A Celebration of the Fashion by the Taiwanese Drag Queen Nymphia Wind who snatched the RuPaul’s Drag Race S16 Crown
The incomparable ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ star Nymphia Wind has captured my heart with her artistry and brilliant attention to detail. Her serving a look every single time is a testament to her love and passion for fashion.
As being crowned Drag Race Superstar and the first East Asian winner: Nymphia Wind, the Taiwanese drag queen, otherwise known as fashion designer Leo Tsao. She has been lovingly nicknamed “Banana Buddha” for her love of the color yellow and known for both designing and sewing her stunning drag looks with meticulous detail, Wind’s victory sparked celebrations in her native country and earned the congratulations of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen herself.
The Queen (in yellow) and other Taiwanese drag queens performed for outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen, who steps down on Monday and the Tawain legalized gay marriage in 2019 which is a testament to the values that the President holds for the betterment of the country in a tough geo political spot with China who threatens to invade the country every time it gets an opportunity.
But Nymphia’s win carries more meaning than simply putting East Asians on the American screen or providing visibility for the LGBTQ Taiwanese community. The victory also validates the drag queen’s use of drag to reinvent and amplify Asian history, especially that of Chinese opera: An art of cross-gender performance, intricate visual symbolism, and distinctive song and dance, with depths that are rarely explored — if at all represented — in Western media.
Nymphia Wind is set to perform at the upcoming Paris Olympics which is projection of high anticipation of what she wears and performs in on the international stage.
Here is a celebration of every fashion look served as the rightful winner of season 16 of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Look 1: Entrance Look
The entrance look is bananas, campy, chic and cunty with sunglasses for all days of the summer. The Marge Simpson inspired all yellow overcoat fashion look sets the tone for the complete competition. The matching gloves, the strappy bag and scarf all around the outrageously large wig conveys the campy, fun side to Nymphia who is a gem at heart. And if you watch the reveal is bold and out there but makes a fun chuckle.
Look 2: Queen Choice Awards Talent Show
This look is jaw dropping gorgeous with Peking opera meets Drag take on the persona that enchants with every angle. It has always been Nymphia’s passion to fuse different worlds, finding a place of collaboration and harmony, and through that fusion redefining the aesthetics of Asian drag.
These face paints are a product and have been derived from temple fair traditions, where men draw on these face paints to embody a deity from hell that scares away evil spirts. Whereas the attire is inspired by female characters within Peking opera. A marriage of the masculine and the feminine aspects of Drag infused to create something enchantingly beautiful and captivating.
Looks: The Mother of All Balls
The Angelina Jolie looks ethereal simplistic and vow in all white while the vinyl yellow and beige shade knotted look with thigh high yellow boots capture the fashion drag persona of epic proportions. The all banana yellow explosion with a flamenco style skirt is a treat for banana and fashion lovers alike.
Here you can see the banana fever ball in full swing with pineapple couture wearing Manila Luzon ( the OG) East Asian Drag Queen.
LOOK: RDR Live!
Inspired by Cher’s iconic Egyptian goddess look, the perfectly styled look transports the viewers to the high fashion Egyptian Queen dressed in transparent wings with an accentuating bra bodice with a bejeweled necklace and iconic long purple encrusted nails and head accessory that completes the whole fantasy.
Look: Snatch Game Runway
The hauntingly Japanese Butoh look in the process of dying is an homage to the Butoh. It arose in the late 1950s and was pioneered by Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno. Butoh was a direct rejection of Western dance (classical ballet and modern dance) which had also begun to influence Japanese dance after World War II. Butoh explored taboo topics and themes like death, disease, mental illness, and homosexuality.
The hauntingly beautiful frayed gown with white exaggerated makeup is dramatic perfection.
Look : Grace Jones Vamp Look
The 90s vampy look inspired by Grace Jones is vintage couture perfection with a graphic white outlined on a bright purple skintight gown with wire circle on the right place to scream camp.
Look: Reveal
The Ru Reveal is a fabulous red attire with a side clasps with red faux fur like a Chinese lamp with a Vietnamese fascinator with a wig reveal and red pussycat wig campy reveal upon reveal.
Look: See You Next Wednesday
Nymphia Wind is a genius feather drapey creation in black walking slowly and elegantly veiled for a Wednesday creation of Vivienne Westwood level artistry.
Look: Drag Daughter
The drag daughter of Nymphia Wind is twinning with butch purple Juanita who struts in a feather corset body suit in high heels and tucked queen.
Look: Breaking Wind Book Cover Photoshoot
The immaculate styled photoshoot with exaggerated boots that weigh like heavy and her podcast deeply resonated with me on a cellular level especially about self esteem and beauty standards.
Look: Finale
Just as predicted, Nymphia Wind exceeded all expectations when she stepped onto the stage with a peeled banana look crusted in diamonds in a matching wing. The Taiwanese performance look is my top tier favorite as it combines heritage with artistry. And the nude illusion with sparkle touches in a baby blue cloth for drama.
The ultimate banana couture style body suit with extensions are benefitting the jewels of a Drag Superstar. A bubble tea inspired look for the lip sync performance made everyone jaw drop when she devoured the lip sync on Kylie Minogue's Padam Padam.
Finally, we are at the end of our fashion review that makes me go back every time to rewatch the highlight reel of Nymphia on the Drag Race channel.
Which look was your favourite?
Be sure to comment below!
