All photos by Divine Ikpe.
The Andro Fashion Show made its return to Atlanta after three years on Thursday, September 1.
The show, hosted by comedian and queer party promoter Kia Barnes, took place at DigiATL, a digital art museum in Underground Atlanta. The fashion show was all about highlighting androgynous and masculine-presenting queer people of color, and the theme of the event was “The Future is Androgynous.”
“I started producing this show six years ago, because I knew masculine-identifying and masculine-presenting queer people, especially queer people of color, needed representation,” Barnes announced at the beginning of the show. “What y’all are gonna see today is a bunch of us, a bunch of you, and a reflection of what our community really looks like.”
The word of the night was diversity – both among the models, who spanned size, shape, skin tone, and gender expression and each more breathtaking than the last, and among the eight featured designers. Each collection was distinct: there were sleek futuristic looks, classic feminine glamour, dynamic streetwear, subversive basics, preppy athletic wear, a boutique-ready line, details ranging from ethereal to industrial, and structured, hand-painted pieces.
Along with fashion, the event included live musical performances, a vendor market, and two sensual dance numbers performed by some of the models.
The Andro Fashion Show has been paused since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but its return was spectacular. We can only hope that this return is permanent, and Atlanta will enjoy this one-of-a-kind event for years to come.