"Best Outfit of the Night"

For those who don't know me well, I live with a Therapist and a Drag Queen. They have a solution to every problem and I love them dearly for it. So when the opportunity came up to help one of my pals I jumped at it. Early March this year Drag Queen Beverly Monet competed in "Next Drag Superstar" at the Queen of Hoxton in London. She made it all the way to the final and worked her ta ta's off. Week 8 brought with it the recycled runway task! They had to model two looks made out of unconventional materials and the theme was... BARBIE.

After a trip to Hobbycraft and the charity shops we had two solid ideas! Garden Barbie as a nod to boy Beverly's love of plants, and 80's Vinyl Barbie.

Garden Barbie had a giant plant pot skirt that I almost lost a finger to cutting a hole in for the waistline, paired with an astroturf crop top and accessories covered in flowers. 80's Vinyl Barbie started with a tailored suite dress that we found in British Red Cross. I painted Aqua's signature line on the back "Let's Go Party" then attached shoulder pads made out of vinyl records. Using a drill, a lot of key chains and hope, I turned 12 records into a skirt to lengthen and add another layer to the dress. To top it all off the therapist housemate had this hilarious idea for us to make a boombox that opens up to reveal two Barbies engaging in... "hanky panky"

Safe to say Beverly Monet slayyyyed the house down, boots. The judging panel loved her looks and one of them, a professional costume designer, said that 80's Vinyl Barbie was "The best outfit of the night". I'm so proud of being able to put my costume design and upcycling skills to the test for my good pal <3