THE winner of the 10th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race and all-around fashionista, Aquaria has become the first drag queen to endorse The SM Store as she was chosen by the company for her quirky and over-accessorized fashion sense.
“It was pretty much a no-brainer [getting Aquaria for The SM Store]. She was always at the top of our list, and we’re big fans [of hers],” Fiona Araneta, senior marketing manager at the SM Store told BusinessWorld during a press conference on Sept. 2 at the Prestige Lounge of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.
“It’s really about what she’s achieved at her age and in this world that we’re in now,” Ms. Araneta added.
Based in New York, Aquaria (born Giovanni Palandrani) first made waves after she was crowned the youngest winner of drag reality competition show RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2018. She was 22.
She went on to appear in various global campaigns for brands like Moschino and MAC Viva Glam, and has graced the covers of Vogue Italia and Paper Magazine. She was also the first drag queen to walk the Met Gala red carpet. (Though one must note that it was a year that many drag queens, including RuPaul Charles himself, attended the Met Gala whose theme for the year was “Camp.”)
“We were almost a bit overwhelmed and a bit taken aback at how positive all the feedback was,” Geo Custodio, marketing manager of The SM Store, said in the same interview.
And because the company wanted to promote “self-expression through fashion, regardless of who you are, and whatever style you go for,” according to a press release, Aquaria was given a free hand to curate the clothes used in the campaign.
“Those are all her looks and she chose the shoes, bags, and accessories herself… everything you see — the visuals, the pictures, all of them are Aquaria-approved. So she’s really, really involved,” Ms. Custodio said.
“I’ve always been inspired by the nightlife and some of the legends of the past, the current, and the future. I think the fashion and the club are always so on the edge of every trend and definitely is the heart of a lot of style for a lot of New Yorkers,” Aquaria said during the conference, where she was wearing a black leather bodysuit, thigh-high boots, and a bright yellow fluffy coat. She said it took her three hours to prepare her look for the occasion.
Aquaria had attended the Fashion Institute of Technology for two semesters before dropping out. Some of her style influences include her “drag mother,” Sharon Needles, who has a penchant for a black witch aesthetic and horror.
“I love a lot of red, I love animal prints,” said Aquaria of her personal style.
Aquaria might be the first drag queen to become an endorser for The SM Store but she probably won’t be the last as both Ms. Custodio and Ms. Araneta cryptically said that there’s more in store in the coming campaigns. — Zsarlene B. Chua
