“Straight Acting” in itself is a term of ambiguity. Is it derogatory? Is it armor? Is it attractive? The LANG x Ponder.er “Straight Acting” campaign is an exploration of all these questions. As an homage to the LGBTQ+ community that we are so proud to be part of, we've teamed up with Hong Kong-based imprint Ponder.er on a collaboration that takes this long divisive term and reclaims it.
"Straight Acting" is a phrase often used to police and categorize queer identity — our capsule collection takes this notion and reframes it as a source of tension, humor, and power. What has historically been used to measure proximity to heteronormativity becomes, here, a lens to explore the fluidity of masculinity and femininity, a dialogue on the contradictions within queer self-expression.
Rather than conforming to or rejecting the label outright, this project embraces its ambiguity — unpacking the ways we perform, resist, and redefine identity on our own terms.
At its core, this is a celebration of queer culture and its allies, as well as the beauty of subversion. The shoot centers on our friends — our community — captured through intimate portraiture that highlights both individuality and shared experience.
The campaign is lensed by Hong Kong photographer Issac Lam, and features eight local Hong Kong talents from across various creative communities and cultures. Talents include Elizabeth Tang (actress), Jum & Hecoheio (tattoo & illustration duo known as Fingerandfish), Joya (singer), Sam Shamseili (dancer & designer of jewelry brand Shamseili), Lisa Lam (co-founder of kombucha brand Taboocha), Kamil Ez-zikhe (editor at Nowness Asia), Kimi (e-commerce) and Joseph Chen (Director of Culture at Eaton HK). Their portraits capture the expressive, playful, and unguarded spirit at the heart of the collaboration.
By elevating traits, aesthetics, and stereotypes that queer individuals are often taught to hide or feel ashamed of, we aim to reclaim them as sources of pride, humor, and strength. This is a visual tribute to unconventional beauty, to subculture, and to the freedom of being seen as we are — complex, contradictory, and unyielding.
Learn more about the campaign's talents in the feature below, and pre-order the LANG x Ponder.er "Straight Acting" collection now at LANG, which includes a T-Shirt ($90 USD), a Cap ($65 USD), and Special Edition Jeans ($320 USD). The collection will officially launch on July 2.
Elizabeth Tang, Actress
Your character in the movie Girlfriends has become your breakout role. How did you prepare to get into character and why do you think people resonate with the movie?
She has a lot of anger in her. She always feels like people don't understand her and she tries to use a very straightforward and a very loud way to present herself. But still, she's very confused inside, within herself. She has many complex thoughts, but she cannot really figure out what she wants and who she really is, her true self. I think I also have been at this stage before. So, I resonate with her, from also knowing myself.
Jum & Hecoheio, Creative Duo Fingerandfish
How has your relationship with each other influenced your work? And has that changed or evolved over the years?
I think because we’re a creative duo, a lot of the time, whether we’re discussing concepts or coming up with designs, we will discuss them together. The process involves a lot of communication. And this process/workflow definitely influences us, whether it’s artwork or doing tattoos or whatever project, we are constantly communicating. We feel that art forces us to communicate and problem solve together, collaborating on how to leverage each other's strengths and to create something better and better each time.
Our communication style, whether personal or professional, has inevitably evolved. We want to constantly improve. Without continual growth, we wouldn’t be able to sustain our partnership for this long. Also, always trying new things and exploring other forms of media and artwork is a way for us to work towards the same goals while still challenging ourselves. We want to constantly be tackling new things.
Joya, Singer
How has motherhood reshaped your queer experience in Hong Kong?
I think becoming a mother has added another identity to my many identities that I've been constantly exploring. And I think the word queer is very appropriate for it because, for me, being queer means you can't easily be contained in a box. And I think motherhood has added another layer to that in that being someone who's in a minority, but even more so of a minority now, what I found is actually very hopeful. It is that when you seek a community, and you approach people and difficult things with an openness, I’ve found that there are good people out there, and there are communities to be found wherever you are. And that's what I love about the LGBTQ+ community, and being a mother hasn't changed that. It has deepened it.
Sam Shamseili, Dancer & Founder of Jewelry Brand Shamseili
How has has your family helped shape you, especially in regards to your identity?
My parents were always incredibly supportive of who I am, they never tried to influence me to be anyone other than myself. In some of my earliest childhood videos, I’m dancing around in my mother’s jewellery while they sang for me, always encouraging me to fully express myself. I feel so blessed and proud to have parents that always made me feel free.
Lisa Lam, Co-Founder of Taboocha
Your queer identity comes through in your brand, is that intentional and how do you navigate that in a city like Hong Kong?
It's not intentional, but we feel like since we're a brand and we have products, we have the perfect platform for people to feel like they belong somewhere and to be visible. So that's why we're doing pride stuff every year. We try to host events where we can introduce different people to each other so that we can build a community. And make people fall in love, maybe. Because actually, there were two friends I introduced to each other [at a Taboocha event] and then they started dating. So come to our events. You might find love.
Kamil Ez-zikhe, Editor at Nowness Asia
You are very unapologetically yourself, has it been a journey to get to where you are now? Do you feel embraced by the culture in Hong Kong?
I grew up in Morocco, where it's actually illegal to be queer. I was the first person to come out in my school. It's really been a journey. But now, I don't feel like I have to prove anything to anyone anymore, and that's one of the best feelings — my queerness is mine, and I don't owe it to anyone. I've come to a place where I'm just like, “This is mine, and no one has a say on it.” I just get to make of it however I want. And live it based on my terms.
Kimi
What was the defining moment of finding your true self? What progress would you like to see in the future of our society?
I think society should have more love. I think everyone should communicate more, let more people understand themselves, and understand other people’s experiences. Their experiences, or why they behave a certain way, or why their flaws formed that way. I think people should think more in that direction. Basically, don’t be so negative about everything.
Joseph Chen, Director of Culture at Eaton HK
A lot of your work involves facilitating conversations around art and queer identity, what fascinates you about the relationship between the two? What has your role at Eaton opened your eyes to?
I think a lot of queer people actually face a lot of discrimination, bias, or stereotypes. So a lot of times, art gives them a space to express themselves. Through art, they can show the public that we are different, but not necessarily scary or weird. You don’t need to be afraid. So I think art provides a good window for them to express their identity.
I think my role at Eaton has given me an opportunity to connect with more diverse groups. Because as a gay man, I’m still a minority, and I have a lot of privilege. Sometimes I might not realize that, but through connecting with more minorities, like queer people, people with disabilities, friends on the spectrum, or neurodiverse people, I’ve realized that everyone faces different conditions. So Eaton has given me the opportunity to think about how we can use art and culture to amplify their voices, so more people can know their stories and their struggles, and hopefully this can lead to more progressive change in society.