Travel back to the disco heyday of Nile Rodgers and Chic on the South Bank this Saturday afternoon.
At Meltdown’s C’est Chic Vogue Ball, dressed-to-kill hopefuls will compete in a catwalk face-off in a variety of categories, including ‘realness’, ‘fashion’ and ‘design’. It’s all about vogueing and posing, but more seriously, it’s also about freedom of self-expression. ‘The most important aspect of the [ballroom] culture is that it was formed by black and Latinx trans women and queer people of colour,’ says the night’s co-curator, dance artist Omar Jordan Phillips. ‘Being able to celebrate our beauty is activism in itself.’
Contestants will bring fire on the runway in outfits with an avant-garde twist. There will be recreations of Chic’s 1977 (literally) whistle-blowing album cover, drag lip-syncing and plenty of vogue battling as contenders strive for the grand prize. There’s even a ‘best-dressed spectator’ category (binge-watch the TV show ‘Pose’ for inspiration). So bring glitter, bring sequins, bring attitude, and remember: it might get hot on the South Bank, but at a vogue ball, there’ll always be shade.
Meltdown’s C’est Chic Vogue Ball takes place Sat Aug 10 on the Southbank Centre’s Riverside Terrace. Entry is free.
Find out about London’s growing ballroom scene.
Looking for more great things happening in London this month? Check out our August guide.
