Selfridges and Attitude Team Up to Court Gay Market

Well I could think of worse ways to spend a balmy spring evening in London town. Forget what you've read about gay adoption killing off the pink pound - the gays still know how to throw a hell of a party and London superstore Selfridges is more than happy to host.

Tribal drums pounded by hot ethnic boys in Havaianas and a stunning performance from the cast of Priscilla kicked off the annual Attitude 'Summer Daze' beach and undies fashion show in super style.

Enter wave after of wave of Jaw-droppingly-gorgeous underwear and swimsuit gods, parading down the pink carpet flashing the latest gay must-haves from Aussiebum, Diesal, Ted Baker, Paul Smith, XTG et al

A fitting tribute to fashion icon Alexander McQueen stole the show as the hottest models flaunted an exclusive-to-Selfridges red McQ charity boxer brief in aid of The Terrence Higgins Trust and AIDS Project Los Angeles.

The amalgamation of gay and straight super-brands is not so strange as it may first appear.

Just as the uber-straight catwalk hunks had no trouble lapping up the attention of a predominantly male audience, increasingly major corporations seem to be glamming it up to court the gay demographic.

Last month General Motors hosted its gay-focus event at The New York International Auto Show styled "A Night OUT with Cadillac" tagged "Later we'll whisk you away by courtesy motor coach to a VIP afterglow". Fabulous. If not a tad hackneyed.

And with similar aplomb high street brands such as Thompsons and Barclays are targeting the gay market as the economic recovery demands maximisation of the consumer pool.

It may take more than pink champagne and buff buns of steel to woo brand conscious gay men, however - and lesbians will be a tougher nut to crack - but what the hell, we're having a lot of fun - as they try it on.