Social media users are dragging Adidas after the company launched its “Pride 2023” swimwear collection, advertising bathing suits on its web site under the “women’s” section with the help of a male model.
One of the bathing suits — a colorful one-piece called the “Pride Swimsuit” that was being advertised for $70 — was being shown off by an apparently male model who also was also displaying a noticeable bulge in the crotch area.
An accompanying video on Adidas’ site shows the model in the one-piece, with the camera at one point zooming to reveal a patch of chest hair rising above the neckline of the model.
Adidas didn’t state if the model identifies as a male or is transgender.
The new line by South African designer Rich Mnisi, dubbed “Let Love Be Your Legacy” and released ahead of Pride Month in June, is “a celebration of self-expression, imagination and the unwavering belief that love unites,” according to Adidas’ site.