_PNG.png)
Before the 2019 Met Gala's celebration of ‘camp’ on its Red Carpet, Queer culture had long been redefining style, blurring the lines between costume and couture. However, throughout history, this pioneering vision has often been overlooked, with mainstream culture failing to fully acknowledge the cultural shifts driven by Queer icons.
The overlaps between the world of fashion and Queer culture are undeniable, largely in their championing of self-expression, breaking boundaries, and innovation. Whilst today we see drag artists like Pabblo Vittar, Gloria Groove, and Bimini on magazine covers and red carpets, Queer artistry originated underground, causing its early influence to often be overlooked.
An example of this underground culture can be seen in the Club Kids scene of the 1980s and 90s in New York City. Iconic figures from this scene such as Leigh Bowery and RuPaul had an undeniable impact on contemporary designers such as Alexander McQueen and Marc Jacobs, through their gender- transcending style.
"It was about ripping things apart and putting them back together, and letting all the scars show"
This group of young, Queer and marginalised individuals pushed boundaries with their outrageous, gender-bending fashion in clubs such as Limelight in New York . Walter Cassidy recounts the rise of the Club Kids stating "The 80s was quite a brutal decade", "there were the conservative politics in the US and UK, and the AIDS crisis. By the time we get to the 90s, there was a need for relief"(Remembering the Club Kids, the Last Subculture of the Analogue Age). The unapologetic Queer style embraced during this time served as an assertion of LGBTQIA+ identity amidst the fear and prejudice induced by the epidemic.
Cassidy further recalls how the Club Kids welcomed the deconstructive spirit of the time: "it was about ripping things apart and putting them back together, and letting all the scars show- that was a metaphor for the 90s" (Remembering the Club Kids, the Last Subculture of the Analogue Age).
"Club Kids have impacted drag today in going beyond female impersonation and really thinking about becoming a piece of moving art"
The Club Kids’ avant-garde and DIY approach redefined what could be considered “fashion”. Drag artist Shea Couleé says "Club Kids have impacted drag today in going beyond female impersonation and really thinking about becoming a piece of moving art" (How drag influenced fashion – and fashion influenced drag) The intersection between the essence of the Club Kids movement and drag is unquestionable with their mutual celebration of Queer identity and subversive approach to fashion.
The rising popularity of drag as an art form, largely due to the Club Kids movement, has influenced several iconic couture moments, such as Lady Gaga’s scandalous meat dress. Designer Brad Callahan states that Gaga acted as the bridge which enabled drag artists to be accepted into mainstream culture.
However, the emergence of Queer influence on the mainstream was happening long before this iconic moment. This overlap is largely visible in 80s and 90s fashion with Thierry Mugler featuring drag artist Lypsinka on his runway and Queer icons such as RuPaul, Divine, and Lady Bunny breaking into mainstream popular culture with their bold and unapologetic personalities and looks.
Fashion historian Shaun Cole talks about how he sees parallels during the 80s and 90s when drag and main stream fashion increasingly overlapped, with designers and drag artists often living together. An example of this can be seen in Jean Paul Gaultier's Spring/Summer 1985 collection featuring the iconic skirt suit, nodding to the increasingly blurred lines between gender explored at the time.
The term ‘camp’ is rooted in LGBTQIA+ culture, embracing irony and theatricality. Several celebrities today embody this term in a more mainstream context such as Billy Porter, Chappell Roan, and Harry Styles, showcasing the influence of an aesthetic which was once underground and subversive.
Chappell Roan frequently makes nods to Queerness through her aesthetic, often experimenting with hyper-femininity through camp, extravagant outfits; essentially the origins of drag. Even her iconic line "I'm your favourite artist's favourite artist", is a reference to drag pioneer Sasha Colby. These simple nods have made a massive impact in stimulating the recognition of the influence of drag and Queer icons of the past on contemporary popular culture, making room for the celebration of Queer influence which was previously shunned or overlooked.
The acknowledgement of the influence LGBTQIA+ culture in mainstream media is increasing rapidly through both popular culture, such as RuPaul’s Drag Race, and elite platforms, such as the Met Gala, generating the celebration of a culture which was once forced to remain underground. However, it stays important to recognise the impact of earlier pioneers of Queer influence, such as the Club Kids, on the ethos of fashion in the 80s, 90s, and beyond.
Comments