Hello darlings! It’s Emma, your pinkest friend, back with another installment of your favourite time-traveling tutu journey! I’ve got some hot gossip to dish and let me tell you, this time travel adventure is bursting with pink glitter! Today we’re time-hopping to the 7th of July 2057, which is a pretty important date, honey, because it’s the official opening night for the "Drag Through the Ages" festival in New York City!
This festival is a whole spectacle, imagine an art deco theatre with a vibrant splash of neon hues. The main stage is draped in sequined fabric that shimmered in the dark like a cosmic mirrorball! I’m talking massive neon pink feathers on stage, glitter cannons and performances so bold, you’ll be left speechless! This festival isn't just about performing though, it's about celebrating the diverse and wonderful history of drag across the globe. And let me tell you, I was there front row, ready to catch every last sprinkle of that magical glitter dust!
Now, where do I even begin? The highlight of the night was undoubtedly "The Grand Drag Revue," a showcase featuring all sorts of legendary drag queens, and let’s just say their costumes were a sight to behold. A flamboyant Bollywood-inspired performance by a drag queen from Mumbai, then a fierce warrior-queen drag queen from Kenya who wore a headdress adorned with an extravagant bird-of-paradise plume. It was truly a sight to behold, the energy of the night was positively electrifying! I almost felt a touch of my old Derbyshire charm right in the heart of the New York metropolis.
It wasn’t all just the performances though! There was also an interactive exhibition, showcasing original drag designs from all different historical eras, which I simply adored! I’ve got a special weakness for those vintage glamour looks, think feathered boas and glittering tiaras! Oh, and I found myself chatting to a very fabulous drag historian, she even offered me a backstage tour! Can you imagine the sheer audacity of all those beautiful costumes backstage, it was a sartorial dream come true.
Before I could catch my breath, a troupe of robotic drag queens made their grand entrance, dazzling the crowd with a robotic ballet routine set to a dazzlingly neon, futuristic rendition of the 'Pink Panther' theme. You know, there's this thing about seeing technology in a show, which seems so forward-thinking, yet it’s all still bound by tradition! The same way our world's moved on in style from Edwardian elegance to a bit of modern art-deco mixed with futurism - the same thing happens with our traditions! I absolutely loved this mix of styles.
You wouldn’t believe the delicious canapés, all shaped like sequined hearts! I had a bit too much of the pink Champagne (pink of course!), it really set the mood for an electrifying, vibrant, night. Let me tell you, this city is a haven for creativity! New York is constantly pushing the boundaries, embracing new forms of art, and of course, never forgetting the history of drag that came before. It's like this grand cultural kaleidoscope and it really gave me a new perspective on our world in 2057, you know?
Of course, it wasn’t all drag! I managed to sneak a peak into a pop-up ballet exhibition at the MoMA – they actually had a collection of vintage pointe shoes! You see, there’s this thing with ballet and drag, and the link between them! The perfect leg line, the way to pose...and the use of costume in dance is all so linked! But anyway, what I’m getting at here is, there are really parallels between what we do with fashion and the history of art in general! The more I travelled in time, the more I really began to understand that it's more than just clothing.
One of the main things I got from this trip, darlings, is that fashion, drag and art in general are simply reflections of their times, reflecting the emotions, joys, anxieties and of course, the fierce glamour of the society. And who doesn’t want to live a life of glamour, darlings? Even if you can't be in a dazzling, pink-tutu adorned dress with a pair of stiletto heels - at least get yourself a nice pink lipstick. And the best part? It doesn't have to be from 2057, just a little touch of fabulousness is all you need to transform your daily life into an endless drag runway!
