Witches have always been an integral part of fashion designer and drag queen Binx’s style discovery. Growing up and watching movies like “Hocus Pocus,” Binx was immediately drawn to the outfits witches wore, especially corsets and dramatic flowing dresses. “Ever since I was a little girl, I always hated the clothes I always had to wear,” she said. “He was obsessed with all his [witch’s] clothes and I never got to wear any of them when I was younger, just because of the way the world is.” Oppressive gender norms got in the way of Binx’s self-expression through clothing. Drag was an opportunity for Binx to carve out his own style and transform into a larger than life character.
With Halloween just around the corner, 25 local drag queens, including Binx, will take to the runway to embrace the spirit of transformation, dressed in ripped corsets, jackets and sweater dresses, complete with details like ostrich feathers, pointed shoulders and rhinestones. . Binx’s The Runway Witch fashion show at Somerville Theater’s Crystal Ballroom on Sunday, October 9 will feature more than 20 looks in total from her Fall/Winter 2022 collection.
Binx is no stranger to fashion shows: In 2021, she presented a digital fashion show featuring 30 looks, and this past June, she had her first in-person Pride fashion show for Gay Bash’d on Roadrunner. “East [fashion show] It’s going to be a lot darker and gothic, a lot more black, dark red, gunmetal, silver,” he said. “Definitely Halloween vibes, but not a costume party.”
Binx will be among 25 drag performers taking to the runway for her upcoming fashion show. (Courtesy Eric Magnussen)
For this new collection wrapped in crocodile, leather and vinyl, Binx will introduce new shapes. In the past, Binx has designed corset tops, but models for The Runway Witch Fashion Show will wear corset dresses and jackets, enhanced with details like ostrich feathers and bats, and one will feature 20,000 rhinestones. Aside from corsets, Binx will show ripped sweater dresses and robes. Binx’s drag performances informed her approach to fashion, and it’s evident in the new collection.
“Drag makes you elevate everything a little bit because fashion shows can be something as simple as a tank top and skirt, walking down the runway. But when you do it in drag, you have to elevate it somehow, even if it’s just rhinestones on that tank top,” Binx said. “You have to think bigger shoulders, smaller waist, bigger hips. When it comes to drag, you want to emphasize it… It’s not every day that people wear ostrich-lined corsets with their ridiculous cinched waists.”
Getting into the world of drag, Binx decided that she would have complete autonomy over what clothes she wanted to wear. “Either I have to start buying really expensive clothes to get what I want or I have to start making them because fast fashion wasn’t really giving me what I wanted.” Binx, a self-taught fashion designer, picked up her first sewing machine in 2019, but she didn’t fully immerse herself in sewing and making clothes until 2020.
Binx says The Runway Witch Fashion Show evokes Halloween, but it’s not a costume party. (Courtesy Eric Magnussen)
Once the pandemic hit, Binx taught herself to sew in her spare time and is still learning new techniques. For her designs, Binx admires Alexander McQueen and Thierry Mugler, drawing inspiration from her austere looks with cinched waists, leather and dark gothic references. Other influential designers include David Koma, Robert Wun, and Vivienne Westwood. Binx also finds inspiration from other drag performers and outfits she sees on social media.
“I’m inspired by a lot of drag queens who do custom stuff that no one else has and have more of a drag look and I love referencing that as well because drag queens are definitely a different size than the models that are on the runway,” she said. Binx.
Drag artist and fashion designer Binx. (Courtesy Eric Magnussen)
Making garments that fit a wide range of sizes was a challenge, Binx said. “I would say the most challenging part is making things that fit a lot of different bodies… It’s definitely a little hard when you don’t have the education to do it,” Binx said. “I wanted to have a mix of people who were drag performers, friends of mine, people of different sizes, different backgrounds. I didn’t want to just have a group of people the same size walking around.” For hair and makeup, models will have creative freedom, though they will stick to a muted palette.
For Binx, organizing a fashion show is a cathartic experience and she hopes that anyone interested in fashion will be encouraged to participate. “All over social media we see Fashion Week happening over and over again in so many different cities with so many different fashion shows,” Binx said. “I just want to do a fashion show in Boston to do a fashion show in Boston.”
Being an artist in Boston comes with unique challenges, according to Binx. “That’s definitely a struggle for a lot of drag artists, getting people to come to this city for whatever reason.” Binx cited reasons such as liquor licenses, a lack of venues, and a lack of interest in nightlife as possible contributing factors.
Even with those challenges, Binx is determined to continue releasing collections, with goals for a Spring/Summer show, a resort show, a Fall/Winter show and one-off shows. After the show at Crystal Ballroom, Binx will be selling many of the pieces and taking commissions using the leftover fabrics. “[The show] it really is for people who just want to attend a fashion show in Boston because the opportunity doesn’t come around much,” Binx said. “I know the Boston fashion community is out there.”
Source: news.google.com