Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
burgess milner OYYE4g I5ZQ unsplash?width=719&height=464&fit=crop&auto=webp
burgess milner OYYE4g I5ZQ unsplash?width=398&height=256&fit=crop&auto=webp
/ Unsplash
Style

NYFW Opening Ceremony Pays Homage to the Drag Culture and Queer Community

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Montclair chapter.

Sheet Mask: On. Makeup: Snatched. It’s showtime, and the queen Sasha Velour’s beat is on! For this upcoming Spring/Summer 2019 Collection, Opening Ceremony collaborated with RuPaul’s Drag Race’s very own Season 9 Queen, Sasha Velour. Opening Ceremony, usually known for defying conventional themes during fashion week, uses their time this year to celebrate the art within the drag and queer communities.

Opening up their unique show, Sasha Velour started by performing a few songs. She captured hearts as she started and immediately spread beauty in all shapes and forms through her performance. It was beautiful in the way Velour ranged from depicting the tender and raw emotions of the song.

Celebrities looked on with pride, and of those in attendance were Nicki Minaj, Kelly Rowland, Hayley Kiyoko, Troye Sivan and Christina “Xtina” Aguilera — sitting front row and was shortly honored by Velour who performed “Twice” by Xtina.

Founders Carol Lim and Humberto Leon collaborated with Sasha Velour for the entire show, and Velour even got to hand-pick 40 LGBTQ models and performers to be a part of the show. They all got to be a part of showcasing the pieces from Opening Ceremony’s Spring/Summer 2019 Collection.

Since the pieces were inspired by and celebrated drag, there was  a lot of variations of heels and floral, worn by the models. Instead, it seemed the focus was put more on the makeup each model was wearing. Drag is based around the glamorous and creative looks, and whether it was just one color all over the lid and cheeks, to a full-blown cut crease — each person’s individuality was shown clearly in every aspect.

Before the show started, Opening Ceremony teamed up with Lyft and Mercedes Benz to gift the company a rainbow G-wagon, where a few of the LGBTQ models posed in front of the vehicle and had time to discuss their own separate journeys and stories. The show closed out with a highly-anticipated performance by Xtina singing alongside Velour and other LGBTQ models from the night.

The representation shown in the last 24 hours, has not only been fulfilling, but prideful. Opening Ceremony and Sasha Velour made sure that this wasn’t just a fashion show, but so much more. This show was the LGBTQ’s representation within the mainstream media, and the show didn’t just give spotlight to the collection’s pieces, but every individual’s body shape, beautiful facial structures and auras were able to shine in front of the audience.

Harmeen is a student at Montclair State University, New Jersey and is majoring in Business Administration with a Concentration in Marketing. Of course, besides being a Marketing student, she's interested in fashion and lifestyle, and motivated to write unique pieces for her interests.
Emma Flusk

Montclair '19

Emma Flusk is recent graduate from Montclair State University, where she majored in Television and Digital Media. She was the Editor-in-Chief and a Campus Correspondent at Her Campus Montclair. She’s passionate about anything that has to do with lifestyle, beauty and wellness for women. She is a self-proclaimed craft queen, semi-pro binge-watcher and a lover of all dogs.