Runway of Pride Photos
Few inaugural events are an instant success. Even fewer inaugural events catch Vogue Italia’s attention. San Francisco Pride’s Runway of Pride managed to do both.
On June 23, 2026, the fashion show, which the Italian editorial vanguard dubbed “a powerful celebration of identity, heritage, and fearless style,” will return for its second year at GLIDE Memorial Church, promising to create an unforgettable night of beauty, expression, and spectacle.
Runway of Pride was born out of a simple desire: to use fashion as a tool for activism. The visionary behind the idea, SF Pride board member Dr. Nas Mohamed, wanted to see representatives of nonprofit organizations and activists walking the runway during 2025 Pride Week. He knew the concept had potential; he just needed the right collaborator to bring it to life.
Antonio Contreras fit the bill. A stylist, fashion film writer, and director, Contreras was brought in through a mutual connection, SF Pride Executive Director Suzanne Ford, who encouraged the two to collaborate. Soon, what had been a modest idea grew beyond what either expected.
“The project became bigger than us. We had a great response from the community and the industry,” said Contreras.
When plans for 2026 SF Pride were underway, bringing Runway of Pride back was an easy decision. Only this time, Contreras would be at the helm as the producer, following Dr. Mohamed’s decision to step down. “Runway of Pride was too much of a good thing to just have for one year. We have so much more to show the world,” Contreras added.
Fashion and the LGBTQ+ community go hand in hand. Many of the most influential fashion designers, Contreras notes, from the 20th century to today, like Roy Halston Frowick, Hubert de Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino Garavani, Lee Alexander McQueen, Olivier Rousteing, and Patrick Kelly, identified with the community.
This year’s Runway of Pride leans into that lineage. The lineup features drag queens and performers from the ballroom community, and that choice was intentional.
“The fashion industry has looked to drag queens and the ballroom community for inspiration for years. What you see on runways now, people in Harlem were already doing, dating back to the Harlem Renaissance era. And that is exactly the statement we’re making: It belongs to us,” Contreras said.
That statement also speaks to SF Pride’s 2026 theme, resistance in action Pride is rooted in community, visibility, and collective action, and resistance in action is about putting words into practice.
Alongside up-and-coming and established designers, members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies, and elected officials like Senator Scott Wiener, President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rafael Mandelman, and Mayor London Breed, attendees can expect to see people of all sizes and of varying physical abilities on the runway. Contreras explained, “We’re giving a platform to people who wouldn’t normally be seen on a runway. The show is how we’re fighting back and empowering members of the community to use their voice.”
Headlining the night is the legendary Pat Cleveland, one of the first Black supermodels and muse to Halston and Karl Lagerfeld. Cleveland, who’s been a longtime LGBTQ+ ally and human rights activist, will grace the runway and perform. “Pat is such an incredible force behind fashion in the LGBTQ+ community. She has been, and always will be, an ally to the community,” said Contreras.
For Ford, Runway of Pride is a reflection of everything SF Pride and her own life stand for. Before becoming the organization’s first and only transgender executive director in its 56-year history, Ford’s current reality was once something her younger self only dreamed of.
Growing up in 1970s Kentucky, Ford hid her identity from a young age. The happiness she felt as a child when she first wore a dress was met with immediate shame from a neighbor. From that point on, she conformed to being the boy everyone wanted, becoming a star student and athlete for fear of being seen as anything feminine.
“I hid in the system for years. Eventually, I attended Howard Law School because I was drawn to civil rights. Ironically, I wasn’t ready to fight for my own,” noted Ford.
It wasn’t until a conversation with her wife that Ford felt ready to embrace her truth. “She asked me if I wanted to be a woman, to which I replied, ‘Sometimes.’” That moment started the unraveling of Ford’s male persona. A year later, she was transitioning.
Today, Ford is joyfully herself and comfortable in her skin, a change she credits to Contreras for helping to find her style. His assistance has helped Ford project the woman she always knew herself to be. And it’s a connection that comes full circle, as Contreras builds Runway of Pride to make people like Ford feel seen.
“Being a very visible trans woman is an act of defiance by itself, which directly connects to our Pride theme,” said Ford.
It’s a sentiment Contreras understands, and that cuts to the heart of why Runway of Pride exists.
“People think of fashion as something frivolous, something foreign. But fashion isn’t that at all. The decision you make every morning, whether to wear a black hoodie or a silk shirt, is a conscious one. It’s the first thing people see. Fashion is, ultimately, how we express ourselves,” said Contreras.
In that sense, Pride and fashion are one and the same: acts of intention and of saying, “This is who I am,” without apology. The second annual Runway of Pride just gives that statement the spotlight.
For tickets and more information, check out this amazing website:
https://www.runwayofpride.com/
Published on June 11, 2026
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