Is Drag Culture Becoming Mainstream or Is It Just a Trend?
In 1993 RuPaul Charles released their first single Supermodel exposing the world to drag in a way not really seen before, RuPaul went onto have their own talk show. In 2008 RuPaul filmed the first season of the TV show called ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ that has been running for over a decade now the show has changed the lives of over 100 drag artists over the years the show has increased massively in popularity it has went from drag becoming something that speaks to the queer community to appealing to a wider mainstream audience.
Drag has always inspired the fashion industry but only lately do I see the industry giving back, RuPaul was featured on the cover of Vanity Fair and now Cosmopolitan magazine, Cosmo has an online series of drag artists doing makeup, Vouge has done similar videos of queens getting ready or unready. Content like this is new and arguably it is only because of RuPaul’s Drag Race becoming mainstream if drag were still sitting below the line of mainstream, I find it hard to believe that content like this would be being published. The other stand out thing to me about content like this is the kind of drag performers chosen to produce the content for the outlets, its usually someone with a large following and/or typically have a stereotypical model look. There is plenty of drag artists that do not get the mainstream recognition because they do not fit the mould of mainstream drag, the issue with this is drag is becoming less inclusive and the standards for someone’s artform to become are harder to reach and maintain.
The 2019 Met Gala seen the first of the drag world being recognised at fashions biggest night, the theme being “Camp: Notes on Fashion”. RuPaul Charles and two winners from the show RuPaul’s Drag Race attended, season 10 winner Aquaria wore Masion Megrelia and Season 8 winner Violet Chachki wore Moschino. The fashion industry has always taken inspiration from drag so to only be given recognition in 2019 because the theme is Camp demonstrates the way the industry sees drag. Drag culture is more than just a campy fun, a large part of drag is camp however this does not define the community. Drag artists being invited to The Met Gala is a great start for queer representation but a lot more work needs to be done. Rihanna’s latest Savage X Fenty show featured drag artists and other queer people within the show drag artists gave an interview this is a great representation as it allows artists to explain themselves.
How the 1970s made its way into 2020.
Young people love nostalgia, but how have millennials took on a style from a time before they were even born? From flared trousers to mullets, the 70s aesthetic is making a comeback and even celebrities are embracing it.
The 1970s were a time of economical struggle and gay liberation, queer people being able to have a voice seen a big impact on culture. Male musicians used the times of change to experiment with their image and androgynous looks became very prevalent with David Bowie leading the way. The time of rebellion seen the explosion of punk. Punk was not just a fashion trend; it was a culture and attitude many people shared. Vivienne Westwood and her partner Malcom McLaren opened a shop in kings road London which sold garments which were political, punk and parodied the upper class. The 1970s saw the bellbottoms become trendy, made popular by musicians such ABBA, Michael Jackson and Cher. Yves Saint Laurent made sheer garments trendy, they were a controversial piece however many young people would wear the sheer outfits as disco and Studio 54 were also on the rise. Platform shoes which are a huge symbol of the 1970s seen women and men in large chunky heels this caused another controversy as women would appear to be taller than men in some cases.
Singer/Songwriter Miley Cyrus released her latest album ‘Plastic Hearts’ an album with strong glam rock influences. The lead up to the release saw Miley cover tracks such as Blondies ‘Heart of Glass’ from 1978, the live performance of the cover was a huge hit gaining millions of views, Blondies ‘Heart of Glass’ showed females they could embrace rock while being feminine and glamourous. Social Media app TikTok had viral trends using the audio from the ‘Heart of Glass’ cover. lately a trend emerged on TikTok of people asking Miley to comment on their videos and they do whatever she said such as shaving their head or getting a piercing. The modern interpretation of glam rock really resonated with young people. The ‘Plastic Hearts’ album also features rock legends such as Billy Idol and Joan Jett, Miley Cyrus even managed to get pop star Dua Lipa to take on the rock sound and visuals for a collaboration on the song and music video ‘Prisoner’. The alum captures the mood of many young people well, it has the nostalgia feeling people love and crave. The lyrics in the album address many feelings and issues younger people have such as feeling pressure to act a certain way, being in monogamous relationships, gender inequality and drugs and alcohol use. Many people feel the need to fit into society the album is telling us we do not need to or must fit in to be happy.
1970s makeup, fashion and hair are becoming more popular. Boys and girls are rocking mullets, baggy pants and glittery or dark makeup. Punk culture and activism are also on the rise amongst young people, more people are speaking out against government, capitalism, climate change and inequality not only are people speaking out they are demanding change. The 1970s also seen digital products become available such as the calculator and mobile phone, it is no secret that digital technology is a big part of our lives making trends widely visible. Social media leads the way for trends in cultural, politics and fashion so the 1970s trends have quickly taken hold, young people will see a video of someone such as Miley Cyrus rocking a mullet and decide to do the same because looking cool online is more important to some young people than their daily lives. These trends are unpredictable they could disappear quickly as new trends emerge, or they could become mainstream if more influencers and celebrities embrace the flared pants and mullet.
Like it or Not, Margret Thatcher is a Fashion Icon.
Margret Thatcher is a controversial figure both in the UK and worldwide, she was the first female prime minister and the longest serving prime minster of 11 years. Margret Thatcher was known for her strong leadership and her unpopular policies including section 28, a law in which banned the ‘promotion’ of homosexuality in schools and libraries. Dubbed ‘The Iron Lady’ by journalists for her firm and strong leadership, she went on to oversee The Falcons War in which the British Army won.
Thatcher’s is renowned for her which very similar over her 11 years in office. Thatcher was known for her love of power dressing. Tailored jackets and skirts were a staple of Thatcher’s signature look. Looking exact, powerful and elegant was something Thatcher seemed to pride herself on, she would always make sure her hair was never out of place and her outfits and jewellery matched the occasion. Thatcher in an interview expressed her love of jackets from Marks & Spencer saying they were the most “economical and best way of dressing” Marks and Spencer’s was known for high quality clothing which was fashionable yet affordable.
Thatcher wanted her clothing to be appropriate internationally and took her style very seriously. During a trip to Russia to help bring the cold war to an end, she dressed in her signature style with a traditional Russian twist. The clothing Thatcher wore in Russia symbolised a unity between the two nations. The images of Thatcher on her visit speaks for themselves she was there to work but used her garments to respect to Russia without saying a word.
Margret Thatcher’s clothing have since gone into museums and been sold, she had a bigger impact on fashion than she gets credit for. Thatcher being the first British female Prime Minister she had a lot of power and would dress as such, using her clothes as symbolical and political tools while paving the way for females in politics. Some would point out the focus on Thatcher’s clothing is because she is a woman and a male politician would not have the same focus, however it is because of how she used her clothing that makes her stand out. Love or hate Thatcher there is no denying her legacy in politics and fashion will live on, she is one of the most prevalent political figures.
The Dark Side of Terry Richardson
American photographer Terry Richardson is infamous for his work in fashion and pop culture. Terry has a signature style when it comes to photography, high iso, flash and a white background is almost mandatory for a Terry Richardson portrait. Richardson’s work is very raw and often has a sexual or dark undertone. He has shot many people including Barack Obama, Beyonce and Miley Cyrus to name a few.
Terry Richardson has many books and created one with Lady Gaga documenting her tour he also created a calendar for Kylie Jenner. Terry has dived into many pop culture and fashion moments he has even created music videos for Beyonce and Miley Cyrus, the Wrecking Ball video was met with a lot of criticism however the music video has been viewed over 1 billion times, the video he created for Lady Gaga with R Kelly was not released its rumoured the video was too provocative to be released by Lady Gaga's label.
Richardson can capture people and their character very well, he done a shoot with Amy Winehouse the images were raw yet clean looking because of the white background and flash. Amy’s makeup was not clean, her missing tooth was shown, the image portrayed Amy’s energy and unique beauty, oh and a chicken was involved too. The images really show the love Richardson has for capturing people unfortunately his work has been tarnished by allegations of misconduct and sexual harassment during some of his shoots.
Terry Richardson is well known for his work in fashion. He has shot advertising campaigns for Marc Jacobs, Aldo, Supreme, Sisley, Tom Ford, and Yves Saint Laurent among others, and also done work for magazines such as Rolling Stone, GQ, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, i-D, and Vice. Richardson was dropped from most of the brands and magazines after allegations of exploiting models and sexually assaulting them on shoots.
As allegations racked up Richardson’s career was rapidly declining and he was struggling to get paid work, Richardson has since turned to creating books to make an income as he will struggle to work within the industry again. Richardson released a book named ‘Terryworld’ with magazine and book editor Dian Hanson who is known for her books ‘The Big Book of Pussy’, ‘Psychedelic Sex’ and ‘Lesbians for Men’. Dian Hanson and Terry Richardson creating a book together was going to cause a ruckus as the pair are both known for their sexually explicit work. We can only hope that the industry is changing and incidents like this are dealt with quicker and more people can speak out against abuse of power, we also need to address how these things happened on shoots for big fashion houses…
Inside the Mind of Alexander McQueen
Lee Alexander McQueen got his start in Saville Row learning in the tailoring trade, he transitioned from a tailor into a designer while studying at St Martens. McQueen got recognition from his graduate show and started putting on elaborate shows at London fashion week. Despite being a very new and young designer people would queue for hours to see McQueen’s shows. While McQueen was putting on these shows he would do interviews with his back to the camera as he was claiming unemployment benefits to fund his collections, he later said “I bought all my fabrics with my dole money”. Things changed for McQueen when he landed a job as the head of Givenchy, McQueen’s first Givenchy collection caused a stir as it was not the typical Paris fashion show. McQueen brought the grit of London and mixed it with his tailoring skills learned on Saville Row, people were shocked at McQueen’s take on Givenchy and he was heavily critiqued as Paris was not ready to accept McQueen. Alexander McQueen used his salary to fund his own label, the shows become more shocking and the collections grew larger. The industry began to change their opinion on McQueen.
McQueen made first headlines in because of his Fall 1995 show titled ‘Highland Rape’ it was McQueen’s 4th show inspired by the British invasion and clearing of the Scottish Highlands. The media and public seen McQueen as a misogynist as the models walked down the runway appearing to be battered, bruised with torn garments and exposed breasts. The Independent said ‘it was an insult to women and Alexanders talent’, much of the media were outraged at the show and McQueen as his vision was misinterpreted and very few outlets defended the show.
McQueen’s told stories through garments and his shows. Pieces and shows had themes of mortality, time, decay and death, this is interesting because the fashion industry which values the beauty of youth. McQueen used nature and robots, his vison of life and how we coexist with nature and technology was really striking. His show ‘Voss’ challenged the beauty standards of the fashion industry as people appeared to be in a mental hospital, McQueen made the point just because something is beautiful it does not mean they are on the inside. He used his shows almost as a diary to express his emotions and experiences.
McQueen saw beauty in things most would find revolting, disturbing themes and decay are not seen within fashion, so it was hard to not be intrigued on McQueen’s work.
McQueen’s shows spewed emotion, he wanted people to leave with a feeling he did not care if it was disgust or joy. The concepts and shows McQueen put on where something never seen before by the industry, McQueen went into the darkest places of his mind then turned those experiences and emotions into a runway show and fashion collection. McQueen pushed the limits of what fashion is and can be. To this day people still talk about and look back on McQueen’s shows, the passion and artistic flare of Alexander McQueen will live on much longer than his controversies.
The Problem with Fashion Memes
Over the past years social media has been increasing and most of us use it daily to follow people’s lives. We also use social media for news, entertainment and comedy. Memes are huge on the internet and social media and can pop up out of nowhere, memes are constantly popping up on our social media feeds. Fashion memes have become a new and interesting topic of discussion, brands such as Zara, Boohoo and Maison Margiela have all been become meme on the internet.
Zara tried to take a more editorial approach to their photography of clothing however the mainstream consumer did not get it and thought it was funny. Zara showed the garments in a way which was hard to see what it would look like for the everyday consumer however they also had non editorial images of the clothes showing what they look like in a standard pose. Is it that people do not understand editorial shoots or does Zara need to understand their customers as they are a high street store after all?
Online retailer Boohoo has been had their fair share of memes because of their clothing however models becoming memes seems to be a step too far. A plus size model became a meme because people shared disgust at his toes, the image was shared on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter of a close up of the model’s feet. People are constantly calling out brands for not being inclusive and when Boohoo added a plus size model, he became a joke on the internet, we talk about beauty standards within the industry and yet things like this go by without people questioning it.
Maison Margiela’s collections and shows have also been a joke on the internet the latest was a viral meme of a pair of trainers. When Margiela launched a pair of trainers that had a melting plastic effect social media thought this was funny, many people compared the effect on the shoe to semen. The issue with this is Maison Margiela is a high fashion brand, he has a vison and executes it. High fashion be pieces of art however if someone is unfamiliar with the industry, they might not understand the concepts and share memes they find amusing.
Memes might just be a funny image you share with friends however some of them can have negative effects, memes of models based on their looks is not funny and, in a time, when the industry is trying to be more inclusive. Memes like this can have a knock-on effect when it comes to casting decisions by brands. Memes of people’s artistic views can make artists feel stifled and fearful of stepping outside of the box when it comes to their craft or sharing ideas. Memes don’t just have an impact on fashion, they can be really damaging to people in general especially if the person doesn’t want to be a meme but with memes they are uncontrollable once they go viral.
