These drag queens slayed the runway during BYS Cosmetics’ fashion-forward event.
To highlight its 10th anniversary in the Philippines, BYS Cosmetics mounted a three-day fashion spectacle. The event was a toast to the creative collaboration of fashion and beauty, featuring the country’s most electrifying brands today.
Fashion and beauty are what a drag queen has for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so it’s inevitable to see them bless runway shows now that they’re being pushed into the mainstream and given their well-deserved spotlight. While it isn’t new to our local fashion scene, it is more celebrated, esteemed, and valued than ever.
Minty Fresh and Naia embodied Randolf’s romance and whimsical nature. At the same time, BFRND’s track “Genesis” surrounded the air with its deep, heavy, and soul-grabbing thumps. The concoction produced an emotion unique to Randolf’s aesthetics.
“One Life Stand is about moving forward with what is there, and accepting that life has a different plan. It’s also about fighting for what you hold dear in your heart—fighting to keep it alive while moving forward with the things you did not expect,” RJ Santos of Randolf said about his collection. He also wished to convey a story through this presentation: “A young boy fighting to keep his passion alive while trying to figure out his place in the world,” — a plight familiar to many queer people.
Eva Le Queen, Marina Summers, Prince, and ØV CÜNT obliterated the runway as they epitomized the grunk theme of Kaye Morales’s show. Music from Zola Jesus, Woodkid, Placebo, and Depeche Mode translated the mood successfully, resulting in a solid showcase.
Her presentation had a strong rebellious spirit with feelings of freedom and pain. She described Unchained as “a collection that transcends stereotypes, and captures the dynamic between struggle and victory against personal traumas. It is about breaking the chains that bind us to our suffering.” She revealed that drag queens best represent her brand because they are the bravest in expressing art.
Fashion show cheers and loud applause are reserved for iconic moments and the final walk, and all of these queens received enthusiastic acclamations from the audience whenever they appeared on stage. A drag queen’s star power in any form of performance is undeniable. I am thrilled to see them rise out of the underground and claim rockstar status. Here’s to paving more glittery and glamorous paths that challenge norms and push boundaries!
