Hello darlings! Emma here, your resident pink tutu-wearing, time-traveling queen, ready to take you on a fabulous journey to the dazzling, glamorous, and undeniably fabulous future! Today, my darlings, we're landing in the year 2044, a date already shimmering with a glorious, campy, and ever-so-slightly chaotic aura!
Get ready for a whirlwind of sparkling sequins, vibrant performances, and even a sneak peek at the hottest trends for this era! Let’s just say the future is FABULOUS. Don’t you just love a bit of sparkle and magic, eh? This, darlings, is why I, Queen Emma of Pink Tutu Productions, use my own special time traveling pink tutu to show the world the spectacular history of our drag family. You can’t imagine what’s on offer at a drag show in the future – imagine robots serving cocktails and drones bringing us our fabulous wigs! That is all completely possible, you know, because the future of drag is really taking flight!
Oh, I've already forgotten to mention this but just last night I was doing a rather grand performance of ‘Dancing Queen' by ABBA at the "Nightingale’ in Buxton. All the Buxton drag family came and even the mayor – that dear old thing – had a lovely time. I've got to be careful not to mention these places when writing the blog because if the authorities ever knew about my secret adventures, they'd likely ban me for ever – especially if they realised I get paid for it!
Right then, lets backtrack to where we were…
Future Fashion Focus2044 is definitely an era that’s not afraid of a bit of color! The hottest trend, darling? PINK! Imagine a futuristic vision of fuchsia, rose gold, and baby pink galore, like the love child of a disco ball and a cloud.
Tutus, darling? Those are so last century! It’s all about high tech metallic-looking garments, some that are translucent or iridescent, some that can transform into various outfits just like you see in the sci-fi films, and the most amazing hair designs – oh! I’ve seen such incredible styles made with LEDs and holographic materials – if I could travel in a time-traveling spaceship or a futuristic flying machine instead of a pink tutu, I think that's how I would travel from then on – a fabulous way to arrive!
You'll also see more androgynous styles mixed in with feminine looks and drag kings. I must say it looks sooo much like a show that I recently saw back in 1984, that involved futuristic cabaret featuring the legendary Leigh Bowery. It seemed very in-line with his vision of drag, art, and theater. And you'll also notice the resurgence of eco-conscious clothing and accessories. Some outfits, I discovered, are even made from bioluminescent algae!
Now that I think about it, in my adventures in time I've come across several artists from our world. It makes me wonder, are we destined to be repeated through the years? What a camp idea that would be!
A Global Drag BoomBut let's step back for a moment and talk about the big picture. Drag, in 2044, is a truly global phenomenon. There are fabulous performers from every corner of the world showcasing their own unique cultures and expressions. We've gone way past just being "genderbending," it’s now a celebration of freedom of self-expression and pushing the boundaries, bringing all those who watch together in fabulous communal drag.
For instance, in London, drag has become a national institution. Imagine the Queen's Theatre on the South Bank – they host monthly drag cabarets! I was fortunate enough to catch a show in the very spot where the London Philharmonic Orchestra used to play just a few years ago - amazing. Oh, what a privilege.
Meanwhile, in the United States, drag has truly gone mainstream. You can find it everywhere from Broadway to major televised competitions like ‘The Drag Game’, which I'm sure everyone will tell you is similar to “RuPaul’s Drag Race”. That reminds me I must have a look on the internet for details on RuPaul's show – it will be good to know more. You've got to get all that pop culture intel you know!
Even places like Japan and Korea, darlings, are rocking it, with new drag scenes exploding with originality and cultural flavour. Imagine, you’ve got K-Pop queens rocking it in dazzling looks, traditional Korean dress combined with stunning make-up and bold futuristic drag – that is a definite "must see"!
I remember years back, when the iconic Divine - the Baltimore queen – passed on, I felt a profound sense of loss for the drag family. She, along with other drag legends, really set the stage for what we experience today. She paved the way, she pushed the limits, and she taught us to have courage and bravery. We honour our family of drag legends with every fabulous moment!
Drag Shows: Out of this World!The best thing about this future, darling, are the shows themselves! There are shows literally on the moon, space stations, and deep within underwater cities – so futuristic! The level of performance art is incredible – imagine if every scene had special effects and advanced technologies incorporated into the show? It's just as futuristic as you’d expect.
You might even find holographic performances – it's amazing the technology that has developed since the last time I was in the 2040s! It is just so much like an early-90s cyberpunk anime – full of advanced technology and bright colours. That period was a wild one for the drag community!
Oh, one show I’ll never forget, darling, I went to see a show about a decade ago featuring the Queen who brought the “first digital holographic drag show” – oh my word, it was fabulous – but what really wowed me was the costume, it transformed, spun, glittered, and all at the same time had an eco-friendly aspect. And oh the make-up! Imagine a 1980s-era look, like Grace Jones - it was totally the next generation look for drag in the 2030s! It looked so great I must go back!
Now you’ve got to know the performances are also far beyond the boundaries of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ (as you saw in 2017) and ‘ Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’, that is to say they go above and beyond. They’ve managed to incorporate every form of theatre from the West End to Ballet into the shows – oh my, you haven’t experienced true drag until you see one of these!
It is almost as though our current performance era - this ‘golden age’ – is somehow reflecting what we will experience in the future - but also incorporating things that took place in the 20th century! So much history wrapped up in an explosion of culture and glamour - we really are a glorious, flamboyant, and artistic bunch! The drag family keeps going from strength to strength - and, by gosh, we all have our role to play. I’m just thankful I am playing my part, especially in these crazy times - we have never had so many incredible shows to go and see, more than in the history of our fabulous drag world - and if you are not there already, it's high time you joined us – it’s really where it is at!
The Pink Tutu Pledge: Every Queen a QueenI am really quite passionate about a few things – you can tell – one is drag, obviously – but the other is the power of the pink tutu. The most important thing we can remember – even as drag gets more fabulous, is the inclusivity, celebration of diversity and kindness that lies at the heart of it all. That's what's kept the spirit alive for so long. My little journey, my dear pink tutu, my travels, I like to think, have taught me that – just as in every fabulous decade of history.
There's room for everyone to express themselves on the drag stage. Whether you are just a bit out there, a drag king, a transgender performer, a queen from the South West, North Wales, South East England, or somewhere exotic in the Far East or in fact any country on earth!
The pink tutu represents acceptance, diversity and that feeling of freedom - I would be absolutely delighted if, when you were wearing a pink tutu - you felt those emotions - those feelings that every queen, no matter how far she's travelled, no matter what she’s wearing, will be a great queen. You can find the pink tutus at almost every costume shop around, darling - be it the grand department stores or your local store - just a click on your favorite shopping app – and a little pink tutu magic - and you’ll feel transformative. And when you do wear your pink tutu – send me a message through my blog website - because you never know I may visit you.
The beauty of drag lies not just in the glam, but in the empowerment we find within ourselves and each other. We can find the inner queen within - the courage to be unique - the beauty to stand out from the crowd, just as the fabulous performers do every time we go out, we celebrate every time, we perform, every time we bring together our world with the art that only we can truly bring to the table - and I do believe it will make our future brighter!
Well, darling, it’s time to bid you a fond farewell for now. But know this – we are always here! Stay in touch – and keep your eyes out for more pink tutus – and maybe an updated drag-focused, fabulous time travelling wardrobe - for my next trip!
See you next month, love! Emma www.pink-tutu.com
