Octavia saint laurent biography

"I want to be somebody. I mean, I am somebody.

Octavia saint laurent biography

I just want to be a rich somebody."


So said Octavia St Laurent 25 years ago, summing up the attitude of many of her fellow stars of the Harlem ball scene. None became rich, but they did provide the inspiration for Madonna's 1990 hit “Vogue” and find immortality in legendary documentaryParis is Burning(1990).While their straight counterparts had at least The Cosby Show or the budding rap stars of the era to identify with, kids like Octavia had to look beyond the here-and-now of black inner-city life to create their own subculture.

Drag balls had been held for decades in Harlem, dating as far back as the 20s. Originally, the ideal was for drag queens to recreate the glamour of Hollywood stars – classic female impersonation. But by the 80s, the balls had moved on to encompass “realness” of every kind – with the performers mimicking not just film stars but everyone from male executives and