Drag Queens: An Inspiration

Recently, I sat down and did some catching up on "RuPaul's Drag Race". Now, like any other designer, I LOVE DRAG QUEENS!!! The reason why? They are fearless and will take a chance on a look. They also can give you amazing ideas in unexpected ways. They exaggerate femininity, so their looks can be quite glamorous, (albeit overly glamorous) or quite humorous. It's all in a matter of taste and the queen executing said taste.

Most everday women would never go that far to achieve a look like these, but a lot of work goes into being a drag queen, or gender illusionist. You have to have a knowledge of fashion, makeup, hair and know how to put it all together all by yourself. You also have to know all of the tricks to create the illusion of female curves on a broad, and straight male surface. Once you've mastered that, you have to have balls (pun intended) to put it all out there for the world to see. This is when the fearless part comes in. As a big fan of drag queens of every type (pageant, bar, club, comic), I always check out their looks from head to toe. Some will buy clothes off of the rack and some will get things made for them, but some of the really good ones will make things for themselves and those are the ones that I am really drawn to. They are willing to create the looks that may be avant garde, but wearable, attention grabbing and show stopping. It's a lot of money to make all of this happen (shoes and wigs alone can eat up the money), but if you can be creative, walk in heels and do an amazing makeup job, you're halfway there.

The reason why drag queens are an inspiration for me is because they always come up with something that I may have never thought of before. It may be over the top, but there is always a way to pare it down and take it to the sellable, commercial level. The more creative ones know how to turn a cheap fabric that no one would touch into a look that would inspire a designer's next catwalk collection. I always manage to find an interesting idea that I want to expand upon in seeing drag queens. I can go through may fashion magazines, many fashion books, even watching all sorts of fashion tv, but I always get some great inspiration from drag queens.

Stay fashionable and sexy!!!!