The queer community is—and always has been—the blueprint for fashion designers worldwide. We break boundaries. (RuPaul, anyone?) We start trends. (Elton John was doing glitter-geek-chic long before Gucci.) We bend the rules of gender, tradition, and decency—and as a result, we’ve turned getting dressed into a defiant form of self-expression. As a means of survival, queer people have learned to use the makeup and garments with which we adorn our bodies as a way to signal our very existence to the world. Our closets are the safest place to unapologetically assert our individualism. What we wear is more than just clothes—it’s a way of letting one another know what we’re all about. Getting dressed is a form of storytelling. And for queer folks, there’s a lot to say.
For Cosmopolitan’s first-ever Pride Issue, we photographed 11 queer artists who exemplify what it is to live (and dress) out loud. Here’s what they shared about fashion and beauty and why self-expression is our greatest tool for finding connection.
Orville Peck
“I’m a neoclassic cowboy who feels best in something classic or vintage mixed with a creative, modern twist. When I get dressed in the morning, it’s usually something really comfortable because if I have to perform that evening, it’s probably gonna be something really extra. I love cowboy hats and sheer fabrics.”
—Orville Peck, 35, musician
Between his self-produced debut album, Pony; his 2020 EP, Show Pony; and his sophomore album, Bronco (sensing a theme here?), he’s making country music gay, and thank god. (And his signature fringe mask helps him be his most vulnerable self onstage.)
Kade Gottlieb
“My favorite designers tell a story through their collections, and when people see my drag, that is exactly what I want: for them to see the journey I am on, good and bad. As a trans man, and with all the anti-trans and anti-drag legislation happening currently, this is what I am fighting for. I want every piece of art I put out there to show that journey.”
—Kade Gottlieb, aka Gottmik, 26, makeup artist, drag performer, and author
He cowrote The T Guide, discussing the ins and outs of being transgender, with friend Gigi Gorgeous. He also cohosts the podcast No Gorge with fellow RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Violet Chachki.
Vico Ortiz
“I genuinely never considered myself as someone with a sense of fashion. For the longest time, it felt elusive—something I was close to understanding but wasn’t really getting. Which makes sense because it wasn’t until I came out—when I disregarded how society wanted me to look—that I began allowing myself to explore what felt good on my body. Now I adorn this vessel in ways that make me feel handsome and beautiful.”
—Vico Ortiz, 31, actor, drag king, and activist
They’re making strides for non-binary representation in Hollywood with roles as pirate Jim in Our Flag Means Death and women’s center volunteer Tova on The Sex Lives of College Girls.
Tokyo Stylez
“I believe fashion is a feeling and an emotion. I’m that bitch: alluring, feminine, and cool. I feel my best in something tight and comfortable that shows my physique. I’m my own individual self, I do what I want, and I don’t care what others think. Dress like each day is your last.”
—Tokyo Stylez, 33, hairstylist and wigmaker
She’s the go-to wig whisperer for the likes of Cardi B, Kylie Jenner, and Naomi Campbell.
Sugar and Spice
“We always say that behind every major pop star is a powerful group of queers. It’s a joke but honestly so true. Queer people tend to grow up not being ‘allowed’ to express a lot of themselves. How you dress and present yourself to the world is a gateway into your creativity and imagination, so we always let our inner children—who were obsessed with dolls—come out and play. That’s when fashion gets really fun.”
—Sugar and Spice, 24, drag queens
The identical twins have amassed nearly 8 million followers on TikTok with their hyperfemme Y2K-inspired looks. They were icons before even stepping foot in the Werk Room of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15.
Larry Owens
“People look at what I’m wearing and know I’m gay. Queers do for aesthetics what Pixar did for animation: art, drama, complex characters, and storytelling. No one knew any of it was possible, but queer people did.”
—Larry Owens, 31, actor, comedian, writer, and singer
His impressive résumé includes an award-winning role as Usher in the Pulitzer Prize–winning musical A Strange Loop and a standout, hilarious performance as Zach on Abbott Elementary. If that weren’t enough, he plays Craigslist (yes, the soul of the website) in A24’s Problemista.
Olivia Ponton
“Queer aesthetics have definitely made our culture shift into a more vulnerable place. People are more open, more fluid, and more accepting of experiences different from their own. Since I am so femme-presenting, it is fun to incorporate masculine pieces into my looks and vice versa to strike that perfect balance of what I want to express.”
—Olivia Ponton, 20, model and influencer
The former member of TikTok collective Hype House is a social media sensation who debuted as a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Rookie in 2022. She is also proudly pansexual and uses her platform to normalize living out loud as a hyperfemme queer woman.
Hayley Kiyoko
“I struggled to find confidence in my personal style because I was so nervous about looking too masculine—but I didn’t feel like my authentic self when I was being overly feminine. I have learned to find the balance between those two sides of my identity and feel so much freer to express myself with what I wear now.”
—Hayley Kiyoko, 32, musician, actor, and author
On top of her impressive music career (hello to her nearly 3.7 million monthly Spotify listeners), her YA romance novel Girls Like Girls is out on May 30.
Ezee
“You never know how I will dress, and I like to think that speaks volumes about me. I think fashion should feel liberating. My ancestors didn’t have that kind of opportunity with their clothes, so I do it for them.”
—Ezee, 29, YouTuber, social media influencer, actor, and designer (she’s wearing her own genderfluid T-shirt design from her new line Zanegrey)
She has a major presence on Snapchat, with millions of views. Also worth mentioning: The YouTube channel she shares with girlfriend Natalie Odell, @EzeeXNataliee, is very cute.
Miya Folick
“I read a lot about how being queer forces you to make more decisions about who you are, and maybe that’s why there’s so much innovation within the community. Every time I make a choice about my wardrobe, I am expressing my taste and values. Sometimes I make a choice that falls outside my value system, and I have to confront that. And sometimes a choice that falls within my value system isn’t very fashionable. I reserve the right to look drab sometimes.”
—Miya Folick, 33, singer, songwriter, and producer
Her sophomore studio album, Roach, is out May 26, but perhaps her most underrated flex is her cover of Death Cab for Cutie’s “I Will Follow You Into the Dark.”
Stylist: Cassie Anderson. Hair: Kachay Dorsey for Cloutier Remix. Makeup: Marla Vazquez for Ghost Artistry. Manicure: Alyssa Mexy. Tailoring: Wesley Nault.
Executive producer: Abbey Adkison. Director of photography: Janet Upadhye. Editor: Sarah Ng.
