Hello World! I'm a winner, baby! 🥇
I'm honored to be the winner of week 1 of Mx. Classless Act! It means the world to me to feel like everyone truly got to know me for the first time.
Anyone that's seen me perform before can probably tell you that while I had always been a strong performer when it came to my concepts, my mixes, and my storytelling, I always struggled with putting together looks that met the occasion. Let me tell you, that changes now.
I was nervous applying to this competition because I knew that
@the.marquis.gaylord was going to push me to do more, and I wasn't sure that I'd be able to meet the moment. This week required me to deeply look into myself and figure out who Maine really is. What is the impression that I want to leave on the world? What does it mean for me to be this Black, queer, autistic robot that I've spent the last the last 2 years cultivating?
I wanted this look, this number, to embody what my Afrofuturist drag looks like. I wanted to explore masking, both as a survival mechanism and as something deeply exhausting, something that wears you down the more that you have to do it. How ironic was it then, that I sourced my masks from my therapist of all people.
So many people in the community inspired my look for tonight. Giving the biggest shout out to
@twistedtransitioner whose hand-painted tattoo suit inspired the birth of my hand-painted leather jacket. I remember being in the room while he was working on that suit, and it meant the world to me to see the love and dedication that went into making it.
I also want to thank
@bram_stroke_her and
@fennway333 for letting me bounce ideas off of them and letting me work in their apartment when I didn't have regular access to a car. Their feedback and suggestions really helped make this number what it ended up being.
I'm proud of myself for making it though, in spite of all of the trials and tribulations leading up to the start of the competition. Whether you've helped me up front or helped me behind the scenes, please know that I've seen the love and support that I've gotten on this journey, and know that I'm beyond grateful for it!
📸:
@abel_nwilling &
@leteets