The Haus —

I was approached by Speedo to create a name and identity for a sponsored pop-up pool party for queer men of color.

Speedo is an iconic international swimwear brand with a burgeoning demographic of queer men who sport their designs at the beach, social gatherings, and elsewhere as part of their lifestyle. With this in mind, The Haus is an event intended to fortify the brand as an ally to the community.


The Haus is a pool party hosted by Speedo for queer men of color living in NYC. The event is a day for communal gathering, celebration, and pride.

The client needed a name and identity for the event that would speak authentically to the target audience. The design also needed to be visually relevant to the demographic and capture the energy and vibrancy of the community.

I named the event The Haus to speak to the history of ball culture which was created by queer BIPOC who built a community for themselves to feel safe and celebrated. Honoring this legacy, The Haus is not only a party, but is also a safe space for community.


In building the visual identity for the event, I began by researching flyers and posters of queer nightlife events. I wanted the identity for this event to be part of the larger visual language the community has developed.

Having found a visual direction I wanted to go in, I photographed local queer men of color and applied a treatment to their portraits that alludes to the vibrancy and energy of this event and the community itself. It felt important to visually include these men in the graphic design so it would be clear who the event was speaking to.


The result? An energetic visual identity that communicates the event as a safe space for BIPOC queer men to gather and celebrate.