The aesthetics of drag, how it came about, its political goals and its relationship to fashion. An ode to pride month.
By Sol Cortes
In fashion, one of the many questions that are taught is: what is the function of a dress? Dressing has two main functions, one of which arises out of necessity, which is to cover oneself. Others are for aesthetic, poetic and political acts of conveying messages. The drag aesthetic expresses both.
Barriers appeared in the theatre, because women were prohibited from acting, it was men who represented women. Over time, this type of interpretation gave rise to new theatrical genres such as vaudeville and burlesque. Dance, acting, singing, satirical and humorous compositions are performed with a group of people on stage, which gradually become one.
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It wasn’t until the 1930s that the United States and Britain began to connect with the gay community. And it was until the 70s for him to fully integrate into the world of LGTBQI+.
Drag is an aesthetic representation that allows men primarily and then women to be able to express their identity and builds a culture of subordination to a hegemonic culture in which there is no representation. The construction is so strong that it penetrates the main rope and nowadays there are many drag queens and kings.
Like other aesthetic movements that have emerged from the underground, it maintains and conveys a political message.
In an interview with Present Agency, drag queen Elektra Trash stated: “It would never be something without a political message. Hopefully one day it will stop being a break because it will be such a normal day that it will stop being a break. That means diversity is truly welcome and we’d all be much happier. But because the world has so many rules about shit, the man is made to control other men, and they are so established that they seldom see men in women’s clothing and bigger-than-home assholes. Until that happens… What’s more: waria are all political even if she doesn’t want to be. Because it breaks with everything and with all categories.”
But drag is not transvestite, it is an artistic act in itself. It is a work in constant motion and mutation, guided by a unifying meaning. Reading barriers can be one of the most profound acts of sensitivity. The clothes, makeup, wigs, and domination of the moves are all carefully chosen.
In Drag, many artistic influences can be read, a dramatic expression combining pop and kitsch. The body becomes the canvas, a story is told and for that it takes many elements. Fashion is a basic thing in the composition of characters that are interpreted. Drag and fashion feed off of each other, old or futuristic trends build iconic characters, and these in turn inspire high-impact cultural products. Some examples range from topics like Madonna’s Vogue to candid artists like David Bowie, Andy Warhol, and Lady Gaga.
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