Sequins, Suits, and Self-Expression

Celebrating Pride Month with queer icons who made fashion fearless—and fabulous

Happy Pride Month, dolls! This is a time to celebrate the queer community’s fabulous contributions across our culture—including fashion. This pride month is especially close to my heart because it’s my first pride with In The Closet. This blog has become my outlet for expressing my creativity, as well as my queerness. It’s built on the back of my experiences as a gay, fashion lover. And I’m so thankful for what this blog has allowed me to do.

LGBTQIA+ individuals consistently redefine style, challenge norms, and inspire generations. We have shaped much of fashion as we know it today—and that deserves to be celebrated. From Jean Paul Gautier to Divine to Janelle Monae, some queer fashionistas remain my biggest inspirations—so let’s talk about them.

RuPaul
RuPaul has become the most famous drag queen of all time. Through RuPaul’s Drag Race, RuPaul has not only celebrated the artistry of drag but also elevated it as a form of self-expression and innovative fashion. Thanks to RuPaul, drag culture has been exposed to the rest of society, and the show’s runways have become a global stage for creativity. Aside from Drag Race, RuPaul’s participation in pop culture, film, and activism has made her an icon of high fashion, camp, and storytelling, inspiring queer individuals to embrace boldness and authenticity.

Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich was a trailblazer whose androgynous style—consisting of tailored tuxedos, top hats, and sharp silhouettes—challenged traditional gender roles in the 1930s-60s. She redefined femininity in Hollywood, and her impact has undoubtedly spread greater than film alone. Her embrace of masculine tailoring alongside feminine glamour made her a fashion icon for the LGBTQIA+ community and a symbol of defiance against societal norms. Dietrich’s influence continues to resonate, inspiring creatives to blur the lines between genders and celebrate individuality.

Jean Paul Gaultier
Jean Paul Gaultier brought queer design into the heart of high fashion, celebrity, and film. His work in the 1990s, most notably the iconic cone bra for Madonna’s Blonde Ambition tour and his gender-fluid runway shows—challenged conventional ideas of gender and sexuality. His fearless approach to design, like skirts for men and fetish wear, made him a pioneer in queer fashion and a beloved figure in the LGBTQIA+ community.

Bob Mackie
The Sultan of Sequins, Bob Mackie, has dazzled audiences for decades with his glittering costumes, one diamond at a time. His designs for stars like Cher and Elton John have made him a treasure in the world of costume design. His theatrical looks have become symbols of glamour and self-expression, expanding across the stage and screen and into pop culture at large. Mackie’s work celebrates individuality and fearlessness, making him an icon in both the entertainment and fashion worlds.

David Bowie
David Bowie’s ever-evolving personas and gender-bending style made him the epitome of expressing queer identity in the 1970s and 80s. From Ziggy Stardust to Aladdin Sane, Bowie’s looks defied binaries and inspired a new generation of artists and fans to explore themselves through fashion. His love of experimenting with makeup, costumes, and androgynous silhouettes set a new standard for artistic freedom and remains a key inspiration for queer fashion.

Divine
Divine, the over-the-top (in the best way) drag icon, changed the face of queer fashion, He blended high and low, trash and glamour, and erased gender barriers with every insane look. As the star of John Waters’ cult-classic films, Divine’s fearless approach to style inspired designers and performers to embrace the unconventional and celebrate self-determination, one leopard print dress, cat eye, and ratted hairstyle at a time. The 2020 Loewe x Divine collection honoring him is a testament to his continued impact on fashion and queer culture.

Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monáe is a visionary artist whose style has consistently challenged conventions and celebrated individuality. From her early days in tailored black and white tuxedos—a nod to her working-class roots and a uniform that honored her family—she has embraced fashion as a form of storytelling and empowerment. Over the years, she has expanded her palette to include bold colors, avant-garde silhouettes, and playful accessories, all while maintaining a blend of androgyny and theatricality. Her Met Gala looks are consistently at the top of the best-dressed lists, and she is in the making of being one of the greatest queer fashionistas yet.

Connie Fleming
Connie Fleming is a transgender supermodel and ‘80s NYC nightlife legend, who has made an undeniable, but often unappreciated mark on the fashion industry. Her striking presence and boundary-pushing style have made her an inspiration to many and put her in some of the most iconic runway looks of all time (like this cowgirl piece from Thierry Mugler's spring-summer 1992 collection). As a Black trans woman, Fleming has broken barriers in modeling and continues to inspire with her confidence and creativity, proving that fashion is a powerful tool for visibility and empowerment.

Together, these icons and many others have shaped the fashion industry into a more vibrant, inclusive, and expressive space—proving that style is not just about what you wear, but who you are. I couldn’t be more thankful for the work that these queer individuals have put in to allow me to do what I love today. My respect for them is unwavering, and their impact will be felt eternally.

Happy Pride, my loves.