Last night in collaboration with the Brooklyn Museum, dapperQ hosted its ninth annual queer fashion runway event, “Chapter Nine,” to kick off this year’s New York Fashion Week. Sponsored by Meow Wolf, eight LGBTQ+ designers showcased their unique collections in the museum’s stately Grand Hall.
Nestled under the room’s exquisite arches were a crowded bar and pop-up shops featuring work from the runway’s featured designers or other queer creatives. Artist Colette Bernard was manning her table in addition to Zoe Grinfeld’s pop-up as the designer finalized the details for her looks. The two had met through social media years back, and Grinfeld featured Barnard’s hair clips on her models last night. Bernard considers this opportunity not only a testament to Zoe herself but also to the queer community as a whole. “It was so nice of [her] to extend an invitation. This goes to show you the character that Zoe is, but also how welcoming people in our community are to sharing their success.”
The collaboration between Zoe Grinfeld and Colette Bernard was one of many examples of how creatives involved in the “Chapter Nine” show uplift those around them. Sitting down with models Kylie Gorgeous and Dior Diet, the drag queens discussed how designer Austin Alegria has consistently given back to the queer community in San Antonio, Texas. “Austin works with many drag queens and does many of our big pageants. We always go to Austin for gowns or our talent costumes. Austin has been a part of the community for a while. I’ve only been part of the [drag] community for two years, but he has shown me that they help us,” Kylie revealed.
Model Dior shared that her aspirations were coming true as she awaited the runway. “I love performing and being on the stage, but being a part of the fashion industry is my passion. Alegria has given me many opportunities back home to model, and being a part of their story here, representing San Antonio, and being at New York Fashion Week, I feel completely grateful and privileged to work with them, always.”
Giving back to his community is imprinted into the fabric of Austin Alegria’s brand. The designer handprints all of the designs featured in his work. “We’re from San Antonio, so you’ll see the Alamo, Downtown, high-rise buildings, and a bunch of floral work, too.”
Alegria describes the theme of this collection as an underwater, decaying Atlantis vibe. His partner, Christopher Collins, uses his architecture degree to assist in hand printing the raw designs that symbolize regrowth and the beauty that comes from decay as the pair vocalizes the need for support in San Antonio. Alegria believes that the reputation of queerphobia in Texas should not diminish the flourishing queer community that exists. For this reason, themes of regrowth and finding beauty anywhere have been a focal point of this collection.
Austin Alegria was not the only designer who had the support of loved ones in developing their brand. Zoe Grinfeld’s collection is adorned with hand-embroidered details created by her mother. Last night’s pieces had been in the works mentally for four years. Regarding the execution of the line, Zoe Grinfeld used the help of RISD student interns and many people in her local community to make her dream a reality. Grinfeld wanted every one of her eight outfits to have the potential to stand out individually as if it were the finale piece. Converse sponsored the designer’s collection. Every detail, from Colette Bernard’s hair accessories to the Converse sneakers adorned by the models, converged to match the theme of each look throughout the show.
The designers and models were excited to share their individual stories on how curating their dream lives relied on help from those around them. But the whole night was a collaboration between volunteers passionate about queer creativity. For four years, visual activist Mindy Dawn Friedman has participated in the dapperQ fashion show. They admit the first-year modeling had given them an ego boost. But it didn’t take long for Mindy to realize what this event was about.
“When I got backstage, I saw this magnificent beauty in many ways that had never been presented to me before. And suddenly I realized that this isn’t about me, this is about all of us. And that somewhere in the crowd, there’s going to be somebody that sees in me a version of themselves that is a possibility,” Mindy said. “So many seeds are being planted tonight, and we have no idea which ones will grow or where. That shifted me so significantly that first year. And this year, I’ve just decided to show up as Auntie Mindy. I’m here for you. It’s all volunteers helping out. Nobody’s getting money for this. And so it’s got to be something that lives large in their hard. It’s not just about the runway.”
A culmination of anticipation, excitement, and nerves buzzes off the walls backstage, but light still shines as everyone reminds those around them how great of a job they are doing tonight. The positive energy behind the curtain is the calm before the storm. It does not match the electricity the Brooklyn Museum’s Grand Hall consumes. As drinks are flowing and guests support the queer art showcased in the pop-up shops, the crowd takes on a silence as the emcee for the night walks onto the stage. Buffy Sierra enters into her role as the evening’s host by slowly strutting to Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club.”
The Billboard Hot 100 song has become an instant favorite for many, but Buffy’s lipsynced performance preceding the main event perfectly encapsulated the feelings had by many queer creatives. Wanting to break free from the confines that society has constructed for you and desperately yearning for a metamorphosis into who you feel you indeed are has been a universal experience in the LGBTQ+ community. Buffy used her time on stage to remind those in the queer community that they can break free from that feeling of cultural captivity. Like the eight designers and over 70 models who were the most honest versions of themselves at last night’s show, every queer person can create a life for themselves beyond their wildest dreams.
The audience understood the message behind Buffy’s introduction. The sentiment fed into the fashion show as the crowd erupted into cheering and applause as the first models for Freemen by Mickey hit the stage. The evening’s first look was a neon orange streetwear outfit adorned by a voguing model whose strut matched the energy of the fluorescent clothing.
Following Freemen by Mickey’s grungey streetwear, Zoe Grunfeld’s campy, school-inspired collection created a flirty, lighthearted energy on stage. Austin Alegria’s designs represented San Antonio’s urban beauty while immersing the crowd in an under-the-sea fashion experience. Transguy Supply featured sleek masculine designs with chain prints, leather accessories, and even a whip to close out the collection. The audience roared with excitement as the models teased and seduced them. Each model’s personality and unique runway moves added another level of authenticity to the collection. Keith Kelly’s collection featured natural elements like fall leaves and earth greens. New York’s cityscape has a distinct grime that many living here accept as part of the city’s charm. Keith Kelly included cigarettes, pizza, trash, and rats on jackets and attire necessary for surviving an NYC winter. While it may seem unexpected, the culmination of colors and graphic designs makes the city’s most unappealing qualities high fashion. Soid Studios New York by José González featured sexy leather cowboy aesthetics with futuristic, alien-like accessories that combine many of today’s most exciting fashion trends into ten different looks.
As the founder of dapperQ, Anita Dolce Vita, took the stage to close out the night. Onlookers who knew her capabilities and first-time attendees made their respect for the event producer known. Adorning a Palestinian keffiyeh and silently holding her fist into the air, many in the audience mirrored her actions in solidarity. Dolce Vita reminded us of each individual’s power in using art to stand for what one believes in.
Spectators still buzzed from the electricity that had not left the room because the show had ended. One patron said that “Chapter Nine,” being her first New York Fashion Week show, made her afraid that nothing would ever top what she had just seen.
dapperQ’s vision for its annual show has only grown each year, inspiring all who come to enjoy the queer art on display. Mindy Friedman admired Anita Dolce Vita’s ideas, anticipating how the event would proceed as the night went on. “It’s awesome to think about all of the people being uplifted in different ways. Anita, in envisioning dapperQ when she did, I don’t know if she realized the impact that she would or could have, I would love to find out from her what her biggest dream was, and if tonight she has reached it.”
XOXO,
Your Fashion Bestie
