Article Written by: Lucy Roche
‘The worlds of fashion and queer culture have forever been intertwined.’ - Sasha Velour.
Inevitably, due to the endless possibilities, there are a vast variety of influences involved in the creative process of fashion, however the contribution of drag and queer culture is often overlooked. Without a doubt aspects of fashion would not have flourished if it was not for the inspiration from drag. Makeup techniques, such as contouring and baking, and the freedom of self-expression through the medium of fashion have all originated from the artistic abilities of drag kings and queens. Despite the widespread exposure of drag now, thanks to the popular TV show ‘Rupaul’s Drag Race’, there is so much more to explore when considering the relationship between drag and fashion.
Drag culture has been around much longer than some may have expected. The word ‘drag’ was first coined during the 16th Century due to Shakespearian plays in which men would dress as women, as it was illegal for women to perform until 1660. Therefore, men who wore long skirts, dresses and makeup would be considered as wearing ‘drag’. The theatrical origins of drag seem almost obvious due to the performative nature of the art form and throughout history, continued to stay true to its roots. Despite drag evolving throughout this period and beyond, there are a few inspirational figures that should be noted. William Dorsey Swann, during the 1880s, was the first person to consider himself a ‘queen of drag’, thus coining the term ‘drag queen’. Tragically though, as we progress even further throughout history a darker turn occurs.
When sexology began to originate, in 1886, theorists such as Havelock Ellis began to investigate drag and homosexuality to understand how and why these aspects became to be. Even though Ellis did not consider homosexuality to be a crime or immoral, many others thought otherwise. As people began to believe that homosexuality and drag should be something to be feared, drag was forced to become a secretive outlet for many. Drag bars were forced to go underground and were often subject to police raids and laws, such as the Masquerade Laws, were being passed in order to further criminalise this art form. However, this was all challenged during the Stonewall Riots in 1969 in which hundreds protested the police brutality and lack of LGBTQ+ rights, with Marsha P. Johnson being a leading figure throughout. Johnson was a black transgender woman who vigorously fought for gay rights, in particular for black trans lives, until her tragic death in 1992 which policed ruled as suicide, however many believe foul play was involved. The Stonewall Riots really did managed to achieve greater respect and exposure to queer culture and even though drag queens were still marginalised, the foundations for their place within society had emerged.
Certainly one of the biggest drag icons is Rupaul who emerged within the drag scene in the late 1980s. His influence amongst drag culture is tremendous, especially with the development of his successful Emmy award winning TV show ‘Rupaul’s Drag Race’ which premiered in 2009. Rupaul has always had an influence within the drag culture and was the first to be the face of Mac’s ‘Viva Glam’ campaign in 1994. Despite Rupaul’s successful career, the media coverage surrounding his influence is vast and other aspects of drag’s influence on fashion should gain more attention. Various fashion designers such as Jeremy Scott and Marc Jacobs have shown their support for drag with the inclusivity of either modelling successful drag queens or even designing for them for events. Marc Jacobs in particular produced a campaign in which season 6 constant of ‘Drag Race’ Milk was seen modelling women’s clothes.
Moreover, one of the greatest influences on fashion was seen within season 9 winner Sasha Velour’s ‘The Gift of Showz’ show at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC in 2018. Velour was given the opportunity to create a fashion show in which she was able to showcase the talents of over 40 LGBTQ+ models and
performers. When asked about her contribution to fashion Velour was quoted saying that it was a gift ‘to have a role in crafting an evening that represents our voices and tastes alongside our imagery.’ Similarly, Rhianna was recently praised for her inclusion of drag queens within her ‘Savage x Fenty volume 2’ lingerie show in which fan favourites Shea Coulée, Jaida Essence Hall and Gigi Goode showcased their modelling abilities and performed whilst wearing Rhianna’s new collection. Continuing with the public exposure of drag’s influence on fashion, in 2019 the annual Met Gala showcased the theme ‘camp’ in which the queer culture was celebrated through the various designs illustrated on celebrities. This was also the first Met Gala in which drag queens were invited which included Rupaul, Violet Chachki (season 7 winner) and Aquaria (season 10 winner). Although this was a significant development for the inclusion of drag queens in celebrity culture, actress Lena Waithe’s outfit should have the spotlight. Designed by Kerby Jean-Raymond of Pyer Moss, Waithe wore a black and white pinstripe suit which displayed the phrase ‘Black Drag Queens Invented Camp’ embroidered on the back. To further portray her message, Waithe’s pinstripes included the lyrics from Diana Ross’ ‘I’m coming out’ and Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I will survive’ songs. Waithe ultimately wanted to shed a light on the marginalisation of black drag queens and the influence they have contributed to fashion. When questioned about her choice of outfit and inspiration behind it Waithe said; ‘Pepper LaBeija, Benny Ninja, Rupaul, all these pioneers [...] I really wanted to pay tribute to them and all that they did for the culture [...] they started this whole ‘camp’ thing by being over the top’. What Waithe has demonstrated through her choice of outfit for the event, is the lack of appreciation and representation for black drag queens despite their influence within fashion.
Ultimately, despite there being tremendous advancements in the recognition of drag culture within fashion there still a long way to go to fully appreciate all that drag queens have done. Black drag queens in particular have been subject to misrepresentation compared to their queer counterparts and this needs to change. Furthermore, the lack of representation altogether of drag kings just illustrates how we need to continue progressing further highlighting the influence of drag on fashion and celebrate everybody’s talents.
Here in Brighton, there is a phenomenal LGBTQ+ scene in which drag queens, in particular, are able to showcase their talents especially through the annual Pride parade which takes place every summer. There are a few local charities that sought to help and protect the LGBTQ+ community and help fund the Pride parade which are always looking for donations which can be found here on their website; https://www.brighton-pride.org/
References;
- Aviles Gwen. “Lena Waithe honours black drag queens with Met Gala outfit”. December 22, 2020, https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/lena-waithe-honors-black-drag-queens-met-gala-outfit-n1002851
- East Hayden. “How Drag Culture Changed the Fashion World”. December 22, 2020. https://www.concrete-online.co.uk/drag-culture/
- Henry Maria. “A (Brief) Queer History of Fashion”. December 22, 2020. https://londonrunway.co.uk/2020/09/18/a-brief-queer-history-of-fashion/
- Jana Rosalind. “Why is it that fashion looks to Queer Icons for Inspiration?”Vogue. March 23, 2019. https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/queer-influences-in-fashion
- Lang Cady. “Opening Ceremony Hosted a New York Fashion Week Show Celebrating Drag with Sasha Velour”. Time. September 10, 2018. https://time.com/5390697/opening-ceremony-nyfw/
- Schneier Matthew. “Why the Fashion World is Obsessed with ‘Rupaul’s Drag Race’”. The New York Times. September 24, 2016. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/25/fashion/why-the-fashion-world-is-obsessed-with-rupauls-drag-race.html
- Tran Kaylin. “The History of Drag and its Modern-Day Influence”. New Face Magazine. August 24, 2020. https://www.newfacefashionmagazine.com/post/the-history-of-drag-and-its-modern-day-influence