The Best Handmade Runway Looks on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’
It’s not always custom couture for the RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants. For a few different seasons, the queens were tasked with creating their own runway looks from scratch.
For season 3, that meant transforming thrift store finds into Christmas couture. For season 5, that meant creating edible runway looks out of candy.
A few of those looks even became fan favorites, earning their place in Drag Race herstory for their creativity and talent. Here are a few of the coolest handmade looks from this reality competition series.
Miz Cracker’s ‘Drag on a Dime’ look
Although there was some drama with the sad eyebrows, Miz Cracker made her mark on the competition with her blue outfit from season 10. Outside of the competition, this queen prides herself on being resourceful. Even prior to her days as a drag queen she was creating costumes from scratch with her family.
“My sister Sylvia and I started making costumes when I was 8 years old,” Miz Cracker said during an interview with The Jewish News. “Not drag, just wild costumes. I can’t remember a time that we weren’t, and you know what? I still find things on the street. Just a few months ago I wore an outfit that was capped with a billiard ball I found in the trash. That kind of way of looking at the world just sticks with you.”
When this performer returned for All-Stars 5, she sported a badminton themed look for one challenge. Miz Cracker also created this outfit entirely from scratch, under the runway category “Backyard Ball Eleganza Look.”
Jaida Essence Hall’s ‘The Ball Ball’ Look
She’s nicknamed the “Essence of Beauty” for a reason. When the contestants of season 12 each created a runway look inspired by and featuring balls, Jaida Essence Hall created a bubbly, sudsy white look.
However, she had some pretty stiff competition for this challenge. The winner was Jaida Essence Hall’s fellow finalist, Gigi Goode, who created a look inspired by gumballs. Nicky Doll also placed high with her high fashion couture.
Monét X Change’s Sponge Look
For the “Drag on a Dime” challenge of Monét’s season, she decided to create an entire look inspired by green and yellow sponges. Throughout the rest of the episodes, the sponges would make reappearances, with Monét even creating another version of this dress for the finale.
OK, not all of the queens loved this look, RuPaul included. In fact, RuPaul even got her very own Sponge Dress, created by Monét, gifted during season 10’s reunion.
Sponges aside, Monét had a chance to show off other aspects of her charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent during All-Stars, even snatching the crown along with Trinity the Tuck.
