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The Fabric of Belonging

On The Scene / 
October 2025

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A STORY OF TRANSMISSION, STRENGTH AND CARE

When you step into a ballroom, dance steps become a new language. Movements express what words cannot: joy, survival, the family you choose. For Giselle Palmer, icon of the Paris ballroom scene, dancing is living fully. It’s saying: ‘I am here.’ 

 

With The Fabric of Belonging, Levi’s® celebrates stories of queer belonging and legacy that don’t seek to explain themselves, but to carve out space. A space where you can be yourself—freely, surrounded, loved—and simply exist, without compromise.

GIGI

"We never tell the stories of those who didn't come out."

Behind this statement lies a belief: that freedom doesn’t always come through a declaration, but through a way of living. For Giselle, self-affirmation was never a rupture—it was a continuum. She had no model to follow, so she became one. Dancer, mother, activist—she embodies a quiet confidence, forged on the margins and nurtured by the community that watched her grow. Her presence commands respect; her gaze brings peace.
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    MOTHER

    “A mom is your first friend, because she keeps all her children’s secrets.”

    These words, spoken by Linda—Giselle’s mother—are the foundation of the project. Between them, there was no manual, only constant listening. A mutual trust built over time, despite cultural and generational differences. On set, Linda discovers a part of her daughter’s world: the ballroom scene, where freedom shines bright. She watches, learns, understands. “Thanks to her, things become real,” says Giselle. This bond, captured without artifice, becomes a symbol—of unconditional love, built on patience, curiosity, and respect.

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      RILEY

      “I’ve always made people see who I am.”

      These are Riley’s words—one of Giselle’s house children. For him, gender expression is fluid, joyful, unapologetic. Every day, he chooses who he wants to be, blending masculine energy with feminine elegance. To Giselle, Riley represents the next generation: proof that a new wave is rising, carried by self-confidence and pride. Their relationship is both maternal and fraternal—a bond of love and guidance, filled with humor, high standards, and tenderness. In this house, transmission isn’t theory—it’s ritual. A look, a gesture, an encouragement that says: “I believe in you.”

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        NOT A HOUSE, A HOME

        Ballroom isn’t just a stage. It’s a home. A space where light doesn’t judge—it reveals.

        Under the ceilings of La Gaîté Lyrique—and beyond—bodies leap, claim space, celebrate themselves. Here, pride, discipline, and freedom are learned. Every performance is an act of collective care: we lift each other up, protect one another.

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        “Riley is my son and my daughter at the same time,” says Giselle. “He doesn’t box himself in. He’s just how he wants to be.”

         

        In these words lies the essence of ballroom: a space of reinvention, where identities unfold and bonds are freely woven. Here, every step is a declaration, every glance a promise. It’s not just a community—it’s a chosen family, a refuge where joy is political and tenderness is resistance.

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        The Fabric of Belonging celebrates these homes of light: places where (queer) transmission is lived in the present, where generations respond to and uplift one another. Because to dance, to love, to create—or simply to exist as you are—is already to build a legacy: a strong thread, resistant to time and scrutiny. A thread that connects lives, spans eras, and continues to grow, generation after generation.

        MORE THAN AN ICONIC DENIM

        For over forty years, Levi’s® has championed culture, inclusion, and freedom of expression. A pioneer in advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights, the brand supports the communities it highlights—amplifying their visibility, creativity, and power to inspire. 

        With The Fabric of Belonging, Levi's® deepens this commitment by giving a voice to those who are redefining the meaning of family, freedom, and the courage to be oneself.

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