The Clash of the Prints

Fantasy is more important than ever before — not as a distraction from the harsh reality of the world, but as an invitation to innovate and try new things. That's why I brought together 36 queer drag artists to showcase what the queer fashion scene is doing in New York. In a time when "quiet luxury" is the latest craze on the runways, this cast of queer individuals shows that maximalism has never gone out of style — a representation of what the queer fashion and beauty scene currently looks like, and what we as a community are producing and contributing to the fashion scene.

Given the state of the world right now, it’s not surprising that fashion is mirroring culture’s slide towards authoritarianism, blending in and not standing out. Commerce in fashion has always stifled creativity, and after an era of maximalism and fantasy on the runways, the pendulum is swinging back. Packaging quiet luxury as a new trend to buy into makes it feel like a coded suggestion to assimilate into societal norms and fall in line — to not be loud or speak up. And what a boring world that creates.

A lot of queer artists, drag queens, kings and things are already shaping the industry behind-the-scenes working as designers, makeup artists, hairstylists, etc. when they aren’t pursuing their own creative projects. We always have been on the mood board in fashion and culture at large. It’s no secret that what we do and create often gets screenshot, funneled upwards, remixed and put on the runways next season. The industry has started to make strides in showcasing the queer individuals who drive this creativity, but there’s still so much work to do in terms of uplifting a more diverse and inclusive perspective. The world is so much more vivid and beautiful when everyone can participate and be recognized for their contribution to culture and the world we share. No matter what, we’re still going to come together to create and let our imagination run free.

See the entire project, titled "The Clash of the Prints," below.