70s gay fashion

In gay culture, the reverse is true. To some extent, androgyny was one of menswear’s defining moments of the eighties. It particularly criticized the growing commercialization of the queer community, with looks characterized by ripped clothing, safety pins, and combat boots. In the meantime, the pictures had been included in exhibitions at MOCA, Los Angeles, and SFMOMA, San Francisco.

The current show of Fischer’s photography at Project Native Informant, in London, includes different bodies of works from that period and confirms a renewed interest in gay life in the 1970s, the hedonistic pre–AIDS crisis era characterized by sexual freedom.

It was a time when preppy looks and rebellious outfits were the main outfits on the runway.

In the 2000s, gay fashion became more diverse and inclusive, with designers like Karl Lagerfeld championing diversity on the runways. Many of us have seen the iconic makeup sported by queer celebrities such as RuPaul and have seen popular artists such as Chappel Roan publicly paying tribute to the historical queer figures that have inspired her drag apparel, so it is hard not to wonder: How did these looks originate?

In this article, we review the history of queer fashion over the past century, and how this has led to the world of queer-inspired looks that we see today.

1910-1930: The Rise of Androgynous Fashion

At the start of the 20th century, androgynous fashion rose to popularity in queer circles as a bold statement against the traditional gender norms that surrounded them at the time.

For instance, Fischer links a “natural prototype,” illustrated by an attractive naked man surrounded by conifer, with the American folk tradition. Their bold and boundary-pushing looks sparked a cultural shift in men’s fashion, inspiring individuals to embrace fluidity.

During the 1990s, there was a subtle shift towards minimalism in not only gay fashion but menswear as a whole.

These radical designs helped make androgynous fashion accessible to a wider audience, laying the groundwork for what would become known as "lesbian chic." Lesbian chic, a style characterized by sleek/tailored suits, cropped hair, and minimalist makeup, emerged in the ‘20s and ‘30s to exude sophistication, rebellion, and sexual independence.

Adopting the rigorous documentary approach of the New Objectivity, the German photographer famously spent decades, from the early 1920s to his death in 1964, taking an exhaustive visual record of German people, from beggars to industrialists. Taking inspiration from the glamorous costumes and looks in Hollywood at the time, drag queens used fashion not only for beauty but to craft larger-than-life personas that seemed to tell their story.

This was the era when Queer Eye for the Straight Guy debuted, which ultimately changed the landscape of men’s fashion for the better. Yet, it is the nature of signs to shift in significance.

Approaching today’s gay communities — anywhere in the world — with intentions similar to Fischer’s would be a fascinating exercise. The expanse of meaning always waits to be unfolded.

Hal Fischer: Gay Semiotics continues at Project Native Informant (Morley House 3rd floor, 26 Holborn Viaduct, London) through April 1.