The Queerness of Little Richard's Fashions

Rock and roll icon Little Richard tragically passed away on May 9, 2020, and his innovation and legacy in his genre cannot be overstated. For decades he entranced audiences with his flashy, energized performances—a key component of which was his trendsetting fashion sense. His penchant for shimmering garments not only defined his aesthetic, but also symbolized his queerness. In fact, his unapologetic femininity was a defiance of the heteronormativity of his time.

Little Richard’s queer identity was crucial in shaping his onstage wardrobe. After performing in drag shows under the moniker “Princess LaVonne”, he permanently adopted a more flamboyant style of dress, complete with turbans and capes. When his hit songs “Tutti Frutti” and “Long Tall Sally” launched him into the spotlight, the brilliance of his sequins and spangles shone even on black-and-white television sets of the 1950s. While he was not free from mockery for his feminine attire, Little Richard was overall a phenomenon who garnered a racially integrated fanbase. Thus, he only grew more ostentatious in the following two decades, indulging in even more sequins and flaunting lamé crop tops and brocade tunics.

Little Richard’s toned-down (albeit still lustrous) fashions in his later years were likely attributed to his old age, but they also paralleled his distancing from his own queerness. In recent years he vilified homosexuality, and his diminished brilliance was representative of this retrospective self-hatred. Little Richard’s internalized bigotry is indeed an unfortunate note on which to end a lifetime of rebellious theatricality, but he has nonetheless influenced generations of male musicians to don their own sparkling outfits and embrace their feminine sides.

Photo credit: https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/little-richard-rock-n-roll-fashion-impact

Report: Nia Hunt