Designers Behind Brand Praying Respond To Addison Rae & Adidas’ ‘Holy Trinity Bikini’ Photo Controversy

Addison Rae faced outrage from Christians when a photo shoot advertising the brand Praying’s new “Holy Trinity Bikini” for Adidas, which features the text “Father,” “Son,” and “Holy Spirit” on the swimwear which Rae wore.

Addison Rae Adidas Controversy

The brand, which was founded by Alex Haddad and Skylar Newman, rides the line between ironic, slightly controversial and supposedly genuine Christian aesthetics. Among their other products, they have a ton of things including handbags, crop-tops and hats with the phrase “God’s Favorite.”

The shoot with Rae stirred up a some outrage, with ardent Christians online taking offense to the use of terms like “Holy Spirit” in a provocative ad. Rae silently deleted the photos from her personal Instagram amid the height of critical online comments.

In a profile for The Cut, Haddad and Newman discussed designing the piece, which was reportedly Haddad’s idea. Both of them came from Christian backgrounds, and Haddad even still considers himself a practicing Catholic. He said seeing criticism of the products distressed him. “One: I never said I don’t believe in God. Two: I’m not mocking anything,” Haddad added.

Rae’s family drama has also unfortunately spilled into the public sphere, with her father reportedly having an affair, and her mother now dating a young rapper.