RuPaul’s Drag Race: The best fashion moment from every season

Put all of these looks in a museum immediately

3 years ago

Forget New York. Forget London. Forget Paris. The most important fashion runway in the world is the main stage of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

The runway is the highlight of every Drag Race episode. It is where history is made, for better or for worse. It’s seen its fair share of disasters (La La Ri’s bag look, I’m looking at you) but when the queens kill it, it puts the biggest designers in the biz to shame. And it’s been doing that since RuPaul’s Drag Race started its engines for the first time back in 2009.

It’s fair to say that some of the most dramatic and impactful fashion moments globally over the last decade have come from the Drag Race runway, and the queens’ cultural impact has been astronomical.

So, may we present to you: the best fashion moment from every single season of RuPaul’s Drag Race!

Season 1 – BeBe Zahara Benet’s Miss Raspberry look

It’s hard to get a clear visual on how stunning Bebe’s Miss Raspberry look is, curse that season one filter! But it really is immaculate.

Considering she made this in the werk room with no sewing ability, it’s so well crafted and fits her immaculately. The raspberries are incorporated so subtly in that detail in the hair clips. This was the moment Bebe solidified her win.

Season 2 – Raven’s book launch runway

Raven just looks like a golden goddess in this look. The whole thing just glows, and she should have won season two for moments like this.

It’s Studio 54, but it’s timeless. A huge wow.

Season 3 – Raja’s Marie Antoinette look

Raja truly was the first RuPaul’s Drag Race fashion queen. Every single look she stomped down the runway in was just perfection.

But the one that rose above the rest was this breathtaking Marie Antoinette, Renaissance era wow. It’s perfection. The baroque print on the pants and corset feels so holy – like a walking cathedral. It is high fashion, and it’s no wonder she won.

Season 4 – Sharon Needles’ apocalypse couture look

From the moment Sharon Needles walked into the werk room, the game felt like it had been changed.

With this runway, she pushed boundaries of what queens could and would bring to the main stage. It was shocking, frightening and fashion forward. Few Drag Race moments have left jaws on the ground like the way Sharon presented this blood-soaked look did.

All Stars 1 – Raven’s bad girl chic look

Harajuku vibes. Not sure if it’s bad girl chic like the theme intended, but it is a massive TOOT!

Every detail on this look is well thought out and executed. The makeup is obviously insanely good, it’s Raven’s brand. But the hat! The print! The sexy fishnet moment! It’s McQueen, it’s Björk in the early 00s. It’s just so fucking cool!

Season 5 – Coco Montrese’s orange sleeve look

Coco Montrese isn’t really a go to fashion queen, but this look is so beautiful it shuts up any naysayers.

The orange colour is so gorgeous, the sleeve details are incredible and just heighten in drama when she performs and twirls her arms in it. It’s such a positive, happy ensemble and the entire outfit fills me with serotonin.

Season 6 – Courtney Act’s angel runway

The construction! The drama! It’s like a Victoria’s Secret show from the year 3020.

The way it fits Courtney’s body is just superb, the wingspan is insanely impressive and it’s unlike anything else that had ever come down the runway before. A massive gag!

Season 7 – Violet Chachki’s tartan reveal

Not since Raja had a fashion queen felt so, well, fashionable.

Violet won season 7 in its first episode’s mini challenge. She walked down brimming with confidence, tore that belt off and revealed like nobody had revealed before. It’s hypnotic, you can literally watch it on loop and it never stops impressing. Carson Kressley’s reaction says it all.

Season 8 – Kim Chi’s paper look

Kim Chi and Naomi Smalls were arguably the fashion queens of season 8, but it was Kim Chi whose creativity kept are mouths agog.

Her paper look was just exquisite. Dramatic, well made and with an interesting structure that gave it so much depth and dynamic. The wig piece alone was just perfection.

All Stars 2 – Katya’s tracksuit

All Stars 2 was chock full of some of the best fashion to ever grace the Drag Race runway, but it was Katya’s power suit that stole the entire show.

It’s so severe. It shouldn’t work, but just… does? The brown is so 80s, the vibe is so European and the whole look is unmistakably Katya. The bob and the yellow nails, earrings and heels are just the icing on the cake. It’s iconic.

Season 9 – Sasha Velour’s reunion look

Sasha Velour’s looks were ALL iconic, but there was just something about this blue bubbly number that I can never take my eyes off.

The colours, the texture, the mohawk. It’s so interesting to look at and is the work of an artist only someone of Sasha’s calibre could serve.

All Stars 3 – Chi Chi’s wigs upon wigs reveal look

The late, great Chi Chi DeVayne really NAILED this runway, and I think it’s one of the most underrated looks to ever be on Drag Race.

Both of the wigs are just perfect for the look, the dress is gorgeous and the clashing prints work so well with the jewellery and the cutouts. It’s Black excellence and I adore it. RIP Chi Chi!

Season 10 – Aquaria’s mermaid

It was a real toss up between Aquaria’s luchadore look, her evil twin look and this, but I think this is just so heightened and editorial.

Honestly, Aquaria never missed. She really earned her win. This outfit is so interesting and such a well done and political way to take on the mermaid runway by using fashion to showcase the damage of the oil spill. It’s magical, and really tells a story.

All Stars 4 – Naomi Smalls’ purple finale extravaganza

Naomi said “this is the best I’ve ever felt in drag.” It’s the best she’s ever LOOKED in drag, too.

Opulent, stunning, fashion forward, vibrant. Just an amazing work of fashion and one of the most iconic looks to ever come down the runway. Iconic.

Season 11 – Plastique Tiara’s reunion look

Plastique never really delivered on her expectations in season 11, but GOD this reunion look is perfection.

Every detail of it is immaculate and she looks so divine in it. The colours and the stitching are just art.

Drag Race UK Season 1 – Divina De Campo’s posh on a penny look

Drag Race UK season 1 is iconic, but isn’t really remembered for its fashion. EXCEPT THIS!

What an amazing werk room created masterpiece this is from Divina. Her use of wash bags was admirable, as they’re a fabric that’s got no stretch and is notoriously hard to work with. What Divina produced is truly impressive, and absolutely high fashion.

Season 12 – Gigi Goode’s buttons look

Gigi was THEE fashion queen to beat in season 12. And honestly? It was her buttons and bows look from episode two that I find myself coming back to the most.

It’s immaculate. The colour is amazing, the details are perfection and it’s high fashion drag at its best.

All Stars 5 – Shea Couleé’s love the skin your in look

When Shea rounded the corner in this, you could hear a pin drop. A pin drop amongst amazed gasps, that is.

Stunning tbh. The way it fits her body, the way she accessorised it and the wig… It’s all just phenomenal. The moment she won All Stars 5 was when she put this on.

Canada’s Drag Race Season 1 – Jimbo’s denim on denim look

Absolutely iconic. Jimbo is fucking AMAZING.

This is so conceptual, so Leigh Bowery. The different shades of denim on the patchwork make it so textured and detailed to look at. The best thing to hit the Canadian runway yet, without a doubt.

Drag Race UK Season 2 – Bimini Bon Boulash’s acne suit

Bimini served iconic look after iconic look, but her acne suit was the one I think most impressed me.

It was such a cool concept. The nude colour suit with the spots and pimples. The perfect balance of glamour and grotesque, and a great reclamation of an insecurity. Stunning.

Season 13 – Gottmik’s finale look

Say what you want about season 13, but you can’t knock its fashion. Symone nailed it week on week and deserved her win, but Gottmik’s finale look is something I’ll think about for the rest of my life.

Just LOOK AT IT. The details, the size of it, the colours. It looks like the most expensive thing to ever be on Drag Race and it’s fashion beyond words. Spectacular.