Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Getty Images.
The winner of the 13th season of the show showed up on time for her fitting. She wore a pair of baggy jeans and a T-shirt with a studded bag and was all smiles. Just a few minutes later, Symone arrived, wearing a Carolina Herrera dress. Her whole posture changed as she gave a few waves to the mirror, with her hips popping, her long legs growing even longer in a pair of high-heeled sandals, and her sleeve floating in the air. The kind of transformational moment any designer would dream of being responsible for is why the brand’s creative director, Wes Gordon, invited Symone to sit front row at his spring 2023 fashion show.
Gordon said he wants to create an array of pieces on a rail that anyone can walk into the store and find one item that makes them the superhero version of themselves. We embrace fabulousness and are a house of glamour and beauty. The person who is looking to fashion to broadcast their personality to their world is an icon in my books.
It would have been surprising to see a drag queen in the front row of a fashion week show a few years ago. There are girls in front of and behind the scenes of fashion brands all over the world.
“What drag queens do is such an amazing form of art and, in a way, a designer’s dream because they’re a perfect muse to wear your clothes and really show them off,” said Christian Siriano who regularly invites drag queens to sit front row at his shows. They are just as important as a great, cool, up-and-coming actress. Drag is more than just a queer thing.
The Gordon’s will be at Carolina Herrera in the spring of 2023. The photo was taken by Leandro Justen
This fashion week, Symone didn’t get a lot of sleep. The premiere of Hillary Clinton’s new show Gutsy, performing for Grace Jones at a party for Boy Smells, a gig for Bergdorf Goodman, and walking her first Vogue World fashion show were some of the highlights. She shot a special issue of Interview magazine with the brand and wore them for most of them.
The mini tweed set that was the winning outfit for sitting front row at the Plaza Hotel matched up the uptown mood of the morning. With a blonde wig and a full face beat, she fit right in with the rest of the guests without sacrificing her unique style. She said that she was doing a show called Symone. I want it to feel effortless, and I don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard. I want to try new things, but they have to feel authentic like they are part of my story. I don’t want to feel like I’m just putting something on, that never works, and everyone can always tell!
The front row at Carolina Herrera has Symone sitting in it. There is a photo of Leandro Justen.
Aquaria, the Drag Race season ten winner, took a different approach to getting dressed at the Coach show. She kicked her pumps high for the gaggle of photographers screaming her name, giving a glimpse of leg from underneath her leather Coach trench. She was a demure darling earlier in the week, wearing a dress and a tea cup. Aquaria’s reputation is one of a fashion queen and she is more of a style girlie than a fashion girlie.
She said from her front-row perch that getting to be a different version of Aquaria every day is special. I’m jealous of the girls who can always be the same genre, but for me, the fun is getting to be a Coach girlie one moment, then be some other girlie the next. I like being able to adapt to different brands, styles and influences.
Aquaria is in demand both in and out of drag, and her itinerary for the week was similarly stacked: the Coach show and afterparty, the opening ceremony party, and runways for area and Christian Siriano.
It’s hard work, and the queens are often their own teams. Queens who are not in New York City have to pack wigs, shoes, and makeup without knowing what they will wear. Aquaria likes to have at least two hours to get ready, and Symone likes to have at least two hours to prepare. Aquaria said it was her duty as the queen to transform herself and make her garment look great.
Aquaria is at the afterparty for Christian. Cindy Ord took the photo.
“This is basically just another day in life, because we cram what we do every day into one week,” said CT Hedden, sitting front row at Christian Siriano in a ruffled gown and a pile of blonde hair. She said she was used to being buck naked, but that it was more glamorous than her usual gender-bending beat.
There were many parties, the opening of David LaChapelle’s new exhibition at Fotografiska, the LaQuan Smith show, and a potential runway gig in Paris she’s keeping under her belt. A private event ended up short-staffed at the last minute, so CT spent her car ride to find a replacement. Drag queens can do it all, and they can do it with vertiginous heels.
The art of drag is more mainstream than ever, and when it comes to the fashion industry, queens are no longer a little after-party-performings-only secret. Hedden said that fashion is finally more accepting of us, and that people are realizing how many elements and inspiration are people copying us. For example, the Met Gala, what kind of full-on drag show is that?
It would be foolish to not include the drag race. The stars of the show combine some of fashion’s favorite things: reality TV, celebrity, and high camp. The format of the show appeals to fashion’s more emotional side by giving it all a little heart.
I am going to blow the horn! I think people just really connected to our season and had fun so they wanted to see that at the fashion shows. When you know the work that goes into being on that show, people want the girls to come through and be a part of it because they realize it is one and the same.
CT Hedden and Janet Jackson were at a party. There is a photo of CT Hedden.
Stuart Vevers did not grow up with the show, but he still considers himself a huge fan. The brand collaborated with the series on a challenge in the 13th season, with Vevers himself guest judging, and they have worked with Drag Race alumni like Bob the Drag Queen. Vevers said she wanted to celebrate the courage to express herself at the runway show.
As with all other representation in the fashion industry, there’s always the risk that a popular drag queen sitting front row can be perceived as a token of inclusion. It is more important for the queens to see how brands continue to forge those relationships throughout the rest of the year, whether it is making sure the girls get paid campaigns or loaning out clothes for big events. Those more genuine ones feel like they are down, even though they love more opportunities. Aquaria said that it is not performative.
This space is fortunate to have people like me because I am the show before the show. I like being a part of the spectacle because of how the front rows look.
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The new queens of fashion week are drag Queens.