When it comes to high fashion, one of the biggest influences has been members of the LGBTQ community. From original Pride fashions worn by transgender women of color to queer fashions worn by drag queens, the camp fashion of the queer community has made a vast impact on the world of high fashion. Knowing where the current trends come from allows the fashion community to pay homage to the hands that built it.
Queer-Owned Companies
One of the biggest ways that members of the LGBTQ community have impacted the world of fashion is by starting their own companies. From designers as well-known as Dolce and Gabbana to small businesses that are just starting, queer creators use their passion to design some of the world’s hottest new lines of fashion.
All around the world, companies owned or founded by queer people are pushing the envelope on the terms of what’s “the norm” for fashion standards. By establishing their brand as a household name, they continue to increase the influence that LGBTQ people have on the world as creators.
In the past, owning a company as a queer person was nearly impossible. Because being a member of the LGBTQ community was taboo, starting a business while openly queer was even more taboo. When queer-owned fashion companies began to emerge with new styles that were instant hits, this societal taboo began to slowly change. While it was still considered out of the ordinary, companies like Dolce and Gabbana who had openly gay founders helped to slowly shift the public opinion against queer people in the fashion industry.
Celebration of Pride
More than anything, fashion is a celebration of culture, beauty, and pride. It’s a way to show a personal sense of style and be unique in a world that can be monotonous and boring. When it comes to openly showing pride, no one shows it better than queer-owned companies. The entire celebration of pride month began with black trans women openly standing up for their rights, and their determination has carried through into the fashion trends of today.
In fashion today, many brands drop special collections around June specifically designed to honor those brave women’s struggles and celebrate queer pride. These collections are full of vibrant colors and patterns that radiate joy, love, and life. All across the world, people find joy in being able to express their pride by wearing clothes with their colors on them.
This deeper form of expression wouldn’t be possible without the queer designers who paved the way. By supporting the brands that give people the means to express their true selves, the fashion world can help to erase the stigma that still exists around being openly queer.
Looking to The Future
Now more than ever, supporting companies that align with the LGBTQ cause is important. Despite society becoming more accepting of people who live an openly queer lifestyle, many countries and regions still have strict laws surrounding any form of LGBTQ expression. While wearing fashion designed by queer designers may not directly change laws, it does help to change people’s general mindset about the presence of queer influence.
Queer people have influenced fashion from the start, and they will continue to do so. By infusing every design they make with their passion, struggle, and unique sense of art, the fashion of the LGBTQ community will undoubtedly grace catwalks for years to come. Making space for young people in marginalized communities to turn their pain into art will help to break stigmas around the world, including the very ones surrounding the queer community. The future of fashion lies in the hands of young people, so it’s in the best interests of the entire fashion world to allow them to make positive, lasting changes.
Overall, the realm of high fashion has been shaped by the LGBTQ community since its inception. A study of fashion isn’t complete without acknowledging where many of the trends came from- queer creators.
