Viewpoints from Depop’s LGBTQIA+ community

LGBTQIA+ Community Perspectives

We explore how our community members engage with fashion and what it means to them. 

@fnnngn
Finn, 22
Creative seller
He/him
Trans man

I’m just trying to turn having fun into my career, instead of being trapped the other way around.

What role does fashion play within your life?
Currently, it’s one of about three things I can truly express myself through.

Is fashion about more than aesthetics for you?
Clothing is an extremely crucial safety net for someone like me.

Are fashion and self expression linked for you?
I’d say they go hand in hand! As a kid though, basically as soon as I could even walk or make my own decisions, I would stray off into the boys’ section, want boys’ haircuts, and so on.

Does fashion play an important role within the LGBTQIA+ community?
Personally, as a Trans individual, clothing and having just the right fit is pivotal to my day-to-day struggle with dysphoria.


@hoodornamence
NAEEJA, 29
Seller and storyteller
They/nae
Queer non-binary femme

I’m a musician, writer, and advocate for myself, my communities, and the folx who have been placed at the margins. I love plants and herbs and developing otherworldly hypotheticals is my brand of humor.

Is fashion about more than aesthetics for you?
Absolutely. The way I present or adorn myself doesn’t fit into one category or look. It’s like a fingerprint. It’s uniquely me.

Are fashion and self-expression linked for you?
For me, fashion and self-expression are intrinsically connected. When you see me, you are getting a glimpse into my quirky, queer world.

Does fashion play an important role within the LGBTQIA+ community?
How members of the LGBTQIA+ fashion themselves can be a lifeline. It can be the initial glimpse of what it would look and feel like to live out what’s in your soul.

Does fashion ever make a statement or represent a view for you?
For sure. Say I’m feeling more masc one day and I dress that way. I get double takes and receive the most diverse array of reactions. The look is screaming “Here I am, a nonbinary being in the flesh!”

@hevviflo
Xiah Perry, 23
Artist and seller
They/them
Queer

I am a London-based queer mixed-media artist and visual storyteller. I am queer as fxck, genderfluid as fxck, and proud as fxck.

What role does fashion play within your life?
Fashion to me is an outlet. A form of self-expression and self-identification. A way of screaming ‘I’M GAY’ into the void.

Are fashion and self-expression linked for you?
Definitely. Gender roles and the pressures of social norms are placed on us from birth. Expressing myself with fashion has always provided me with a sense of autonomy, a means of defying labels.

Does fashion play an important role within the LGBTQIA+ community?
Style is often an integral part of the queer experience; it can be an apparatus for affirming gender and exploring identity. Queer fashion is ever changing, multi-faceted, commanding yet welcoming, extravagant yet accessible. Queer fashion is drama, momma.

Does fashion ever make a statement or represent a view for you?
Fashion is a readily available political tool, a cultural signifier and an empowered PSA to all – that we can present ourselves however we please.


@parkavenueputa
Vivienne Gomez, 21
Fashion designer
She/her
Trans woman

I’m a fashion designer and 3D artist based in Austin, Texas.

Is fashion about more than aesthetics for you?
I think fashion is more than just beautiful. It’s used to convey who you are to the rest of the world.

Are fashion and self expression linked for you? If yes, how?
My sense of style is a big part of who I am as a whole. I channel my thoughts and feelings through it. Just like people dress for the weather I dress for how I want my day to go!

Does fashion play an important role within the LGBTQIA+ community?
Fashion can change the way you see yourself and help you learn more about your gender/sexual identity.

Does fashion ever make a statement or represent a view for you?
I think it's impossible to separate things like politics and social expectations from fashion. We choose to wear clothing to have a physical and visual purpose. It’s a tool for people to convey a message.


@pocalondon
Jade Laurice, 26
Painter, seller, entrepreneur
She/her
Queer, sexually fluid woman

I’m a fiery yet introverted artist who writes poetry through clothing. My goal is to inspire and empower women but also to bring more art into the world.

What role does fashion play within your life?
Fashion is my superpower. For me it’s work and pleasure so it plays a big part in my life.

Is fashion about more than aesthetics for you?
It’s about how the look makes me feel and how it can speak to others.

Does fashion play an important role within the LGBTQIA+ community?
Yeah – it’s almost like we’ve been hiding and now we have this sense of freedom where we can be fearless.

Does fashion ever make a statement or represent a view for you?
For me when I nail a look I’m dressing for the younger me who never had the guts. Even if I’m still afraid I know it made an impression. It builds my confidence every time I take a risk.

Jade is represented by KMPR publicity.


@thekahlo
Kahlo, 24
Performance and visual artist
He/him
Bisexual

Kahlo is a lost spirit from the 80s ballroom scene that now resides in the body of Michael. Together they defy gravity!

What role does fashion play within your life?
Growing up Black and queer I had always felt undervalued and casted out. Fashion is where my confidence and sense of belonging stems from.

Is fashion about more than aesthetics for you?
Oh girl, yes! Fashion is your life story told through fabric. The colors, the materials, the design encompases where you’ve been, where you’re, and where you’re going.

Are fashion and self expression linked for you?
Sho ‘nough! Fashion ecompasses my imagination and the person I want people to remember me as.

Does fashion play an important role within the LGBTQIA+ community?
Make no mistake, since the beginning of time, Queers set the fashion standards. So the answer is ‘Duh’.