As RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars season 7 heats up, fans have been impressed with the queens' main stage looks more than usual. Fashion is one of the key pillars when it comes to winning RuPaul's Drag Race. Through the years, the show has had queens who not only know how to turn a look but eat, sleep and breathe fashion.
To be considered a fashion queen, one has to have unique looks time after time, likely know how to sew, and know their fashion history and references. Fashion queens can be multi-faceted and succeed in non-fashion challenges, but they thrive when the challenge is focused on their fashions.
Raja
Raja has given Drag Race fans moments that live rent-free in their heads every time she steps on stage. As the self-declared "Supermodel of the World: The Sequel," Raja has always been a fashion queen.
Raja's experience as a model and in the fashion industry has always given her an edge over the competition. She knows her angles and what silhouettes work best with her frame. Although recently under fire for some of her Native American looks that have been called out as cultural appropriation, apart from these picks, Raja has an eye for fashion that allows her to make impressive costumes out of the most obscure materials.
Violet Chachki
When Violet Chachki turned her black sequin jumpsuit into a low-cut tartan creation, fans knew she was season 8's fashion queen. She kept raising expectations every time she walked the runway. One of her most significant assets as a fashion-based queen is that she never wears a look that resembles something she has already worn.
Violet not only follows trends in the fashion world, but also references past runway shows to elevate her look each and every time she is spotted.
Shea Couleé
As one of the best winners of RuPaul's Drag Race, Shea Couleé has become one of the show's most successful and memorable fashion queens. Shea isn't afraid to push the limits of what fashion is and pull a look that is more club kid or camp based.
Other queens have noted that Shea is not only versatile with her looks but also isn't afraid to push the boundaries of what is expected of her as a Chicago-based queen. Shea taps into unexpected and sometimes historical references, giving her an even bigger edge.
Naomi Smalls
Naomi Small's evident comfort on the runway cemented her as one of the best fashion girls in the competition. From the moment her iconic legs strutted into the work run, it was clear Naomi knew how to accentuate her proportions, and no look she wore would be unpolished.
Naomi has a signature sense of fashion often rooted in pop culture but with unique twists that make every look seem new and fresh. Even though she is one of the youngest queens to be on the show, Naomi has a vast knowledge of fashion history that has kept her evolving and delighting fans.
Sasha Velour
Fans knew that Sasha Velour would be one of the weirdest queens to ever be on the show, but they didn't expect gag-worthy looks that would live on in Drag Race herstory. Sasha Velour is one of the few queens who look to classic works of art to inspire her looks instead of more conventional references, like pop culture and past fashion collections.
With a cooky sense of style, Sahsa kept the judges wanting more and gave them more weekly. Besides her hilarious Snatch Game performance, Sahsa Velour was able to use her fashion to lead her to the crown.
Miss Fame
Even though Miss Fame has stepped away from performing in drag and now works as an advocate in fashion and a model, she is still one of the most ed fashion queens on Drag Race.
ed for her Plastic Surgery Makeover challenge, Miss Fame made it clear that she was on the show to showcase her fashion expertise. With classic silhouettes and looks that were well thought out head to toe, Miss Fame stunned the judges and fans alike. Unfortunately, her fashion sense alone didn't take her to the finale.
Gottmik
Gottmik brought a fresh new sense of what drag can be to the competition but also reminded fans of club kid couture from the 1990s. Gottmik did one of the hardest things on RuPaul's Drag Race: keeping the judges on their toes.
From horror-based looks, like the one Gottmik wore at the finale, or glamour-based looks, like Gottmik's pocket watch dress, the audience never knew how Gottmik would make the runaway challenge their own. Even after the show, Gottmik has continued to push the boundaries of drag and revive old styles.
Manila Luzon
Manilla Luzon has built a reputation for having incredible looks, even when they seem straightforward. Manilla's experience and signature style of glamour mixed with camp has made her a fierce competitor on the show and a well-respected fashion queen off the show.
Manilla also uses her drag to make a statement, which is often seen in fashion culture, especially on runways. Her creativity in making any material into a garment gives her fashion a sense of whimsy that not everyone can capture.
Gigi Goode
Initially considered a costume queen, Gigi Goode quickly showed the judges that yes, she could do camp, but her drag is rooted in vintage fashion and camp. Gigi's unique inspirations, like Daphine from Scooby-Doo, set her looks apart from the rest and made her a tough competitor.
Gigi also made it known that a great deal of her looks her hand-made by her and her mother, which gave her fashion a personal touch that not everyone could obtain. Gigi's perfectly tailored garments made her a fashion force to be reckoned with, all the way to the finale.
Aquaria
All questions about whether Aquaria could deliver looks that would translate from Instagram to the runway were dispelled within the first episode of season 10. As the youngest queen to compete on the show, Aquaria brought looks that pushed the limits of what it means to be a fashion queen versus a camp or comedy queen.
With outfits that not only complimented her shape but twisted the challenges to fit her personal style, Aquaria produced unexpected and glamorous looks that took her to the crown.