PHOTOESSAY: dapperQ’s “Dress Code” Made Your Queer Dreams Come True at New York Fashion Week

In its 5th year, dapperQ continued to throw the most inclusive New York Fashion Week runway event – one that actually strives to represent our vast community. Yes, it’s a problem that there’s only one, but it was amazing and filled with beautiful humans.

The inclusion of the queer community in fashion has always been a narrow sliver of folks who fit in where people want them too – and are often a driving force abandoned in the final hour, kept behind the scenes or simply used as a commodity. Like most mainstream industries, credit isn’t given where credit is due and moreover, it is never an authentic representation.

The theme this year was “Dress Code,” because honestly, f*ck your dress code. Fashion policing (as well as societies so-called standards of beauty), from the internet to laws, is still playing a major role in our construct of identity. We’re continuing to push the boundaries, take back our power, and use it to construct and represent our identities.

We’re done being told how you want us to be.

Is it even a queer event if there isn’t a line up for glitter?

The Bumble and Bumble hair room

Katie Whittle running the Sew Queer free measurement station because knowing your measurements is the key to getting great fitting clothing!

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Molly

Molly Adams is an LA-based photographer. You can find documenting life from Afghanistan to Standing Rock to the LA queer nightlife. You can also find her on Instagram.

Molly has written 59 articles for us.

7 Comments

  1. Been reading all kinds of NYFW content this week but this is the coverage I’ve been wanting to see! Some amazing snaps in this photoessay, loved seeing this on Autostraddle. And the plaids matched across seams at Jag & Co…that is some highly technical patternmaking and tailoring, I’m besotted.

  2. This was great. Really loved all the different bodies on stage. I take this was shot on film(or Fuji x100), which really adds to the mood. I think my only real complaint fashion that is marketed towards our community is how expensive some of it can be(like I saw sweatpants a few months ago marketed towards the lgbtq community for over $65).

    • I feel you, I have the same complaint. It’s part of the reason I usually tailor my own clothes and thrift shop, but when I do have extra cash I do like supporting LGBTQ businesses. Unfortunately when your a small, ethical business targeting a minority demographic, it gets hard to sell cheap products.

  3. This is stunning! So many beautiful people, and the way you shot these is just ? Your photoessays are always top notch.

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