Gottmik and La Grande Dame reveal the art and “drag economy” responsible for their head-turning looks at the Los Angeles celebration, including pieces from designers worn by Lady Gaga and seen at the Paris Olympics.
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From the moment it kicks off with its inaugural pink carpet promenade, DragCon Los Angeles sets the stage for a weekend filled with fashion moments. And while the two art forms have been in close conversation for decades now — from 1970s ballroom culture to RuPaul’s 1990s ode to fashion, “Supermodel (You Better Work)” — attendees this year might have noticed that the bar keeps being raised.
With former Drag Race contestants walking the runways of Paris and New York fashion weeks, wearing iconic designers on the show and appearing in major fashion campaigns, it should come as no surprise that the annual event — which took place July 19 and 20 in L.A. — is now a place that you can expect to see some serious fashion (in addition to the spooky, punky, pop-star inspired, comedic and other types of drag that are also regularly featured on RuPaul’s Drag Race). And there are few better examples of this than two of this year’s attending artists, La Grande Dame and Gottmik.
La Grande Dame, or LGD (who goes by she/her pronouns in drag), already has quite an impressive resume at just 25 when it comes to the fashion industry. The Nice-born, Paris-based queen (né Yannick Martin Androf), who received a baccalauréat in design, began her drag career at 18 and later joined the iconic House of Gorgeous Gucci. Cut to today: She’s walked the runway of prominent Parisian designers, donned Jean Paul Gaultier on the most recent Drag Race UK vs. the World season (she was previously a finalist on Drag Race France’s first season), and starred in a recent campaign for the Jacquemus x Nike collab shot in the City of Lights.
La Grande Dame in an upcycled feather boa dress at DragCon U.K.
Courtesy of World of Wonder
LGD explains that she couldn’t do it all without what she calls “the drag economy”: a network of designers, wig makers, and other artists working hand-in-hand with the drag community. That includes her close friends Kevin Germanier — whose feathered ensembles were sent down the Paris Olympics opening ceremony runway — and Miss Boo, who helped create the show-stopping looks she wore to this year’s DragCon, where she was one of the most in-demand queens.
LGD and Germanier have a long history together as collaborators, so for her to wear one of his sustainable ensembles — this one a voluminous, multicolored frock made from upcycled feather boas — was a no-brainer. “There is no LGD without Kevin,” she tells The Hollywood Reporter. “He always had me walk in his runways even though he had a lot to prove. Every time I get something big that is happening that is Drag Race or a campaign, he gets something else. So, we’ve been growing in our own fields in a parallel way.”
Her other look, a corseted, Yves Klein blue mini with feather trim and matching mesh gloves, was the handiwork of Paris-based couturier Miss Boo. “She makes some of the best looks you see in France,” LGD shares. “Some of my best looks, she’s behind [them].” For custom creations like this one, the drag artist confesses to being very involved in the process. “I pretty much do it all except the sewing,” she says, tipping her hat to the aforementioned drag economy. “I just don’t have the time anymore and I have so many good artisans around me that specialize in and are experts at what they do. I’m surrounded by talented people, so let them work!”
La Grande Dame in a corseted blue mini dress with feather trim designed by Kevin Germanier.
Courtesy of La Grande Dame
Much like LGD, Gottmik (whose offstage name is Kade Gottlieb and goes by she/her pronouns in drag) has built a trusted team of creatives to help accomplish her design goals. The FIDM graduate has been using fashion as a form of expression since her days of zhuzhing up her Catholic school uniform to stand out — a skill she believes helped her excel on her seasons of Drag Race. But nowadays the fan-favorite queen can be found attending Gautier shows in Paris and wearing custom Loewe and straight-off-the-runway Versace on All Stars 9. (She has previously modeled for Baja East.) That said, her most memorable looks are her most personal — and that includes what she chose for this year’s DragCon: A crystalized, nude trompe l’oeil dress by Disco Daddy and a lattice leather skirt and bra by Zana Bayne, whose pieces have also been worn by Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Debbie Harry.
Both of these looks were created for Gottmik’s latest post-Drag Race project, the release of her first-ever single and music video, “SKULLF*CKER”.
Gottmik attends RuPaul’s DragCon Los Angeles on July 19, 2024.
Courtesy of Gottmik
“I worked really hard on the song and the music video and the fans have been so amazing, so I thought I would bring it to DragCon,” she explains. As a trans man, Gottmik has often infused her runway presentation with nods to her gender journey, proudly showcasing (and even bedazzling) her top surgery scars.
She and Disco Daddy wanted to keep this theme going with their latest collaboration. “I’ve been sitting on the idea of doing an anatomically correct body dress for Gottmik for a while,” says the designer, who has also created stoned garments for Doja Cat, Madonna, and Megan Thee Stallion. “I painted the body design onto the dress while Gottmik was wearing it and then together we sourced ideas for each tattoo. Some of them are traditional tattoos and some of them I drew to represent Gottmik and myself, including the song title, Mik’s logo, and some Easter eggs for the fans of things soon to come.” Disco Daddy and team then used tattoo placement and crystal colors to create an illusion of Gottmik’s nude body — a true celebration of her physical identity.
Gottmik’s lattice leather harness look by Zana Bayne.
Courtesy of Zana Bayne
As LGD and Gottmik set out on their post-DragCon endeavors that include world tours, album releases, and yes hopefully their own collection or collaboration sometime in the near future, there’s no doubt these two are fashion stars in the making. But they’ll be the first to admit the battle to be taken seriously in a notoriously exclusive industry is not so easily won — particularly in the current climate. “We have to work twice as hard to get to the same place as a lot of artists out there,” Gottmik says. “Even though fashion houses are taking us more seriously, it will take us standing up and saying ‘we are serious artists and amazing artists.’ There’s room for everyone.”
And LGD agrees, acknowledging that it’s still considered risky for fashion designers and publications to give drag a platform. “It’s about having the balls to do it,” she adds. The two art forms just need to keep showing up for one another.
Thankfully signs of hope are on the horizon. Or rather, the runway. “I think what’s really funny is that for years it was drag queens getting inspired by the couture, and for a couple of years now we’ve been seeing stuff on the runway that we first saw on Drag Race.” La Grande Dame says with a smile. “It’s always been a back-and-forth situation, but I’m happy that it’s going more in one way than another.” And as they often say on the show, that feels correct.