By Alexandra Temblador
Men in heels, neon fabric in futuristic cuts,
androgynous beauties, and an ecstatic crowd was all to be had at last
night’s Marco Marco fashion show at the Vibiana Cathedral in downtown
Los Angeles. In attendance at the fashion show were such stars as Adam
Lambert, Carmen Electra, Jai Rodriguez, Chris Salvatore, Tahj Mowry,
Lily Ghalichi and GG Gharachedaghi, Samuel Larsen, and Vivian Lamolli.
Marco Morante, the openly gay fashion designer of Marco Marco, presented his Spring/Summer 2015 Collection Three Line with an array of models—women, men, transgender, like Yasmine Petty, and even guest models from RuPaul’s Drag Race, such as Mathu Anderson, Willam Belli, Detox Icunt, and Sharon Needles. Marco has dressed celebrities such as Brittney Spears, Fergie, Iggy Azalea, and Katy Perry.
There were a few things that made this
event special. The new line for Marco Marco spoke volumes about and for
the LGBT community and high fashion. Take for instance the models— not
only was Marco’s line presented by androgynous males and females but the
special guest models of the nights hailed from RuPaul’s Drag Race.
This celebration of gender bending, an active rebellion against gender
roles, is something that Marco presented at his Collection 2 show last
year and is pushing forward in the fashion industry. Marco’s choice in
LGBT models represents to society that there’s a beauty to be found in
different body types, sizes, and fashion.
When Jai Rodriguez of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was asked what having more transgender and drag models in high fashion shows meant for our society, he replied:
I don’t know very many models who can
walk the runway and give the same essence of a pop sensation like many
of these girls from Drag Race. I think that we are moving
forward. Betsy Johnson just had Willam walk in her show. So we are
making good strides. It’s kind of been happening under the radar with a
lot of trans girls. We are embracing it all. I love that Marco Marco is
blazing it and just doing it.
Similarly, Chris Salvatore, actor and gay
rights activist had this to say when asked why he thought it was so
important for people to support Marco Marco and other LGBT proponents in
the entertainment industry:
I feel like there’s are a lot of kids nowadays that are looking for a role model and they just want someone to look up to. [Marco] proves that you can be out and still be successful, and that you can follow your dreams. These young kids need role models. There aren’t a lot of them out there.
I was impressed with last night’s show
because not only was it in an incredible venue but the crowd was so
positive and supportive of the men and women on the catwalk. They
celebrated what it meant to be unique and beautiful in one’s own skin, a
trait that society would benefit from.
Perhaps one of the most memorable
moments of the Marco Marco fashion show was when Adam Lambert, gay
singer and songwriter, was asked what he thought about the Supreme
Court’s decisive role on October 6th and that now 30 states in the United States allow same-sex marriage.
He said: “Fuck yeah.”
I think we can all agree with Adam Lambert. F— yeah.