Arts & Entertainment

UK comic protests fashion giant by changing name to ‘Hugo Boss’

Published

6 years ago

March 4, 2020

*The former **Joe Lycett** is now legally known as **Hugo Boss** (Image courtesy Boss)*

British comedian Joe Lycett is now British comedian Hugo Boss.

You might assume the pansexual performer has struck up some kind of endorsement deal with the international luxury brand, but the truth is that the artist formerly known as Joe Lycett is not trying to drum up the kind of publicity that Hugo Boss would likely want.

The comic and host of the UK’s BBC Two show “The Great British Sewing Bee” made the move as a thumb-to-the-nose at the company, which has gained a reputation for aggressive legal action against small businesses, charities, and other organizations that use the word “boss” in their names – such as Welsh brewery Boss Brewing, which has reportedly outlaid nearly £10,000 (about $13,000) in defending itself against “cease and desist” orders from the German-based clothing giant.

Lycett – or rather, Boss – took to Twitter on March 1 to explain the reason he decided to legally change his name:

“So @HUGOBOSS (who turnover approx $2.7 billion a year) have sent cease & desist letters to a number of small businesses & charities who use the word ‘BOSS’ or similar, including a small brewery in Swansea costing them thousands in legal fees and rebranding. It’s clear that @HUGOBOSS HATES people using their name. Unfortunately for them this week I legally changed my name by deed poll and I am now officially known as Hugo Boss. All future statements from me are not from Joe Lycett but from Hugo Boss. Enjoy.”

In a comment to his own tweet, he posted a scan of the official document from the U.K. Deed Poll Office in London.

The 31-year-old comedian has long been vocal on the issue, such as during a recent appearance on BBC’s “Victoria Derbyshire” show, when he commented on the ongoing legal battle over the Sawnsea brewery’s name by saying, “It’s a massive company taking on a little company and it’s just not fair – nobody’s going to confuse a beer with Hugo Boss.”

The former Lycett came out as pansexual in a 2016 newspaper interview. “I say bisexual because it’s easy for people to understand, but I actually don’t quite think it’s that,” he explained at the time. “Pansexual seems to be the closest thing at this point, in the sense that what I’m attracted to changes depending on intangible things. Sometimes you just look at someone’s thighs and think, ‘Oof, God, yeah,’ but the other parts don’t appeal to you. It’s not entirely to do with gender – it’s to do with where you’re at, your upbringing and the kind of person you are. It’s really complicated, like life is.”

Up Next

Powerhouse PR firm launches new multicultural division, taps Stephen Macias to lead

Don't Miss

Greyson Chance is back with ‘Dancing Next to Me’

FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM

Sports

Jason Collins dies at 47

First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer

Published

1 day ago

May 12, 2026

Michael K. Lavers

Jason Collins (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.

The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.

Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.

Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.

Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.

The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2025, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.

“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”

“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”

“To call Jason Collins a groundbreaking figure for our community is simply inadequate. We truly lost a giant today,” added Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “He came out as gay — while still playing — at a time when men’s athletes simply did not do that. But as he powerfully demonstrated in his final years in the league and his post-NBA career, stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation.”

“He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47,” she said. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will keep fighting on in his honor until the day everyone can be who they are on their terms.”

Photos

PHOTOS: ‘Studio 69’

Glitterati Productions hold party at Bunker

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

Michael Key

'Studio 69' was held at Bunker on Friday. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

Arts & Entertainment

Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week

Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

Staff reports

The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.

Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.

“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”

Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.

Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.

Event Details:

📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026

⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP