Symone winning ‘Rupaul’s Drag Race’ is important
I AM A RECENT convert to the world of Rupaul's Drag Race and I keep wondering why it has taken me so long to be a frequent viewer of the show.
I started in January, looking for a distraction after the heaviness of the second wave hit South Africa and it felt like the grim reaper was visiting every second home. I needed some light entertainment to forget about the impending doom. A friend suggested Rupaul's Drag Race.
Four months later, I have been watching previous seasons of the show – sometimes to understand where the show began and how it has adapted to being mainstream and an Emmy winner, but also to compare the drag queens.
I was underwhelmed with most of this season’s cast, besides a few standouts. One who stood out almost immediately was Symone.
Symone was different from the other contestants. She was quiet, a wallflower compared to the other boisterous queens, who relied on their loudness and brash personalities to make a statement. Symone was loud, brash and statement-making where it was important – on the runway.
I watched, transfixed week after week, as she rocked the theme of the episode and found a way to pay homage to black culture. From her clothes to her hair, she was unapologetically black.
It excited me. Here was a person reminding us just how many great pop culture moments people of colour have given to the world, and she was celebrating it on one of the biggest shows in the world.
In an interview with Vogue,
Symone said she loved using clothes to communicate her message.
“I’ve always loved fashion, especially in black culture, so I love moulding those things together and really finding my own voice through it,” she said.
And she did just that. We got everything: a lace-trimmed boilersuit worn with a lace corset and a durag with a train, a dress made out of Polaroids of Symone, an African bead masterpiece complete with beaded braids that would have the virgins at the Reed Dance seething with jealousy, a dress made out of braided synthetic hair fibre, and then the dress that took the wind out of me – a white gown with a fascinator, an ode to Black Lives Matter.
In the long, white be-gloved gown, with jutting hips and crimson crystal-embellished bullet holes, she strutted, hands raised in surrender. As she turned around we saw what was written on her lily-inspired fascinator – “Say Their Names” in the same crystals as the bullet holes. It was a game-changing moment and one that confirmed that she was not only a front runner but one of the most impactful stars of Drag Race herstory.
Fashion has always been used to make a statement, be it political or psychological. Colours, designs and certain garments are worn to convey a message. Symone understood that. She knew that with a platform as important as Drag Race, she could remind people of the many contributions of black people in pop culture, fashion and society.
She has found a way to use drag as a form of activism for the representation of black people and also for the necessary protection of black people against police brutality.
She didn’t excel in fashion only. She was great in the musical numbers and the acting and comedy challenges. Even though she fluffed the Roast episode, she managed to survive the lip sync, which prepared her for war in the finale.
Speaking of the finale, she once again reminded us how layered black culture is, choosing to wear a deconstructed garment inspired by Timberlands, a Marie Antoinette-esque gown layered with black bandannas, her curly afro piled so high that Queen Charlotte of Bridgerton would die of envy.
It is, therefore, no surprise that she counts Rihanna as one of her fans. The singer and beauty mogul sent Symone a message on Instagram, saying how much she loved her work on the show.
“You soooo EVERYTHING !!!! Nasty lil b **** ! I live for every second of it! You’re a true joy to watch!
“I’m so f ****** proud when I watch you! Like, you get it!!! And you’re so comfortable being you, it makes my spirit smile! Please … no brakes, all gas!!” And that’s exactly what Symone has done and will probably continue to do. Seeing her win the competition was heart-warming, especially as she was unapologetic about her icons Rihanna, Lil Kim, Naomi Campbell and Grace Jones. All her looks on the show were outfits either inspired by or could have been worn by these four women. They inspire her because of how unapologetic they are when it comes to sexuality and femininity.
“You put all of these people together and you kind of get me, fashion-wise,” she told Vogue.
“I want to be the Naomi Campbell of drag, darling.”