been specifically designed to create a relaxed, sensory-friendly atmosphere for visitors with additional sensory needs.
Northern Lights to illuminate Printworks’ digital ceiling to mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week / Credit: Supplied
As part of a long-term commitment to accessibility and inclusivity, Printworks is also introducing a weekly sensory-friendly hour every Sunday too, where lighting throughout the venue will be dimmed, and music and SFX volumes reduced for a reduced-stimulus environment.
200 free sensory packs – which can be collected at Vue cinema – with a pair of ear defenders and sensory-friendly toys, designed to support visitors who may benefit from sensory tools while enjoying the venue, are also on offer throughout the course of the week.
On top of this, there’s also a range of autism-friendly cinema screenings taking place on the last Sunday of every month at 10:30am.
An additional autism-friendly screening will be taking place with a showing of Hoppers this Sunday 22 March at 10:30am, with tickets now available from Vue’s website.
“Neurodiversity Celebration Week is an important time for brands and venues to recognise and support the diverse ways visitors and audiences experience the world,” commented Dan Davis, who is the General Manager at Printworks.
Emily Sergeant -
17th May 2022 
