For a fashion house that just unveiled Croc-high heels, riffing on the work of a filmmaker who is synonymous with bad taste is a logical next-step. That Demna Gvasalia would enshrine this landmark lewk in a collection devoted to clones, deep fakery, and irony makes perfect sense. Not only one of the foremost 'celebrity' drag queens, but also one of the most indelible examples of truly post-gender, post-binary drag presentation, Divine's legend looms large over the queer world for a reason proudly confrontational, wildly absurdist, and (as so memorably depicted in the 1972 film) constantly striving for the platonic ideal of 'filthiness,' she embodies the best of queer subversion. I am referring, of course, to the gag-worthy scarlet mermaid dress, an elevated take on the iconic, climactic outfit worn by Divine in John Waters' cult classic Pink Flamingos. With an already staid history in saucy Pride moments, we should have expected nothing less from the brand, but the no-fuss presentation of its final look was the sort of informed, classy honoring of queer culture that brands should all hope to strive for if they're going to play the Pride game.
Which is why it was a delicious breath of fresh air to the see the sly homage to one of our foundational queer texts incorporated in Balenciaga's Spring 2022 runway show.
