CELEBRATING THE INTERSECTIONS OF IDENTITY BY CONNIE WARDMAN I would like you to meet Sky Cubacub, the owner and designer of Chicago-based Rebirth Garments featured in Compete’s swimsuit issue. Connie Wardman: Sky, thanks so much for your willingness to share your information with our readers. First of all, how do you identify? Sky Cubacub: I identify as genderqueer or gender fluid, I use they/them pronouns but just prefer to have people use my name; I think it describes me more accurately. I’m queer and polyamorous so I have multiple partners/loves/sweeties of all different gender expressions. I’m a Hapa – Filipino on my dad’s side, white on my mom’s so I also identify as a queer person of color (QPOC) and as disabled, using QueerCrip (“crip” short for cripple). CW: When did you come out? And how did you get started making clothing? SC: I came out at 15 but started doing chainmaille [typically armor or jewelry made by connecting metal rings to one another] at 13. With lifelong anxiety and panic disorders, I first dreamed of this collection when I was 16 when I couldn’t Photographs by Colectivo Multipolar
18 COMPETE JULY - AUGUST 2020
