Intro: Ballroom, ball, or house culture has long been a means for queer Blacks and Latinos to live their best lives—that is, to learn how to react to a society that devalued their existence and sought to obliterate their presence. Historically, the ball community has represented the American Dream and one's exclusion from it through elaborate performances including and commenting on race, class, and gender.
Insights: Early in the 1970s, a strong subculture of Black and Latinx gay, trans, and queer people emerged in house balls, a place where they could openly express themselves and find acceptance within a disenfranchised community. The world of drag pageantry, which frequently favored white competitors, developed into tournaments that included a range of categories, including "vogue" battles.
Solution: A conceptual book that honors the first house, The Royal House of LaBeija, and the development of ball culture in the 1970s.
project scope:
- publication design
- naming
- concept
- strategy
- Logo Development
- advertising
- art direction
tools used:
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