Every queen on RuPaul's Drag Race brings her own personal version of a particular brand of drag. But once in a while, a queen comes along and slays the fashion game in a way no one has thought was possible. From Season 3's Raja and Manila giving you high fashion and glamorous camp, to Detox's looks filled with fierce fetish and neon, to Violet Chachki's nod to burlesque and retro lingerie, you can always tell which queen's looks you'll never forget as long as you live.
This season had fantastic fashion from Peppermint's minty fresh Club Kid couture, to Trinity's polished revamping of every drag look possible, to Valentina's Latin-inspired garments. But finalist Sasha Velour in my opinion was the one to make the biggest impact on the runway.
Sasha's androgynous and artful club-kid and avant-garde inspired looks have been something to watch from the beginning to the end of the season. And while it's sometimes received boots for being "pedestrian" or not taking things "far enough," I beg to differ.
The thing with Drag Race is, the stage and backdrop are extremely busy, and with lights hitting the queens in every direction, it's hard to see the detail in their garments. And the garments that look the best and make the biggest impression end up being the ones with the most volume. Courtney's bird look from season 6, Trinity's bird look from season 6...(lots of bird looks from season 6, eh?) and Peppermint's lollipop look from this season for example. And while those are fantastic and are well-deserving of their praise, the runway doesn't do enough favors for the garments that are truly gorgeous upclose or are all in the details, and less about the extreme shape and size.
Let's take a closer look at Sasha's recent photoshoot where she recreated of all of her Drag Race looks (with a few minor changes.) We can now finally see every little stitch and detail of the gorgeous looks she slayed the runway with this season, and realize how outlandish and yet high fashion each look was. I already loved her looks from far away on the mainstage, but through looking at these photos, gained a whole new appreciation for their subtlety and dare I say - wearability? I mean I'd wear all of it. For Halloween, for formal events, for picking up stamps at the post office...you name it.
Plus, she includes lovely descriptions of who made or where she found the garments. So many are made by her and her boyfriend Johnny Velour! I swear these descriptions were even more impressive than when Gaga described who designed each outfit that the Gaga runway inspired. Sasha's intellect, understanding of drag and gay culture and immense sense of self is apparent in every look, and a level that future queens can aspire to achieve in their own personal way for seasons to come.
The following descriptions and sources are from her Instagram account.
Visit her account to see what people are saying about the looks. And don't forget to check out other works by NYC photographer, Mateus Porto.
