Queen Magazine Vol. 1

THE OFDRAG

1920’S HARLEM

Drag balls first appeared in Harlem's Hamilton Lodge in 1869. The balls had increased in popularity by the 1920s. Despite their rising popularity, drag balls were considered unethical and illegal by the general public.

When it became well known that LGBTQ+ people frequently attended these events, which were originally known as Masquerade and Civic Balls were renamed the general public considered drag balls unethical and illegal "Gay Balls" by the general public.

Drag ball culture has been irrepressible since the beginning, thanks to the patrons' and ball organizers' incredible perseverance in the face of difficulty.

Smoking … Paris Is Burning.

Photograph: The Ronald Grant Archive

Seeing as the emergence of these balls took place primarily underground away from the public eye not much is known about their fashion trends or makeup other than of course men dressing as women with dramatic painted faces. A few decades earlier, the city had experienced the emergence of ball culture, but many black drag queens felt left out and frequently had to bleach their skin to blend in with the largely white environments. Over time, these queens developed their own underground ball culture.

Academy Entertainment

Off White Productions/Everett Collection

Octavia St. Laurent Mizrahi was an American model and AIDS educator who was active in New York City's Black and Latino ballroom community and Harlem's luxurious balls.

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If money wasn't important in the world to survive, I guess I wouldn't want anything but what I have now But since money does, I hope that the way I look puts money in my pocket”

TRENDSETTERS

OCTAVIA ST. LAURANT

They said that Face was their favorite category to walk in "Swept Away," by Diana Ross, was one of the songs they'd walk to the most frequently. They played a small part in The Saint of Fort Washington and were a major character in the 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning. They helped spread gender fluid and self expressive awareness.

-Octavia

1980S1990'S DRAG

The rise of drag as a mainstream form of entertainment and a way for queer and marginalized communities to express themselves made the 80s and 90s an iconic drag era The 80s and 90s were a transformative period for drag, paving the way for the art form's continued growth and popularity in the years to come.

The90sclubkidswereagroupof youngpeoplewhowereknownfor theirflamboyantfashionand partyinglifestyle.Theywereoften associatedwiththeclubscenein NewYorkCityandwereknownfor theirwildpartiesanddruguse.

Someofthemostfamousclub kidsincludeMichaelAlig,James St.James,andAmandaLepore.

RUPAUL CHARLES

RuPaul is an American drag queen, actor, and recording artist. He rose to fame in the 1990s with his hit song "Supermodel (You Better Work)" and has since become a cultural icon. RuPaul is also the host and executive producer of the reality competition series "RuPaul's Drag Race," which has won multiple Emmy Awards.

Makeup & Styling

Some popular drag fashion and makeup trends during the 80s included bold and bright colors, exaggerated silhouettes, and dramatic makeup looks, such as heavy contouring and bright lipstick.