One of Our First Cuts Came From a Border No One Talks About

Before Ultra Complex had a name, it had a mission: to create something that reflected the complexity of identity, performance, and connection. One of our earliest swimwear cuts — a shape that helped define our signature — was produced in Gaza.

Between 2020 and 2022, we worked with a factory there. It wasn’t fast. It wasn’t easy. But it was real. And it worked.

We never thought we’d write about it. And we never hid it either. But since the war began, this part of our story feels more important to name. Because it proves what many people don’t want to believe: both sides have good people. And both sides can — and do — collaborate when they want to.

We’re not a humanitarian project. We’re a queer performance brand. But we do believe in changing things — especially here, in the Middle East. We believe queer culture can cross borders, shift systems, and build unexpected futures. That’s what this collaboration was about.

It wasn’t a campaign. It wasn’t PR. It was a working relationship between people who were never “supposed” to work together — and we made it work.

It was our own peace in the Middle East.

When the war started in October 2023, we lost everything from that production run: materials, patterns, finished pieces, and money. We didn’t make noise. We kept working — because we still believe in the vision.

Ultra Complex was built from contradiction: Arab, Jewish, queer, religious, secular, military, soft, hard, Black, white, Tel Aviv, New York, and everything in between. We don’t smooth out the tension. We use it.

This is part of our story. Not because it’s inspirational — but because it’s true.

Hoping for better days on both sides. Hoping to work together again.