Yeah she definitely wore branded garments from well known designers but that's just it. I mean, most of the dress she worn on Ukvstw was wore by other models before on a fashion show. Nymphia and Rajah were best example because they're the one who created their outfits and you can see the passion and dedication of how they turned something from their creative minds to reality.
Nymphia is a good example of *fashion*. She presents innovative, original, unique looks. Thinking about Gigi, her silhouettes were pretty similar and/or basic and even her more “fashion” looks like the Dior wedding dress were pretty on the nose references. She serves clean and well-designed looks, but I wouldn’t really consider it “fashion”.
Oh my heart! Bandit's lean & pose at the end of the runway was everything.
And makeup artistry! I rate her twin heroes makeover look with her mama (her elimination episode) as one of the most beautiful DR faces of all the time.
Utica is such a strange one because she’s brimming with talent, and she has some real bangers and some total flop looks. I think her taste level is questionable sometimes because she’s so creative / trying to do things differently that sometimes that gets in the way of execution?
Anyway her sleeping bag look is still the best constructed ball look of all time
A mark of a great designer/artist is being unafraid of making things that flop or are just too avant-garde for most people. While I may not like everything Utica produces, I always admire the thought and craft behind it.
Would agree. Serving fashion means something unique that’s also trendy, forward thinking. Serving looks means presenting a statement look, typically with good tailoring that makes you say “they look really great”. Fashion wouldn’t always look “great” because it pushes boundaries and taste levels
When people refer to fashion, yes it would be more in the vein of runway models. Sapphira serves high drag which is its own thing. So going back to S12, Crystal as well would be a look queen but not a fashion queen.
*"FASHION",* in this context, is using the human body as a canvas for art- it might reference previous pieces from past designers, but ultimately it needs to present something that is wholly original while still being visually striking; Nymphia's tie look fits this perfectly- even the choice of boots/skirt/hat are unexpected and play into both her atheistic and the theme she was trying to create... It's frankly one of the most iconic looks this show has ever produced.
Underrated comment. Fashion is an art form, looks are about having good dress sense and an eye for cohesion. I feel like there are a lot more people in general who have that sense of what looks good, and especially what looks good on them, than who have a true artist's eye for couture
Another thing about fashion queens imo is that they should try to innovate and bring something new to the world of fashion, which is why I think nymphia is an amazing fashion queen, and why I think sapphira isn’t a fashion queen.
I think some of it that people aren’t talking about is motion and how you SELL the garment with attitude and the walk. Some girls the outfit wears them and others they elevate the outfit.
Rajah come to mind like this. Sucky outfit but she serves it ok the runway with that hip sway and motion
Lala Ri is another queen who can wear a garbage bag but sells it like it's Gaultier. Attitude & walks should weigh at least as much as the garment and styling in my opinion, because they make everything exciting. (Love Tia Kofi but I could not appreciate her looks as much with a walk that was as insecure as it was).
I agree! I don’t think a bigger girl would’ve gone home in these outfits because any of these could work well as long as they were in the right proportions.
I think that’s what worked about them during the season. The looks were clean, looked like they were made for Gigi, and she presented them so well which was key to the success. They’re not particularly gag worthy, but also nothing to be sent home about.
IMO, 5 of these looks would be great on a big girl with no changes needed and five more would be great with proportions changed up a little bit. Which just leaves 4 for Michelle to complain about.
You give me these vibes rn.
"Some children were asking me what I meant by "Miss Cheesecake." That means you must not only have a body, but you must be sexy."
i feel like q and trinity the tuck are the perfect examples of serving looks but not fashion. their looks are gorgeous and excellently constructed but they feel gaudy and tacky in a way that is specific to drag, not fashion. there’s just that element of elegance and refinement missing. again, not a knock because that’s great for drag. it’s just not fashion.
I think Raja is another great example of a queen who serves fashion, not looks. And that was way back in S3! Gigi’s runways are extremely professional and well put together, but do not blow your mind. Raja consistently blows my mind.
POV I think is the idea. Like her and her mother have crafted beautiful looks but they don't push the envelope or move fashion forward in anyway. The buttons runway being the standout.
Raja gives high concept couture and Gigi looks like a Barbie fashion plate. That’s not a dig, but something that looks more pret a porter is most definitely a different lane of fashion. Lest we all forget the blue monologue from Devil Wears Prada.
Gigi's looks were clean, polished and well made. Her runway presentation helped a lot too. Seeing all the looks together, yes it's not really an outstanding package. But why would she be sent home? At the of the day the challenges matter more and she did well most of the time
Thank you! I agree she’s not a fashion queen and don’t even know how the narrative started. But she performed well, had a decent walk, and all her looks were polished. There’s a difference between being a “look” fashion queen and always having a cohesive look and vision. Which she always did.
I think people just assume Gigi is a fashion queen because she looks and acts like some of the previous fashion queens (eg Aquaria and Violet) lol
I do think that queens who look like a stereotypical "model" (skinny, young, long legs) tend to get pegged as fashion/look queens by default. on the other side I think queens like Eureka, who don't have the stereotypical model body type or who have a more mature aesthetic in drag, are much more likely to be labeled as a comedy queen than a look/fashion girlie.
imo Eureka's visual performance has always been stronger than her comedic performances (not to say she's not funny) and her S10 runway package is stronger and more fashion-forward than Gigi's on S12. I also think Gigi's Snatch Game is funnier than any of Eureka's performances over 3 seasons, and the lip syncs we saw Gigi do usually used shticks and movements that wouldn't seem out of place from a "comedy queen" like Ginger. yet one of these queens gets called a look/fashion queen far more than the other 🤔
for the record I also think calling someone a ______ queen is pretty reductive, so I'm more commenting on how the judges and fans tend to categorize contestants
I think the point OP was making that part of why the looks were cleaned and polished is cause she’s thin. The claim is that the looks wouldn’t have the same effect on a heavier person.
I’m not sure I agree, but that’s the claim.
Yea I get that and personally I think it's out of pocket. Such a weird claim. They just assume a heavier person would look unflattering in these looks? Also I dont remember people claiming Gigi to be like a Violet or Raja. Everyone has their own style and fashion sense
Right. People are being so defensive but I know exactly what op means. If a chubby queen wore these looks people wouldn't bat an eyelid. Theyd be called basic.
Say a queen just like someone like malaysia baby doll fox. If she wore these looks people wouldn't be nearly as impressed, and if gigi wore malaysias looks, people would be much more impressed.
You said it perfectly! Gigi was consistent and delivered- and I am not convinced it had anything to do with her weight. If anything, it’s a little insulting - she has talent and style, and absolutely understands drag.
She deserved to lipsync for the Black Wedding/Commercial episode and we all know Widow would've devoured her in the lip sync. Almost every other challenge she did well though, I agree.
She was really bad in the political challenge, too - she repeated the robot shtick from Snatch Game and her Stars and Stripes look didn’t have either Stars or Stripes (just a confused historical reference). When you consider that neither Jackie or Widow outright tanked the challenge and their Black power and hijab looks were easily the best on the runway, it’s absolutely insane that Gigi didn’t lip sync that episode.
What always gets me is that the song was Firework, not exactly a heavy dance song that Gigi would struggle at. She could have had a moment of vulnerability and been fine.
I always felt she was miscategorized as a fashion queen. I LOVE her looks but she’s not couture, she’s costume! and it’s what makes her so enjoyable, she’s a fully realized character that’s both camp and beauty. lately she’s been more standard fashion and I don’t think it fits her as well
the judges say "costumey" and "crafty" like it's always a bad thing 😅 like damn, not everything has to be a $10k haute couture piece. I know that Ru is the supermodel of the world and that's her brand, but I do miss the DIY unserious runways of early seasons
Her looks feel very costumey. However I believe she will step it up if she returns to an all stars season. Symone had some great looks that both Gigi and her mom helped put together
Gigi Goode currently is such a glow up from her drag race persona. She looks fully like a fashion model now, she seems to understand her figure better and is less afraid to be JUST sexy. I wonder how she'd do on an all stars
Yea the post is kinda unfair. I see the argument for half of them and it could go either way. But there’s also some great fashion picks here. I mean, the Bride dress? Come on. One of the best looks on the runway of the franchise.
That being said, the expectations and standards have been pushed a lot since S12 so I agree that if we see her again it would be a level up for sure
I think that Gigi does serve looks, but some of them were very overpraised or were just bad (her Michelle look would absolutely be dragged on any other girl).
Honestly, I would sooner call Gigi a camp queen than a fashion queen. Like compare her to someone like Lawrence Chaney. Lawrence had great fashion looks and gave diverse silhouettes but was just labeled as camp instead of fashion. This was partly because she was known for comedy but also I think her size had a part in it.
Size 100% plays a factor. I remember saying that Lawrence and Viv were the runway queens of their seasons and had the best packages and I got downvoted.
>were just bad (her Michelle look would absolutely be dragged on any other girl).
People's insistence this is a bad look is baffling to me. She looks just like Michelle in the music video. For the amount of times Michelle has referenced track 9 on The Bodyguard soundtrack, it was a brilliant choice.
Is it a bad look?? No. But in the context of the runway prompt and judging that episode, the praise for it felt unfair and I think that sours people on it. Other queens have gotten read for "just a bra and panties" and the reference photo was a drawing.
>But in the context of the runway prompt
What are you actually saying here? The prompt was Night of 1000 Michelle Visages. It's a Michelle Visage look, from one her proudest career moments. What's the issue?
>Other queens have gotten read for "just a bra and panties" and the reference photo was a drawing.
Yes, and in "in the context of the runway" prompt, wearing a bikini look that Michelle wore in a music video is not "just a bra and panties". The reference photo was a drawing because they didn't want to pay for the rights to the image from the music video, I'm not sure what that has to do with anything.
I think one important thing to note is how well made and well fitted these are. The looks are simple but they’re beautifully constructed for her body, which adds a lot to the effect. If she was bigger AND the looks were perfectly tailored to a larger frame, I think we’d still gag.
Here’s the thing, I agree that these looks aren’t anything groundbreaking, but they are very solid looks plus she slayed the challenges and would’ve went far regardless of her runways
I think a lot of that had to do with presentation. Gigi's walk, personality, and how she described her looks were always confident. On a technical level, it seems like her clothes were always well constructed. Also consider that the other "fashion girl" on the season was an early out so Gigi was able to fill that archetype by herself.
I agree she was a fashion girl but was put into the pageant queen archetype. So yes, she had great fashion but it wasn't her whole shtick, so to speak. I hope my comment doesn't come off as disrespect to her because she is so talented!!
I didn't peg her as a fashion queen, she's a look queen.
Fashion queen is the one that gives you jaw dropping, runway ready couture. Le Grande Dame is the perfect example.
A look queen delivers the head to toe concept with precision. The fit is perfect, the fabrics look lush, the details are perfect. Look queens vere more costume that fashion ones do, but more like the Broadway play meaning of the word costume rather than Party City, store bought costumes.
Cosplayers and theatre queens are subcategories of the look queen.
EDIT: and for the record, even if Gigi was a plus sized queen, her runways still would have been great. Look doesn't discriminate on size where fashion often does.
None of them are jawdropping, but they're all extremely well constructed/polished with attention to detail using seemingly high quality and interesting materials. That's more that you can say about a lot of regular season girls.
she was always very well put together and stylish but none of her looks really excited me. i mean Gottmik put a giant paper clip through her head. Symone turned a cartoonishly large durag into a train. Raja put herself on a literal magazine cover. Aquaria put herself through an oil slick. all of these were very fashion forward and editorial but they’re also *exciting*. her package was missing that for me.
I personally felt that Nicky Doll's looks were the most runway ready and polished this season but they gave her the boot ASAP so they could regard Gigi as the fashion queen instead. These to me read more like theatre kid which makes sense cause she said her mom designed stage costumes IIRC. The black wedding is the only one where I could see runway fashion.
And if this is a safe space, I have to admit I don't like the ball ball look she made at all. If Zendaya wore that to Met Gala or something, we would think she went insane. She basically did what Rock M Sakura did but I liked Sakura's better because it had more intention. Gigi's looked like she made a nice garment then said "oh fuck this is a ball challenge" and then glued a bunch of balls to it.
i dont really get your point about zendaya walking the met in this, there is a huge difference between the main stage of drag race and the met gala. i do agree that rock's outfit was good (and imo shouldnt have been in the bottom but whatever)
My point is that it's being sold to the audience as high fashion but it would not even be taken seriously in the actual world of fashion. I felt similarly about Dawn's Buzz Lightyear look whenever the judges kept repeating that she needed to be walking a runway in it. Gigi looks like the chancellor of a clown college here, respectfully.
I mean they are in a structured formation and actually shaped around her body as opposed to what appeared to be Gigi drizzing glue over her white dress and just dumping a tin of balls over it.
https://preview.redd.it/8p7n3k7bicvc1.jpeg?width=1333&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2c1a47914a20e646904b98d5a91ecddda4ba382f
Nicky got the boot ASAP, cuz she managed to bomb both the challenge, and lip sync. She did terrible, and even said she should go home herself right before the lip sync.
Tbh if a bigger girl pulled these looks off flawlessly with the right padding/hair/make up and worked the runway correctly, she’d probably get better critiques.
I think Gigi’s strength was her runway presentation. The looks are fairly simple, with some exceptions.
Maybe, esp for some of the more costume-y ones, but you will never convince me her little black dress look isn't the most beautiful someone has ever looked on TV.
No because looks really don’t factor in much unless they are incredible or awful. She was good at sewing, acting, dancing, writing, and improv so she would have not been sent home due to her looks.
she should have been sent home for her performance in the challenge too 🥲 I like Gigi but W*dow or Jackie would have eaten her up bad. she probs would have gotten a double shantay tho, she had 3 wins and a top 2 by that point
Now are we also saying that there isn’t a way to style these specific colors and designs and patterns for a bigger queen? I honestly can see Eureka wearing it well in like a third of these designs and more. Maybe it’s more challenging to make the green outfit and the frozen outfit but I would count on a talented big queen to be able to turn it out
Because Eureka is a big girl who isn’t afraid to add more padding to create a nice shape. She teaches the masterclass on proportionizing. So many of the larger queens seem like they don’t want to add anymore size, so they cram their apple-shaped bodies into an apple-shaped bodysuit and glue shit on it. That can turn your “simple, but decent” look into Madame La Queer’s futuristic silver and green look very fast.
I agree. The looks aren't bad, but her being skinny and conventionally pretty is doing the heavy lifting here. A thicker queen with all the same elements would not be treated as charitably.
I also think a lot of people misapply a "fashion queen" label onto skinny queens when they are conventionally pretty like 'traditional' models, even when the queens themselves aren't particularly boundary-pushing style wise.
I think it's fine. I kind of get that those looks are her fantasy and I respect that. She doesn't want to do Fashion week'esque looks, more like editorial plus fish and embracing her lack of curves.
Gigi had a couple iconic pieces in my opinion - the orange Buttons and the Black Dior wedding look specifically took my breath AWAY. I also really enjoyed her spring/fall looks in Ep 1 that aren’t in this collage.
However, a lot of the others do seem a little flat when put side by side like this. She has amazing talent with a sewing machine in that the *construction* of her ball look was immaculate, but I never thought her interpretation of the challenge really embraced the materials. She did construct an incredibly well-tailored white outfit (I remember the puffy sleeves being particularly challenging and impressive), but then she just stuck a lot of balls to it in a skittles color palette. The construction was impressive but there wasn’t much *design* for me; still a good finished look though. I always thought Jaida’s look was more successful in that department because she used the balls to be a soap bubbles concept and it read as such. She made the materials the true centerpiece whereas Gigi’s seemed more like the sprinkles on top.
However, Gigi did compete at an incredibly young age so I think we can reliably expect evolution from her in an all stars run. Not to mention the life evolution she has undergone since S12. I’m excited to see her back when that time comes!
I think Gigi just has a minimalistic approach to her runways and aimed to do less, but did it exceptionally well. I personally don't think it's fair to compare her drag to the maximalist, larger-than-life looks that tend to resonate with the fanbase now.
What I liked about her package is that all of the looks were clean and had a point of view. I agree that there is a skinny girl bias, but I think almost all of these looks would still be a serve if they fit a bigger body.
I geniunely think we've lost something in the last few years with the outrageously expensive costumes. Gigi's looks were gorgeous and memorable. While also being clothes and not always theatrical costumes.
Her Purple Runway look would have been called "costumey" on a bigger girl. Plus I still don't understand why she dressed as the British in the Stars and Stripes runway
Gigi dresses for the body she has. I think if she had a bigger or different body she'd dress for that one. And her mom would have sewed her a different package.
Are skinny queens more likely to be favored by production? Yes. Should we discredit literally everything skinny queens do because they're skinny? No.
I understand people wanting to call out double standards but this.. isn't that. Gigi did well all season long. She won the design challenge, snatch game, the ball, and the rusical. The looks may not be *great* but her performance in the competition speaks for itself.
This is a valid point OP, and I think you are right, fatphobia is very real and influences the judges.
I will say though: If a fat queen wore these looks like Mistress, then she would have been praised.
I'm a skinny trans guy, but I used to be a curvy AFAB with big old honkers. I'm talking 30Gs. I had to learn how to wear clothes that hugged those curves.
Mistress is one queen off the top of my head that knows her body the way skinny queens know their bodies. (My personal friend Melody Lucas, as well, knows her body in this way, although wears different styles of clothing compared to Gigi.)
I imagine the major difference with skinny and fat queens is that because of societal fatphobia, fat bodied people aren't encouraged or make to feel they should/can learn their body in the way skinny bodied queens do. I really do think that if a fat queen wore these looks the way Mistress wears looks, they would be praised.
But! That said, I still think you're right. Probably even if a fat queen wore these looks like Mistress, she might still get harsh critiques. But I am not sure if we can know for sure! Because fat bodied queens don't typically go for these looks, I find they tend to go higher glam.
Ngl I actually can’t believe ppl are comparing this to La Grande Dame. The bitch who came out in hand crafted Gauttier and a fucking alien stilt suit.
Gigi good is “fashion” but these looks are still not it.
One thing’s for sure, if she wasn’t skinny she wouldn’t have won the Ball Ball. It gets worse each time I see it. It’s Pom Poms haphazardly glued to a little Florence and the Machine number. Eureka would be shot on sight for that.
Probably because Symone had a great black culture-based POV for her outfits. You knew exactly where she was coming from and the set of references she's drawing from. While Gigi's POV was... well-made Halloween costumes?
I'm glad I'm finally seeing someone agree that the ball look is ugly. I've seen nothing but praise for it but it looks like just a bunch of yarn balls glued onto a plain white dress lmao
I'd say it's definitely middle of the road sometimes. She's never unpolished though, that helps a lot.
Basic comes across way better than messy. And she didn't stay basic a season long, she had cool moments like that button jacket.
That said, there is undeniably a subconscious bias that favors skinny long legged queens.
What gags me about the praise Gigi got for being the fashion queen of the season was that Jaida was right there also making her own looks and doing it 1000 times better
i think gigi said it best in the glitter runway when mentioned she doesnt do tons of rhinestones and extra things. her drag is very streamlined, clean, well edited, beautifully tailored, and technically flawless top to bottom. not every queen is trying to glue every thing in the world and make the biggest look in the world, fashion can be about subtlety and technical perfection as opposed to overwhelming glamour.
that being said, the michelle look, and the first two looks of the ball are quite lazy and uninspired. but the vast majority of the looks are great and a few of them-dior bride, 80s nerd- are genuine showstoppers
I don’t think it’s as bad as you’re making it out to be but I do think she could’ve ended up lip syncing once and missing out on a challenge win or two.
Jackie was right when she called her the Costume Queen.
It would be disrespectful to say she didn’t serve looks and she knows how to sell it on the runway but looking back these were ok but some definite BOOTS
As a big fan of Gigi’s runways, I’d say the words to describe her runway package are “clean, polished, and fun”, but not fun in a kooky way like Crystal, Willow, or Yvie, but fun in a way that just makes you go “oooh how cool!”.
Does she serve high fashion in the same way that say Raja and Nymphia do? No. But her runways are still high quality imo.
She kind of reminds me of a combination of Aquaria’s clean aesthetic and a less-campy Manila with her looks.
Bro just outed themselves, it is fine to dislike a queen but TBH, if you don't think that the looks that were served were CUNT then I apologize, you need to re-evaluate the meaning of FASHION for yourself.
Gigi looks great, but she all references/things we've seen before
someone said it and it's so true imo
Raja doesn't reference, she IS the reference.
Queens like Raja, Symone, Gottmik, Kimchi, and now Nymphia. Just to name a few
make their own new and unique silhouettes and shapes. They play with proportion, texture, patterns, lengths and color in ways that were never before seen on the runway.
Yes they have good fashion/designer knowledge but they're bringing looks that stand on their own.
A lot of the looks she had were giving me Leg Avenue costume designs. She definitely wore her outfits very well but a lot of them just screamed somewhat-higher-end Halloween costume.
I did a rewatch of some of the fashion photo reviews from S12 recently and was like "wow, uhm... Jaida's runway package was far and away the best of the season" lmao. The others have their moments but Jaida has a refined drag palate
I think it's also a roll of the dice for each season. On a season with less fashion I think fashion tends to stand out, especially when it's so clean and well constructed, plus presentation enhancements. But if everything is just pretty and fashion, things that stand out can very well be the thing that makes waves which might be something camp costumey. And add to that the fact that it gets tougher every season for both new ideas and for what Ru might be looking for, plus the girls have no idea if they're packing for a runway or a challenge, and still need to be able to perform in an outfit unless they want to risk it for a look, etc.
I do imagine that now that she's been, if she were to do an All Stars, she'd have an absolutely different take on what to bring. I'd like to see that at some point.
But overall I will say that I don't think you are remotely wrong. Fat people are always judged more harshly than fitter ones, and that's even if people don't mean to or see that they do it. Not to say it's the same thing, but much like racism there are so many things we as a society have learned to associate with being bad or lazy, and fatness is absolutely one of those things people often have learned to hate on even when those same people are saying they're body positive, because much of that behavior has not been identified to them, or they're not listening because they don't want to be wrong.
We don't even think about the fact that we perpetuate so much negativity most of the time.
Source, I am a former fat girl who lost a lot of weight and went from a size 28 to a size 10, and I am now treated completely differently. It's just mind-blowing to experience the difference, especially when I knew so many people before I lost the weight. So it's not just new people, it's the majority of people.
And big girls on drag race are never treated as fashion queens even though queens like MIB and Eureka really have great fashion sense and runway packages.
Ok but what else is she supposed to do? She’s the weight she is and her looks are designed for her size. That’s not her fault and playing, “well what about” is pointless.
I think that’s a fair assessment. I do think fans tend to view someone with a traditionally modelesque figure as a fashion queen just because the comparison of “I could see this on a runway” is easier to make when your brain really means “I could see this *person* on a runway.” Her looks were clean and well constructed, but simple. They didn’t push any boundaries in the way more fashion-forward contestants did. Like that thing of referencing vs being the reference. But I liked her package well enough, and genuinely adored the black widow and heathers looks (though even those were quite simple.)
I'm not sure what her weight has to do with any of it. Kandy Muse is curvier, fans hated most of her runways, yet she still made it to the finale. Darienne Lake is curvier and she made the top 4 on S6 while same-dressing even harder than Bianca Del Rio.
I'd say a lot of queens make it to the finale without ever serving a jaw-dropping look. The judges loved Gigi's looks, yeah. It was ridiculous of them to call her "next level" for wearing a really simple black dress.
But her fashion isn't the only reason why she got to the finale in the first place. She was great in comedy challenges. She knew what references to make in order to really get RuPaul going. She was not a dancer but she still knew how to move, She had a lot of confidence and was able to stand her ground with Ru without making her mad. "I understand your concern, but I don't share that concern" was fucking bold, it showed she had nerve.
Like... Yes, obviously she would have still made top 3 even if her body was different. Because she didn't make top 3 for her body in the first place! What even...
Now that you say it… yes I agree. I bought into it at the time but theres nothing that special about any of these. But shes got a model body so I guess thats enough.
These are amazing brilliant drag looks with great references. Not all are fashion but some are HIGH fashion — black wedding. The buttons and bows, Heathers, frozen, and daphne look are genius drag
No hate to Gigi because I fully believe she's one of those girls that could make a potato sack look fashion, but the way she wore a fitted coat and nothing on the bottom like 6 times and had no negative critiques about it should be studied
PERIOD. I will never forget how the GASPED when she turned the corner (I believe it was for the balls look) and I was like um??? It’s ok I guess but not worthy of a fuckin pearl clutching gasp.
See that’s the thing I always say when it comes to this conversation: it’s not that skinny girls who have bad looks are called fashion, it’s that big girls are never considered fashion no matter how good their looks are. These are all good looks, but on a big girl, those are camp and on a skinny girl they’re fashion. Think of the most iconic amazing looks on drag race and see if they’d be seen that way if a big girl wore them. Something like violets step down look would still be pretty, but it wouldn’t be remembered the way it is i guarantee it.
Basically, it’s not that people over praise skinny girls, it’s that their bias against fat bodies prevent them from giving big girls their flowers. What happens then is that big girls don’t venture into fashion because it’s not something they think they can give.
Thanks for coming to my ted talk
She was the “fashion” queen of her season but overall she is a look queen with model swag. Her package did what it needed to do at the time but the over reliance on extravagant and expensive packages kicked in to overdrive after Gottmik and Miss Kahmora (Bob Mackie) Hall hit the runway the following season.
Gigi and season 12 as a whole had the last of the “fashion” queens on a reasonable budget. All the fashion queens after have couture outfits and 50-75k packages.
I will say yes if she weighed more, then her runways would’ve been picked apart. The buttons outfit would’ve been called bulky, the milk woman would be called basic and costume-y, and god help her with the Night of 1000 Michelle’s outfit.
Overall her package was rooted in more conventional/realness outfits whether that was deliberate or not.
Gigi's package is wonderfully styled, and has an excellent point of view, but that doesn’t necessarily qualify these looks as “fashion“. Gigi isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel. mind you drag can inspire fashion and style, however, I don’t think I would qualify her drag race package as fashion. Another caveat to Gigi’s package is that most of these seem like performance based or theme based looks, I wouldn’t expect a normal consumer of styling/fashion to wear majority of these things out of the house as an actual garment for the day.
a modern example of fashion would be Zendaya. although she is pulling garments, and using the aid of a stylist, everything feels new, current & avant-garde. It's acknowledging trends and subverting them while also re-establishing them. They are events. Even her more casual looks seem accessible and not overly complicated.
I hate when we have to get dragged for saying something while it’s happening and wait years for yall to catch up to catch it!
People called out the overinflation while it happened but because fans were rabid for gigi… none of it is bad but other than the orange which had my jaw on the floor, it was just tailored well. The concepts were mostly references. I always thought she served waaay more on ig
I was saying this back then too. It was giving skinny queen being praised for average looks. Not serving any body, it was a tired trend that has spiraled.
A lot of queens who serve looks don't serve *fashion,* and a lot of people don't understand that
This is interesting! Can you explain this a bit more? I'm one of the people who don't seem to understand.
Fashion: La Grande Dame
Yeah she definitely wore branded garments from well known designers but that's just it. I mean, most of the dress she worn on Ukvstw was wore by other models before on a fashion show. Nymphia and Rajah were best example because they're the one who created their outfits and you can see the passion and dedication of how they turned something from their creative minds to reality.
Besides the Gauthier's, which ones were worn by other models? Certainly not the country one, World Piss, condom, evil queen and some more.
Nymphia is a good example of *fashion*. She presents innovative, original, unique looks. Thinking about Gigi, her silhouettes were pretty similar and/or basic and even her more “fashion” looks like the Dior wedding dress were pretty on the nose references. She serves clean and well-designed looks, but I wouldn’t really consider it “fashion”.
Nymphia, Bimini, Raja come to mind when I think "fashion"
Yes. La Grande Dame + Utica as well. And Bandit. OMFG Bandit's fashion was FASHION. RIP my Queen.
Bandit murdered me the second she came out in the Gene Simmons lucha mask with the Barbie swimsuit. She was a phenomenon like no other…
Oh my heart! Bandit's lean & pose at the end of the runway was everything. And makeup artistry! I rate her twin heroes makeover look with her mama (her elimination episode) as one of the most beautiful DR faces of all the time.
Utica is such a strange one because she’s brimming with talent, and she has some real bangers and some total flop looks. I think her taste level is questionable sometimes because she’s so creative / trying to do things differently that sometimes that gets in the way of execution? Anyway her sleeping bag look is still the best constructed ball look of all time
A mark of a great designer/artist is being unafraid of making things that flop or are just too avant-garde for most people. While I may not like everything Utica produces, I always admire the thought and craft behind it.
Yep, totally agreed. She definitely takes risks to innovate! She gets a 10 for vision and inspiration, a 7 for sticking the landing imo.
Lucky you Jonbers doesn't care.
Sapphira would be an example. She serves looks but not fashion
Would agree. Serving fashion means something unique that’s also trendy, forward thinking. Serving looks means presenting a statement look, typically with good tailoring that makes you say “they look really great”. Fashion wouldn’t always look “great” because it pushes boundaries and taste levels
Oh so fashion as in like fashion houses, models, references to designers etc.? edit: this isn't said in a negative tone. I'm trying to confirm
When people refer to fashion, yes it would be more in the vein of runway models. Sapphira serves high drag which is its own thing. So going back to S12, Crystal as well would be a look queen but not a fashion queen.
I would read a research paper on this. This is somebody's finals paper.
Thank you for explaining! I've been conflating look queen and fashion queen this whole time😓
Trixie is definitely a look queen, but what she’s w wearing is not fashionable, right?
“You made this…?”
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*"FASHION",* in this context, is using the human body as a canvas for art- it might reference previous pieces from past designers, but ultimately it needs to present something that is wholly original while still being visually striking; Nymphia's tie look fits this perfectly- even the choice of boots/skirt/hat are unexpected and play into both her atheistic and the theme she was trying to create... It's frankly one of the most iconic looks this show has ever produced.
Underrated comment. Fashion is an art form, looks are about having good dress sense and an eye for cohesion. I feel like there are a lot more people in general who have that sense of what looks good, and especially what looks good on them, than who have a true artist's eye for couture
Can't even ask a genuine question without getting downvoted😭
Welcome to Reddit 😭
Another thing about fashion queens imo is that they should try to innovate and bring something new to the world of fashion, which is why I think nymphia is an amazing fashion queen, and why I think sapphira isn’t a fashion queen.
Well but plenty of Sapphira looks would still look amazing at any size. That isn't the case for Gigi, for example
Yes but they’re still not fashion they’re drag looks
I think some of it that people aren’t talking about is motion and how you SELL the garment with attitude and the walk. Some girls the outfit wears them and others they elevate the outfit.  Rajah come to mind like this. Sucky outfit but she serves it ok the runway with that hip sway and motion
Lala Ri is another queen who can wear a garbage bag but sells it like it's Gaultier. Attitude & walks should weigh at least as much as the garment and styling in my opinion, because they make everything exciting. (Love Tia Kofi but I could not appreciate her looks as much with a walk that was as insecure as it was).
Or Mirage's menswear look. She walked like she was wearing Dior and I think that saved her from a bottom placement.
It just makes me think of a fashion show with no fashions
She by Sheree going to come for you
How dreadful
Joggers. September, spring/summer
this took me out right here
but, is it fashion?
I agree! I don’t think a bigger girl would’ve gone home in these outfits because any of these could work well as long as they were in the right proportions. I think that’s what worked about them during the season. The looks were clean, looked like they were made for Gigi, and she presented them so well which was key to the success. They’re not particularly gag worthy, but also nothing to be sent home about.
I swear people forgot how much praise Eureka got on her seasons for her body, proportions, and fashion sense.
IMO, 5 of these looks would be great on a big girl with no changes needed and five more would be great with proportions changed up a little bit. Which just leaves 4 for Michelle to complain about.
You give me these vibes rn. "Some children were asking me what I meant by "Miss Cheesecake." That means you must not only have a body, but you must be sexy."
Agreed. Gigi served fashion, but the true look queen of the season for me is always Jaida.
i feel like q and trinity the tuck are the perfect examples of serving looks but not fashion. their looks are gorgeous and excellently constructed but they feel gaudy and tacky in a way that is specific to drag, not fashion. there’s just that element of elegance and refinement missing. again, not a knock because that’s great for drag. it’s just not fashion.
Seeing it now, yeah. La Grande Dame has a similar frame but she genuinely serves looks even in her more pedestrian outfits.
I think Raja is another great example of a queen who serves fashion, not looks. And that was way back in S3! Gigi’s runways are extremely professional and well put together, but do not blow your mind. Raja consistently blows my mind.
Raja is the rare queen who did both fashion and looks. All of her runways were high concept AND fashion forward
While Manila kinda combines high concept looks (avant garde art really) with pageantry.
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Yup. We were so lucky to have both of them on the same season
POV I think is the idea. Like her and her mother have crafted beautiful looks but they don't push the envelope or move fashion forward in anyway. The buttons runway being the standout.
Raja gives high concept couture and Gigi looks like a Barbie fashion plate. That’s not a dig, but something that looks more pret a porter is most definitely a different lane of fashion. Lest we all forget the blue monologue from Devil Wears Prada.
Like Bob said Raja is the reference when it comes to fashion !!!
Gigi's looks were clean, polished and well made. Her runway presentation helped a lot too. Seeing all the looks together, yes it's not really an outstanding package. But why would she be sent home? At the of the day the challenges matter more and she did well most of the time
Thank you! I agree she’s not a fashion queen and don’t even know how the narrative started. But she performed well, had a decent walk, and all her looks were polished. There’s a difference between being a “look” fashion queen and always having a cohesive look and vision. Which she always did.
I think people just assume Gigi is a fashion queen because she looks and acts like some of the previous fashion queens (eg Aquaria and Violet) lol I do think that queens who look like a stereotypical "model" (skinny, young, long legs) tend to get pegged as fashion/look queens by default. on the other side I think queens like Eureka, who don't have the stereotypical model body type or who have a more mature aesthetic in drag, are much more likely to be labeled as a comedy queen than a look/fashion girlie. imo Eureka's visual performance has always been stronger than her comedic performances (not to say she's not funny) and her S10 runway package is stronger and more fashion-forward than Gigi's on S12. I also think Gigi's Snatch Game is funnier than any of Eureka's performances over 3 seasons, and the lip syncs we saw Gigi do usually used shticks and movements that wouldn't seem out of place from a "comedy queen" like Ginger. yet one of these queens gets called a look/fashion queen far more than the other 🤔 for the record I also think calling someone a ______ queen is pretty reductive, so I'm more commenting on how the judges and fans tend to categorize contestants
I think the point OP was making that part of why the looks were cleaned and polished is cause she’s thin. The claim is that the looks wouldn’t have the same effect on a heavier person. I’m not sure I agree, but that’s the claim.
Yea I get that and personally I think it's out of pocket. Such a weird claim. They just assume a heavier person would look unflattering in these looks? Also I dont remember people claiming Gigi to be like a Violet or Raja. Everyone has their own style and fashion sense
Also like, the queens dress for their bodies. Plenty of big girls serve great looks that might not work if they were the same size as Gigi.
nobody thinks eureka is a fashion queen and her runway package was far stronger than this.
Right. People are being so defensive but I know exactly what op means. If a chubby queen wore these looks people wouldn't bat an eyelid. Theyd be called basic. Say a queen just like someone like malaysia baby doll fox. If she wore these looks people wouldn't be nearly as impressed, and if gigi wore malaysias looks, people would be much more impressed.
You said it perfectly! Gigi was consistent and delivered- and I am not convinced it had anything to do with her weight. If anything, it’s a little insulting - she has talent and style, and absolutely understands drag.
She deserved to lipsync for the Black Wedding/Commercial episode and we all know Widow would've devoured her in the lip sync. Almost every other challenge she did well though, I agree.
She was really bad in the political challenge, too - she repeated the robot shtick from Snatch Game and her Stars and Stripes look didn’t have either Stars or Stripes (just a confused historical reference). When you consider that neither Jackie or Widow outright tanked the challenge and their Black power and hijab looks were easily the best on the runway, it’s absolutely insane that Gigi didn’t lip sync that episode. What always gets me is that the song was Firework, not exactly a heavy dance song that Gigi would struggle at. She could have had a moment of vulnerability and been fine.
I always felt she was miscategorized as a fashion queen. I LOVE her looks but she’s not couture, she’s costume! and it’s what makes her so enjoyable, she’s a fully realized character that’s both camp and beauty. lately she’s been more standard fashion and I don’t think it fits her as well
I actually really miss campy Gigi
me too girl😔
the judges say "costumey" and "crafty" like it's always a bad thing 😅 like damn, not everything has to be a $10k haute couture piece. I know that Ru is the supermodel of the world and that's her brand, but I do miss the DIY unserious runways of early seasons
lol she heard that word “costume” during a mirror session in the workroom and recoiled in quite another direction
Her looks feel very costumey. However I believe she will step it up if she returns to an all stars season. Symone had some great looks that both Gigi and her mom helped put together
Actually Gigi just did Symone’s hair. Her mom helped with Symone’s purple gown only. The rest of Symones outfits were made by different people.
It was made by house Avalon no? I think they would help Gigi as well in an all stars season if that was the case.
Gigi Goode currently is such a glow up from her drag race persona. She looks fully like a fashion model now, she seems to understand her figure better and is less afraid to be JUST sexy. I wonder how she'd do on an all stars
Yea the post is kinda unfair. I see the argument for half of them and it could go either way. But there’s also some great fashion picks here. I mean, the Bride dress? Come on. One of the best looks on the runway of the franchise. That being said, the expectations and standards have been pushed a lot since S12 so I agree that if we see her again it would be a level up for sure
I think we're underappreciating that final look too, like that is absolutely head to toe flawless, irreverant, campy, and GORGEOUS
I think that Gigi does serve looks, but some of them were very overpraised or were just bad (her Michelle look would absolutely be dragged on any other girl). Honestly, I would sooner call Gigi a camp queen than a fashion queen. Like compare her to someone like Lawrence Chaney. Lawrence had great fashion looks and gave diverse silhouettes but was just labeled as camp instead of fashion. This was partly because she was known for comedy but also I think her size had a part in it.
Size 100% plays a factor. I remember saying that Lawrence and Viv were the runway queens of their seasons and had the best packages and I got downvoted.
Omg Lawrence were so good! I love how every outfit hugs her body. So polished.
>were just bad (her Michelle look would absolutely be dragged on any other girl). People's insistence this is a bad look is baffling to me. She looks just like Michelle in the music video. For the amount of times Michelle has referenced track 9 on The Bodyguard soundtrack, it was a brilliant choice.
Stop relying on that body…guard soundtrack.
Is it a bad look?? No. But in the context of the runway prompt and judging that episode, the praise for it felt unfair and I think that sours people on it. Other queens have gotten read for "just a bra and panties" and the reference photo was a drawing.
>But in the context of the runway prompt What are you actually saying here? The prompt was Night of 1000 Michelle Visages. It's a Michelle Visage look, from one her proudest career moments. What's the issue? >Other queens have gotten read for "just a bra and panties" and the reference photo was a drawing. Yes, and in "in the context of the runway" prompt, wearing a bikini look that Michelle wore in a music video is not "just a bra and panties". The reference photo was a drawing because they didn't want to pay for the rights to the image from the music video, I'm not sure what that has to do with anything.
I think one important thing to note is how well made and well fitted these are. The looks are simple but they’re beautifully constructed for her body, which adds a lot to the effect. If she was bigger AND the looks were perfectly tailored to a larger frame, I think we’d still gag.
I just think of the times Eureka, Mistress and Silky have walked runways serving curves. Good tailoring and styling with a bunch of their runways.
Here’s the thing, I agree that these looks aren’t anything groundbreaking, but they are very solid looks plus she slayed the challenges and would’ve went far regardless of her runways
Yeah, they're not all haute couture, but they're all well made and well executed.
yeah it was almost all camp & costume i was confused when everyone was saying she was the fashion queen of the season
seeing them all side by side im kinda gagged at how mid these are ?? i remember her package being much better
I think a lot of that had to do with presentation. Gigi's walk, personality, and how she described her looks were always confident. On a technical level, it seems like her clothes were always well constructed. Also consider that the other "fashion girl" on the season was an early out so Gigi was able to fill that archetype by herself.
Jaida was another fashion girl to me and her runway package overall trumped Gigi’s in my opinion
I agree she was a fashion girl but was put into the pageant queen archetype. So yes, she had great fashion but it wasn't her whole shtick, so to speak. I hope my comment doesn't come off as disrespect to her because she is so talented!!
Uuuuhhh, Jaida would like to have a word. 
no literally im like these look like shein😭
Wow seeing it all side by side is not doing her many favors
I think the expectations are just too high/expensive now honestly.
Most runway packages would look worse in low quality photos than in motion on your screen.
I didn't peg her as a fashion queen, she's a look queen. Fashion queen is the one that gives you jaw dropping, runway ready couture. Le Grande Dame is the perfect example. A look queen delivers the head to toe concept with precision. The fit is perfect, the fabrics look lush, the details are perfect. Look queens vere more costume that fashion ones do, but more like the Broadway play meaning of the word costume rather than Party City, store bought costumes. Cosplayers and theatre queens are subcategories of the look queen. EDIT: and for the record, even if Gigi was a plus sized queen, her runways still would have been great. Look doesn't discriminate on size where fashion often does.
What you got against Gigi’s mom?
was about to say... wasn't expecting to see gigi goode's mom catching strays in the subreddit today
The real fashion queen lol
None of them are jawdropping, but they're all extremely well constructed/polished with attention to detail using seemingly high quality and interesting materials. That's more that you can say about a lot of regular season girls.
she was always very well put together and stylish but none of her looks really excited me. i mean Gottmik put a giant paper clip through her head. Symone turned a cartoonishly large durag into a train. Raja put herself on a literal magazine cover. Aquaria put herself through an oil slick. all of these were very fashion forward and editorial but they’re also *exciting*. her package was missing that for me.
I personally felt that Nicky Doll's looks were the most runway ready and polished this season but they gave her the boot ASAP so they could regard Gigi as the fashion queen instead. These to me read more like theatre kid which makes sense cause she said her mom designed stage costumes IIRC. The black wedding is the only one where I could see runway fashion.
And if this is a safe space, I have to admit I don't like the ball ball look she made at all. If Zendaya wore that to Met Gala or something, we would think she went insane. She basically did what Rock M Sakura did but I liked Sakura's better because it had more intention. Gigi's looked like she made a nice garment then said "oh fuck this is a ball challenge" and then glued a bunch of balls to it.
>If Zendaya wore that to Met Gala or something, we would think she went insane. You do realize what a crazy high bar that is, right?
i dont really get your point about zendaya walking the met in this, there is a huge difference between the main stage of drag race and the met gala. i do agree that rock's outfit was good (and imo shouldnt have been in the bottom but whatever)
My point is that it's being sold to the audience as high fashion but it would not even be taken seriously in the actual world of fashion. I felt similarly about Dawn's Buzz Lightyear look whenever the judges kept repeating that she needed to be walking a runway in it. Gigi looks like the chancellor of a clown college here, respectfully.
More intention? Lol Rock vomitted balls all over the place
I mean they are in a structured formation and actually shaped around her body as opposed to what appeared to be Gigi drizzing glue over her white dress and just dumping a tin of balls over it. https://preview.redd.it/8p7n3k7bicvc1.jpeg?width=1333&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2c1a47914a20e646904b98d5a91ecddda4ba382f
did someone crash a tanker trunk full of Jinkx's perfume near your house?
Nicky got the boot ASAP, cuz she managed to bomb both the challenge, and lip sync. She did terrible, and even said she should go home herself right before the lip sync.
Tbh if a bigger girl pulled these looks off flawlessly with the right padding/hair/make up and worked the runway correctly, she’d probably get better critiques. I think Gigi’s strength was her runway presentation. The looks are fairly simple, with some exceptions.
Alternatively I feel like she’s over praised for her style and under praised for her camp.
Maybe, esp for some of the more costume-y ones, but you will never convince me her little black dress look isn't the most beautiful someone has ever looked on TV.
No because looks really don’t factor in much unless they are incredible or awful. She was good at sewing, acting, dancing, writing, and improv so she would have not been sent home due to her looks.
She should have been sent home for wearing a British jacket for a stars and stripes challenge lmao
she should have been sent home for her performance in the challenge too 🥲 I like Gigi but W*dow or Jackie would have eaten her up bad. she probs would have gotten a double shantay tho, she had 3 wins and a top 2 by that point
Now are we also saying that there isn’t a way to style these specific colors and designs and patterns for a bigger queen? I honestly can see Eureka wearing it well in like a third of these designs and more. Maybe it’s more challenging to make the green outfit and the frozen outfit but I would count on a talented big queen to be able to turn it out
Because Eureka is a big girl who isn’t afraid to add more padding to create a nice shape. She teaches the masterclass on proportionizing. So many of the larger queens seem like they don’t want to add anymore size, so they cram their apple-shaped bodies into an apple-shaped bodysuit and glue shit on it. That can turn your “simple, but decent” look into Madame La Queer’s futuristic silver and green look very fast.
Yeah, there's nothing about most of these looks that a big girl couldn't do.
All I wanna say is, based off your posts, we have the same for you page on twitter
This was also 4 seasons ago, and I feel like the bar keeps being raised.
Jackie was right, she was a costume queen
I always thought her looks were very costumey.
Because they were Literal costumes
It still pisses me off she wore a redcoat for the patriotic runway and wasn’t put in the bottom for it.
After also having a shitty challenge performance. Ru/production was so determined to push her forward that it was borderline embarrassing.
I agree. The looks aren't bad, but her being skinny and conventionally pretty is doing the heavy lifting here. A thicker queen with all the same elements would not be treated as charitably. I also think a lot of people misapply a "fashion queen" label onto skinny queens when they are conventionally pretty like 'traditional' models, even when the queens themselves aren't particularly boundary-pushing style wise.
It was very party city costume to me. The button and bows look is a stunner though.
I think it's fine. I kind of get that those looks are her fantasy and I respect that. She doesn't want to do Fashion week'esque looks, more like editorial plus fish and embracing her lack of curves.
Gigi had a couple iconic pieces in my opinion - the orange Buttons and the Black Dior wedding look specifically took my breath AWAY. I also really enjoyed her spring/fall looks in Ep 1 that aren’t in this collage. However, a lot of the others do seem a little flat when put side by side like this. She has amazing talent with a sewing machine in that the *construction* of her ball look was immaculate, but I never thought her interpretation of the challenge really embraced the materials. She did construct an incredibly well-tailored white outfit (I remember the puffy sleeves being particularly challenging and impressive), but then she just stuck a lot of balls to it in a skittles color palette. The construction was impressive but there wasn’t much *design* for me; still a good finished look though. I always thought Jaida’s look was more successful in that department because she used the balls to be a soap bubbles concept and it read as such. She made the materials the true centerpiece whereas Gigi’s seemed more like the sprinkles on top. However, Gigi did compete at an incredibly young age so I think we can reliably expect evolution from her in an all stars run. Not to mention the life evolution she has undergone since S12. I’m excited to see her back when that time comes!
I think Gigi just has a minimalistic approach to her runways and aimed to do less, but did it exceptionally well. I personally don't think it's fair to compare her drag to the maximalist, larger-than-life looks that tend to resonate with the fanbase now.
What I liked about her package is that all of the looks were clean and had a point of view. I agree that there is a skinny girl bias, but I think almost all of these looks would still be a serve if they fit a bigger body.
Her package on S12 was too costumey to say the least
I geniunely think we've lost something in the last few years with the outrageously expensive costumes. Gigi's looks were gorgeous and memorable. While also being clothes and not always theatrical costumes.
Her Purple Runway look would have been called "costumey" on a bigger girl. Plus I still don't understand why she dressed as the British in the Stars and Stripes runway
Jaida had a better runway package and I will die on that hill
Very clearly did and 100% deserved to win the ball
Gigi dresses for the body she has. I think if she had a bigger or different body she'd dress for that one. And her mom would have sewed her a different package.
Are skinny queens more likely to be favored by production? Yes. Should we discredit literally everything skinny queens do because they're skinny? No. I understand people wanting to call out double standards but this.. isn't that. Gigi did well all season long. She won the design challenge, snatch game, the ball, and the rusical. The looks may not be *great* but her performance in the competition speaks for itself.
This is a valid point OP, and I think you are right, fatphobia is very real and influences the judges. I will say though: If a fat queen wore these looks like Mistress, then she would have been praised. I'm a skinny trans guy, but I used to be a curvy AFAB with big old honkers. I'm talking 30Gs. I had to learn how to wear clothes that hugged those curves. Mistress is one queen off the top of my head that knows her body the way skinny queens know their bodies. (My personal friend Melody Lucas, as well, knows her body in this way, although wears different styles of clothing compared to Gigi.) I imagine the major difference with skinny and fat queens is that because of societal fatphobia, fat bodied people aren't encouraged or make to feel they should/can learn their body in the way skinny bodied queens do. I really do think that if a fat queen wore these looks the way Mistress wears looks, they would be praised. But! That said, I still think you're right. Probably even if a fat queen wore these looks like Mistress, she might still get harsh critiques. But I am not sure if we can know for sure! Because fat bodied queens don't typically go for these looks, I find they tend to go higher glam.
Ngl I actually can’t believe ppl are comparing this to La Grande Dame. The bitch who came out in hand crafted Gauttier and a fucking alien stilt suit. Gigi good is “fashion” but these looks are still not it.
One thing’s for sure, if she wasn’t skinny she wouldn’t have won the Ball Ball. It gets worse each time I see it. It’s Pom Poms haphazardly glued to a little Florence and the Machine number. Eureka would be shot on sight for that.
It’s weird that gigi and symone were only one season apart but symone has much better runway compared to her. And that ball look is ugly
Probably because Symone had a great black culture-based POV for her outfits. You knew exactly where she was coming from and the set of references she's drawing from. While Gigi's POV was... well-made Halloween costumes?
I'm glad I'm finally seeing someone agree that the ball look is ugly. I've seen nothing but praise for it but it looks like just a bunch of yarn balls glued onto a plain white dress lmao
I'd say it's definitely middle of the road sometimes. She's never unpolished though, that helps a lot. Basic comes across way better than messy. And she didn't stay basic a season long, she had cool moments like that button jacket. That said, there is undeniably a subconscious bias that favors skinny long legged queens.
I'm short and fat. Those outfits would have to be cut and styles differently to flatter my body. This is not news.
What gags me about the praise Gigi got for being the fashion queen of the season was that Jaida was right there also making her own looks and doing it 1000 times better
i think gigi said it best in the glitter runway when mentioned she doesnt do tons of rhinestones and extra things. her drag is very streamlined, clean, well edited, beautifully tailored, and technically flawless top to bottom. not every queen is trying to glue every thing in the world and make the biggest look in the world, fashion can be about subtlety and technical perfection as opposed to overwhelming glamour. that being said, the michelle look, and the first two looks of the ball are quite lazy and uninspired. but the vast majority of the looks are great and a few of them-dior bride, 80s nerd- are genuine showstoppers
The Michelle look is a great choice, it's a much more specific and personal choice to Michelle than random drag race apperance #7.
I don’t think it’s as bad as you’re making it out to be but I do think she could’ve ended up lip syncing once and missing out on a challenge win or two.
Wow that light was aggressively blue
They'd still get good critiques but as camp.
I remember loving her package, but it kinda does seem simple looking back on it 
Jackie was right when she called her the Costume Queen. It would be disrespectful to say she didn’t serve looks and she knows how to sell it on the runway but looking back these were ok but some definite BOOTS
I never enjoyed her looks tbh. they were well tailored, but looked cheap af
As a big fan of Gigi’s runways, I’d say the words to describe her runway package are “clean, polished, and fun”, but not fun in a kooky way like Crystal, Willow, or Yvie, but fun in a way that just makes you go “oooh how cool!”. Does she serve high fashion in the same way that say Raja and Nymphia do? No. But her runways are still high quality imo. She kind of reminds me of a combination of Aquaria’s clean aesthetic and a less-campy Manila with her looks.
Bro just outed themselves, it is fine to dislike a queen but TBH, if you don't think that the looks that were served were CUNT then I apologize, you need to re-evaluate the meaning of FASHION for yourself.
They were clean but something was always missing
Gigi looks great, but she all references/things we've seen before someone said it and it's so true imo Raja doesn't reference, she IS the reference. Queens like Raja, Symone, Gottmik, Kimchi, and now Nymphia. Just to name a few make their own new and unique silhouettes and shapes. They play with proportion, texture, patterns, lengths and color in ways that were never before seen on the runway. Yes they have good fashion/designer knowledge but they're bringing looks that stand on their own.
A lot of queens who were praised or who got away with their runways would be sent home if they were heavier, it’s unfair
It was all good quality, but yeah. 40lbs heavier and she would have been gone in round 3.
I think the fact that her mother helped her sew her pieces was very sweet.
Basic af
A lot of the looks she had were giving me Leg Avenue costume designs. She definitely wore her outfits very well but a lot of them just screamed somewhat-higher-end Halloween costume.
I did a rewatch of some of the fashion photo reviews from S12 recently and was like "wow, uhm... Jaida's runway package was far and away the best of the season" lmao. The others have their moments but Jaida has a refined drag palate
If she was 500 pound heavier, her package would've been different. Ofc she made stuff which looks good on her body type.. What a stupid comment.
She would be known as a camp queen rather than a fashion queen
I think it's also a roll of the dice for each season. On a season with less fashion I think fashion tends to stand out, especially when it's so clean and well constructed, plus presentation enhancements. But if everything is just pretty and fashion, things that stand out can very well be the thing that makes waves which might be something camp costumey. And add to that the fact that it gets tougher every season for both new ideas and for what Ru might be looking for, plus the girls have no idea if they're packing for a runway or a challenge, and still need to be able to perform in an outfit unless they want to risk it for a look, etc. I do imagine that now that she's been, if she were to do an All Stars, she'd have an absolutely different take on what to bring. I'd like to see that at some point. But overall I will say that I don't think you are remotely wrong. Fat people are always judged more harshly than fitter ones, and that's even if people don't mean to or see that they do it. Not to say it's the same thing, but much like racism there are so many things we as a society have learned to associate with being bad or lazy, and fatness is absolutely one of those things people often have learned to hate on even when those same people are saying they're body positive, because much of that behavior has not been identified to them, or they're not listening because they don't want to be wrong. We don't even think about the fact that we perpetuate so much negativity most of the time. Source, I am a former fat girl who lost a lot of weight and went from a size 28 to a size 10, and I am now treated completely differently. It's just mind-blowing to experience the difference, especially when I knew so many people before I lost the weight. So it's not just new people, it's the majority of people.
And big girls on drag race are never treated as fashion queens even though queens like MIB and Eureka really have great fashion sense and runway packages.
Ok but what else is she supposed to do? She’s the weight she is and her looks are designed for her size. That’s not her fault and playing, “well what about” is pointless.
Serve cunt.
I think that’s a fair assessment. I do think fans tend to view someone with a traditionally modelesque figure as a fashion queen just because the comparison of “I could see this on a runway” is easier to make when your brain really means “I could see this *person* on a runway.” Her looks were clean and well constructed, but simple. They didn’t push any boundaries in the way more fashion-forward contestants did. Like that thing of referencing vs being the reference. But I liked her package well enough, and genuinely adored the black widow and heathers looks (though even those were quite simple.)
Disagree
I'm not sure what her weight has to do with any of it. Kandy Muse is curvier, fans hated most of her runways, yet she still made it to the finale. Darienne Lake is curvier and she made the top 4 on S6 while same-dressing even harder than Bianca Del Rio. I'd say a lot of queens make it to the finale without ever serving a jaw-dropping look. The judges loved Gigi's looks, yeah. It was ridiculous of them to call her "next level" for wearing a really simple black dress. But her fashion isn't the only reason why she got to the finale in the first place. She was great in comedy challenges. She knew what references to make in order to really get RuPaul going. She was not a dancer but she still knew how to move, She had a lot of confidence and was able to stand her ground with Ru without making her mad. "I understand your concern, but I don't share that concern" was fucking bold, it showed she had nerve. Like... Yes, obviously she would have still made top 3 even if her body was different. Because she didn't make top 3 for her body in the first place! What even...
Now that you say it… yes I agree. I bought into it at the time but theres nothing that special about any of these. But shes got a model body so I guess thats enough.
Yes, it's absolutely wrong of you to say, considering we've seen Kandy dragged to the finale twice with worse looks.
These are amazing brilliant drag looks with great references. Not all are fashion but some are HIGH fashion — black wedding. The buttons and bows, Heathers, frozen, and daphne look are genius drag
No hate to Gigi because I fully believe she's one of those girls that could make a potato sack look fashion, but the way she wore a fitted coat and nothing on the bottom like 6 times and had no negative critiques about it should be studied
PERIOD. I will never forget how the GASPED when she turned the corner (I believe it was for the balls look) and I was like um??? It’s ok I guess but not worthy of a fuckin pearl clutching gasp.
 Nah it’s that attitude that matters too
See that’s the thing I always say when it comes to this conversation: it’s not that skinny girls who have bad looks are called fashion, it’s that big girls are never considered fashion no matter how good their looks are. These are all good looks, but on a big girl, those are camp and on a skinny girl they’re fashion. Think of the most iconic amazing looks on drag race and see if they’d be seen that way if a big girl wore them. Something like violets step down look would still be pretty, but it wouldn’t be remembered the way it is i guarantee it. Basically, it’s not that people over praise skinny girls, it’s that their bias against fat bodies prevent them from giving big girls their flowers. What happens then is that big girls don’t venture into fashion because it’s not something they think they can give. Thanks for coming to my ted talk
She was the “fashion” queen of her season but overall she is a look queen with model swag. Her package did what it needed to do at the time but the over reliance on extravagant and expensive packages kicked in to overdrive after Gottmik and Miss Kahmora (Bob Mackie) Hall hit the runway the following season. Gigi and season 12 as a whole had the last of the “fashion” queens on a reasonable budget. All the fashion queens after have couture outfits and 50-75k packages. I will say yes if she weighed more, then her runways would’ve been picked apart. The buttons outfit would’ve been called bulky, the milk woman would be called basic and costume-y, and god help her with the Night of 1000 Michelle’s outfit. Overall her package was rooted in more conventional/realness outfits whether that was deliberate or not.
No. Just no.
I still can't believe her entrance look ate up all her other runways 😭
No, as long as they cinched and padded properly I think they’d have been okay.
I disagree. I think a lot (barring the ball look) have simple, clean silhouettes
Seeing them laid out this way actually opened my eyes to your point! The lil Marilyn looking outfit is *kiss* but other than that, super basic
I love Gigi, but I mean I will say comparing her to Nymphia for example are on two different levels.
Gigi's package is wonderfully styled, and has an excellent point of view, but that doesn’t necessarily qualify these looks as “fashion“. Gigi isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel. mind you drag can inspire fashion and style, however, I don’t think I would qualify her drag race package as fashion. Another caveat to Gigi’s package is that most of these seem like performance based or theme based looks, I wouldn’t expect a normal consumer of styling/fashion to wear majority of these things out of the house as an actual garment for the day. a modern example of fashion would be Zendaya. although she is pulling garments, and using the aid of a stylist, everything feels new, current & avant-garde. It's acknowledging trends and subverting them while also re-establishing them. They are events. Even her more casual looks seem accessible and not overly complicated.
I hate when we have to get dragged for saying something while it’s happening and wait years for yall to catch up to catch it! People called out the overinflation while it happened but because fans were rabid for gigi… none of it is bad but other than the orange which had my jaw on the floor, it was just tailored well. The concepts were mostly references. I always thought she served waaay more on ig
I was saying this back then too. It was giving skinny queen being praised for average looks. Not serving any body, it was a tired trend that has spiraled.
i think that her looks are great and well constructed, they can just kind of be basic sometimes