A Queer History of Fashion

It's undeniable that queer influences have shaped much of mainstream culture, creating a long-standing legacy of eccentricity in the fashion scene.

Drag scenes spearheaded fashion communities, with many looks originating from the underground Ballroom scene. Members who were excluded, shunned, and restricted from society for their differences gathered together to hold fashion balls of lavish and curated garments.

Haute Couture designs often pay an ode to the eccentricity and fantastical glamour we've come to expect such as exaggerated silhouettes, conceptualised backstories told through the garments or painstakingly handmade beaded fabrics, inspired by those constructing a life they longed for through garments. The looks sported by ballroom contestants took a stance in the face of social shunning, with queer culture unwavering and cultivated it into the birthplace of camp.  

Rupaul's drag race has become a hub for Queer people and fashion fanatics alike, with a fashion scene pinnacle of the legacy of the ballroom scene.

Most notable being season 7 winner, Violet Chachki, whose aesthetic is derived from burlesque elements such as quintessential jewelled corsetry and outstanding 120mm Louboutin So Kate heels, blended with conceptualised high fashion elements so sorely missed from the current fashion scape. Drag culture brings opulence, glamour, and satisfies a craving for outlandish looks.

All fashion fanatics are aware of an annual event hosted by Anna Wintour; the Met Gala. In 2019, the theme was ‘Camp: Notes on Fashion’ which saw Drag Race winners such as Aquaria and Chacki in attendance.

Looks included Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell which evolved into 4 separate looks, Celine Dion in the iconic Oscar De La Renta feather headpiece, and a Versace lilac sheer diamante gown with feather sleeve worn by Kylie Jenner - which broke the internet. 

‘90s Mugler is interlocked with queer heritage, too. The brazen, often unapologetically bold designs were an ode to an unwavering dominance held by those voguing in the ballrooms. Mugler's adoration of empowered femininity is inscribed within designs, take the drop waist plumed satin pink gown, worn by Cardi B to the Grammys in 2019, as example; a quintessential nod to the campiness of queer aesthetics. 

Haute couture is enmeshed with the underpinnings of conceptualised fantastical garments of the queer icons. 

Without question, John Galliano for Dior brought an alluring couture that’s not quite mustered since, made of intricate fabric pleating, kitschy purple painted contour, and illusions such as the ballgown resembling origami paper planes. Many trailblazers in the fashion industry pay homage to the desires and cravings of excluded ballroomgoers through the effervescent luxury sewn into their designs.

Notably, Bob Mackie, who you may know as a stylist to Cher and designer of Miley Cyrus’ recent Grammy performance outfit, holds the position of frontrunner of Hollywood glamour, eccentric, bejewelled and lover to the female form.

Mackie’s designs embodied the Studio 54 disco essence with collections adorned in fur boas, v-cut flares, sequins, and rhinestones; each garment empowering performers and celebrities to feel the magic of realised mode. Often working with huge names like Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, and aforementioned Cher (even dressing the cast of the Broadway musical "The Cher Show"), his career spans over 60 years of show business.

Mackie also worked closely with RuPaul, where the duo pushed the restrictions of bold queerness into global recognition, a pinnacle in the salvation of queer history and aesthetics. 

Queer culture holds the title of the birthplace of eccentric couture, often uncredited for its impact. The fashion scape owes its underpinnings and capital to the fantasised creations of a larger-than-life dream held within the culture of the ostracised, whose existence inspired the work of legends.

Edited by Emily Duff