Love, Pride and Reichen
One thousand people rsvp’d for a party at Splash bar in Manhattan last week. JCK Art Director Todd Gast and I were two of them. After a photo shoot uptown, we jumped in a cab and headed downtown to the event, arriving just in time to hear the guest of honor, Reichen Lehmkuhl (best known for winning season four of the Amazing Race reality show), speak. The gay former Air Force captain, a champion of gay rights in the military, talked about supporting our troops and introduced the crowd to his new Fly Naked with Reichen jewelry line by Love and Pride, which benefits the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.
A titanium pendant from Fly Naked with Reichen
features the line’s signature propeller
As he spoke, I thought back to 2005, when we profiled Love and Pride designer Udi Behr for Luxury magazine. At the time, he passionately told us about his vision for a line of jewelry for the gay market. He had shopped the idea around to the industry’s largest manufacturers, who all turned it down for both short-sighted and, frankly, bigoted reasons. It made Udi both angry and determined. We saw the power of what he wanted to do and included him in our annual designer issue. Back then, quite a few people saw the issue and asked me: “Who’s he?” (In the years since, as manufacturer after manufacturer begins to realize the potential of this market and introduces lines of jewelry to target it, I can’t help but wonder how many of them scoffed at Udi three years ago).
Reichen, right, with Todd and I at the launch of his Fly Naked with Reichen
jewelry line by Love and Pride.
While Love and Pride has been growing steadily for a few years, to attend that party last week, amid the overwhelming crowd of people, was to witness the true realization of Udi’s dream. And I was filled my own sort of love and pride. I am so proud of Udi for making his vision a reality, and love being part of an industry that has such power to raise awareness and support—for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network or any cause—with the powerful meaning and symbolism of its product.
Jerry commented:
I am a little angry that someone would critize a guy who is doing
things to create equality in the military. Unless you've
experienced the bigotry of the military, I would suggest that you
keep your own bigotry in check
Jessica_Alba commented:
Real good theme. Thanks, webmaster(s) ;)
Miranda commented:
Whoa guy, it's a jewelry line, and the guy who designed it was
finally able to get some attention because of Reichen. I've googled
your name, and you seem to have some maniacal obsession with
trashing him all over the net. I agree with Johnny's previous post
- take that anger and focus on something else. It looks like you've
take a lot of time and energy to memorize and quote every single
line of his book and detail every minute of this guy's life. That's
pretty John Lennon stalker stuff. Get on with your life. He's only
one person. He's living his life, right? And this is a social
fashion blog - WE DON"T CARE WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS GUY!
Johnny commented:
It's weird that you're so angry. Take this energy and channel it
into something positive, like cleaning up a neighborhood park.
Leland Frances commented:
Sorry to burst your bubble, but the fact is that Reichen did NOT
learn to fly while at the US Air Force Academy. He may well have
been naked in a plane at some point there but, despite what he let
you believe in this interview, he has conceded in others that he
took CIVILIAN flight training after leaving the Academy. Again,
that's simple fact. Yes, one can CHOOSE to believe that the alleged
USAF tradition was some kind of noble excuse for including the word
"naked" in the line's name [rather than, e.g., FLY PROUD, FLY
STRONG, etc.] rather than another of many ways [calendars, posters,
magazines] he's used taking his clothes off to simply make money.
That's his right, of course, and I have no problem with using the
sizzle of nudity to sell the steak of any product. But don't pee on
my leg and tell me it's raining. Or has the Air Force invented a
plane that looks like a white concrete wall? Further, when the
virulent opposition to allowing out gay men and women to serve
their country [which involves a lot more than wearing camouflage
shorts or shirts with epaulets] is built around various homophobic
myths, how does associating them with nudity-for-pay serve the
fight to overturn the DADT policy?
Bacilio Mendez commented:
Actually, Leland, I'm glad that you asked. If you check out the
post titled "Reichen Gets Personal," you can hear, in his own
words, how Reichen came to choose the name for his jewelry line and
why he chose the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network as partial
benefactor of the sales. Thanks for reading and also for joining
the conversation!
Leland Frances commented:
FYI, Mr. Lehmkuhl did not win season four of the Amazing Race. He
was the cowinner with his former partner Chip Arndt. And what, pray
tell, does flying naked have to do with the noble and decades long
struggle to permit out gay men and women to serve their country?
