An homage to Barbette—an American drag queen aerialist who was a sensation in Europe in the 20s, enthralling huge crowds of the time including artists like Jean Cocteau and Man Ray. Despite being the toast of society (like many drag artists have been in the past), Barbette faced a hard life—was arrested because of her queerness in London, struggled to find work after an injury in the 30s (although she did serve as the drag coach for “Some Like It Hot”), and died after dealing with chronic pain in their Texas hometown, largely forgotten by the throngs that once adored them. That’s drag baby! The full picture, unfortunately—from glamour to tragedy and all the camp you find in between. Today Barbette is an inspiration to so many drag artists, and her name is spoken with deep respect again. To me there is something spiritual in that. Photo collage @mettieostrowski Headpiece @sorrelloriginals Wig @doubledwigs Trapeze by me I’ll be touring Europe and the UK with The Big Reveal Live Show from Oct 20 - Nov 22 (check out dates on my site!)