07 Dec kate macdonald | bandanas. drag queens. evolving style
My personal style has taken many twists, turns and possible nose dives. Okay, definite nose dives. Needless to say, I commit. I commit heavily to what feels right at that time. At 8, I started watching every and all fashion weeks: introducing me to the idea of the outlandish being admired and cooed over. Oh and the glamorous chaos back stage, I die!
As a kid it was just more more more, most importantly jewelry. I wore the unimaginably gawdy, to the store and/or just because. And honestly, I was so YOLO about the whole thing, I couldn’t be contained. Oh and bandanas. On my head. In every color. Like why nobody told me to chill on this “trend” I will never know.
In junior high, my influences were too many. I epitomized hot mess with J-Lo’s big hoops. Destiny’s Child oxymoronic sweat-suit-chic combinations and I EVEN had a shirt that said “Bootylicious” and both “o’s” were cherries. Like guys, the worst.
High school years were my most transformative. With each new year, I came back closer and closer to the aesthetic I had been trying to tap into. I delved into the artsy-creative-alternative; a weirdly freeing scene. My tresses were dyed from blue to red and even a little pink. So many colors, so little time. Nylon TV was my before-school morning vice, in hopes the cool would just rub off on me.
I also came out in high school. Which transitioned me into a time when I didn’t feel like brushing my hair? AGAIN GUYS, I am so unsure why nobody stopped me. I also started caring SO little about what people thought of me by grade twelve. I was there simply to raise a little hell and leave an impression.
At 17 I saw my first drag queen IRL…Sorry, Mom. The glamour and grandiose of the mother queens. You can’t help but have something ignited in you when around that level of ferociousness. Kelly Cutrone is a boss bitch. Takes no shit. And has hair as black as her clothes and heart. She let’s nobody walk all over her. Those are some serious goals.
My style as it stands is less eclectic than it has been in past years. I’m known for sporting mostly black. Actually, all black all the time. Which is such an interesting evolution from my earlier influences; the wordy cherry-laden tees to the gold chains ( I still love me a good gold chain though.) With a lil bit of age I’ve been able to streamline what I’m actually into. Today, I’m more refined but like let’s be honest. I can get all dressed up and just curse like a fucking sailor.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MO HANDAHU