This year, I set a major goal for our brand: to be more collaborative and exclusively feature LGBTQ+ designers. I wanted our shirts to not just be for queer people, but authentically created by queer people. My ambitious vision was to partner with 12 incredible artists over 12 months, starting early this year with our Jamie Hahn collab.
The Story of the Collaboration
Back in December 2025, I stumbled upon the amazing work of designer and illustrator Adam Dalton Blake. I absolutely adored the art on his personal store and immediately knew his style would be perfect for Hunky Tops. I reached out to commission him for our upcoming spring collection, and I was thrilled when he agreed to design our April drop.
The Collaboration Itself
Initially, I pitched a general spring concept of "rebirth" and "renewal"—made gay and sexy, of course. However, when Adam and I jumped on a kick-off call in January, the direction of the project evolved. We discussed how the climate in the United States had recently shifted, leaving many in our community, especially immigrants and trans folks, feeling incredibly scared. We decided we needed a deeper, more meaningful message. We pivoted from a simple spring theme to a concept centered around "resilience," "strength," and "protection".
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Adam brought his signature aesthetic to the table: drawing muscular men with mustaches and cheeky, rosy cheeks. He proposed a beautiful, pinup-style idea of a figure wrapped in flowers to symbolize a community wrapping its arms around you to keep you safe.
We also had to work within some unique design constraints. Because I want to ensure we offer inclusive sizing up to 4X and 5X, the design needed to pop on our available staple colors for those sizes: black, white, and navy. Adam took all of this in stride. In mid-February, he sent over a brainstorm deck with four brilliant sketches that mixed his pseudo-masculine art with our theme of care and support. I gravitated toward the designs featuring extra hands holding flowers, and we ultimately combined the sexiness of one sketch with a powerful flexing arm from another.
The Outcome
The final artwork is absolute perfection. It features a flexing, bearded figure being embraced by diverse hands holding beautiful spring flowers. We even made sure to include Adam’s signature maker's mark so his incredible work is clearly recognized.
The message behind the design is just as beautiful as the art itself. As Adam perfectly captured in his artist statement for the launch: "This illustration is about how every person contains the support of everyone around us, as long as we accept the flowers given, come together and become one united entity". April is a time when the earth is nurtured by the rain and flowers bloom, and in these volatile times, it's on all of us to reach out, support our neighbors, and extend kindness.
I am so incredibly proud of this collaboration and cannot wait for you all to wear this beautiful symbol of community and resilience!
