New line of Starbucks merchandise celebrates unique stories of artists around the world

When asked to describe the vibrant palette he chose for his new collaboration with Starbucks, Tim Singleton says, “It’s my favorite color – all of them.” The Toronto-based artist and illustrator used electric shades of punchy cyan, magenta, vibrant pink, key lime green and citrusy orange and a mixture of iconography for the joyful collection. “I always like my work to put a smile on people’s faces.” 

The new Starbucks drinkware collaboration with Singleton is arriving in Starbucks stores in the United States and Canada on May 30. The collection is the first in a series through the Starbucks Artist Collaboration Program, which celebrates and elevates the voices and stories of artists from around the world through uniquely curated merchandise in Starbucks stores. 

“A lot of the work that I do focuses on queerness and how that has inspired me – both as a queer person and a gay man and how I relate to the world with that,” he said.  

"It really is a story of self-expression and the unrelenting freedom to express yourself how you want, and that there isn't really one right way to do it."

Singleton’s collection is a mish-mash of pop culture, queer culture and nostalgia with bold visuals and rainbow-bright colors. “It really is a story of self-expression and the unrelenting freedom to express yourself how you want, and that there isn’t really one right way to do it,” Singleton said. 

Exclusively designed for Starbucks, the drinkware collection includes two 24-ounce (venti) plastic cold cups with glitter artwork and a 16-ounce stainless steel tumbler, while supplies last. Starbucks locations within Target stores will also have three additional Target-exclusive drinkware pieces. 

Glitter Cold Cup

This 24-ounce double-walled plastic cold cup has a bit of everything – colour, glitter, holofoil, flowers and a hand making a peace sign that holds a heart. The swirling design carries all the way to the straw, with a final swoop of cyan and magenta. “The peace sign is iconic and easy to interpret almost immediately,” Singleton said. “And at the end of the day, we all want just a little bit of peace.”

Gradient Grid Cold Cup

The rainbow gradient of this 24-ounce cold cup evokes a sunrise as it softly blends from cyan to magenta to citrus with an overlay of a graphic geometric grid treatment. “A beautiful metaphor for queerness is juxtaposing colors,” Singleton said. “Putting a colour beside another colour you wouldn’t think go together – and then it goes together beautifully.”

Stainless Steel Tumbler

Singleton’s 16-ounce stainless steel tumbler features a hand holding a rainbow fan, while eyelashes, stars and other icons float through the scene. Singleton said, “I just love the connection of the fan to the queer scene – you see them at drag shows and at Pride events. When you hear that loud clap of the fan [by a group] in unison it speaks to a sense of joy and freedom and that sense of community you have when everyone is doing that in sync. It’s one of those beautiful, harmonious moments.”

Building a culture of inclusion and The Starbucks Foundation

Starbucks strives to create a culture of inclusion and is a proud ally of the the LGBTQIA2+ community, affirming every way people may choose to identify. Starbucks has a long history of supporting its LGBTQIA2+ partners and communities, from advocating  to providing broader healthcare coverage for procedures and services that support gender affirmation.

Rooted in the Starbucks Mission to nurture human connection, The Starbucks Foundation, is one of the primary ways Starbucks uplifts communities from around the world. With more than $20 million invested into communities in the past year, The Starbucks Foundation supports nonprofit organizations in partnership with Starbucks partners (employees), licensee partners and others with a shared commitment and belief in stronger, more equitable communities.