Drag has a rich history in Kingston. As part of PfAB, local drag artists Tyffanie Morgan, Rowena Whey and Dare de LaFemme work with local dress historians, dressmakers, conservators and curators, choosing their own fabrics and embellishments to determine themselves how they would like to wear, accessorize and perform the garments made for them.
Jas Morgan (Tyffanie Morgan’s drag mother) organized the city’s first Pride Parade in 1984 and the first drag show later in the decade at the city’s first gay bar, The Office.
Each newly re-patterned garment retains elements of the original such as silhouette and intention, continuing the threads of the garments’ histories. At the same time, each wearer brings their individual creativity to bear on their garment. Dragifying them in their own fabulous way.
Take a peek behind-the-scenes of the dressmaking and design process, from the toiles to the first fittings!
Behind every beautiful garment is a system of construction and support. Learn more about the behind-the-scenes, from the toile used to mock up the final product to the undergarments that bolster and uphold the desired silhouette for the wearer.
Catch the video documentation of both the 2024 and 2025 editions of the “Historical Costume Ball Drag Show Fashion Pageant Spectaculars.”
Transcript
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