10 fierce 'Drag Race' looks that we never saw on the actual show
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Turning looks & stunting pretty — just not on the show!
Instagram (@kalkarbdashianw; @auramayari/@alyssabarkerphoto; @manilaluzon/@brettsaariphotography)
In the wise words of Naomi Smalls on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4: “life’s not fair!”
Sometimes, it just so happens that some of the best looks of a Drag Race season are never aired on TV. These looks, for the most part, are revealed by eliminated queens who didn’t get to walk the runway wearing those outfits. But there have also been instances of queens just changing their minds while still in the competition… for one reason or another, let’s just say that!
To celebrate these unaired looks that fans never got to see on TV, here’s our list of fierce Drag Race outfits you did not see on the actual show.
April Carrión (Season 6)
from rupaulsdragrace
It was actually quite hard to track down a good picture of this unaired look from April Carrión in season 6, but we absolutely had to include it. In many ways, April is the Drag Race pioneer who started sharing her runway looks for each category on the show after she was eliminated. This gesture was truly revolutionary, as it immediately became the norm for pretty much all queens in future seasons.
Kalorie Karbdashian-Williams (Season 10)
It often seems like Kalorie Karbdashian-Williams doesn’t come up as often as other queens from her era. Season 10 of Drag Race had very high highs and low lows, and it was hard for Kalorie to stand out after winning a lip sync against Vanessa Vanjie Mateo and the “Miss Vanjie” phenomenon taking over the world. Still, this “Hats Incredible” runway look from Kalorie is literally sickening, and it’s a shame she didn’t get to wear it on TV.
Manila Luzon (‘All Stars 4’)
This look — and revelation — from Manila Luzon, which was planned for All Stars 4, sent shockwaves across the fandom. “Ru said my ORIGINAL Curves & Swerves Runway look was in ‘bad taste’ and production told me to wear my back up,” Manila wrote on Instagram. “I was really looking forward to wearing this gown that I think celebrates a perfectly normal human experience!”
She continued, “Many of my fans are young women who may feel pressured by society to be embarrassed by periods. It’s empowering to teach young women about their bodies, encourage them to celebrate them AND to question people who tell them not to! My goal with this look was to normalize menstruation by looking sick’ning even if I was on my period!”
Dahlia Sin (Season 12)
Another hard to track down (but totally worth the research!) was this look from Dahlia Sin for the Frozen-themed runway of Drag Race season 12. Dahlia got some criticism for her fashion game not being elevated like other queens that season… but this runway would absolutely be a redeeming moment for her journey on the show had she stuck around longer!
Kimora Hall (Season 13)
Honestly, the entire runway package that Kimora Hall brought to season 13 of Drag Race could’ve probably qualify for this list. But if we had to pick one that absolutely stood out and had the fandom shaking in their boots, that was Kimora’s look for the roast episode of the season. I mean… pure PERFECTION.
Denali (Season 13)
Denali didn’t get to wear her lamé look on Drag Race season 13, but thank gawd for Instagram! The ice-skating diva posted what she would’ve worn on the roadway, and we were very satisfied with this stunning outfit. “F*ck a silver lining, I’m a gold cloud beetch,” she wrote in the caption.
Maddy Morphosis (Season 14)
Category was “Chaps on the Runway”! Maddy Morphosis was unfortunately not able to walk the runway of Drag Race season 14 episode 7 wearing this outfit, but the fans absolutely freaked out with how incredible and polished this look was.
Aura Mayari (Season 15)
Aura Mayari was eliminated in the 7th episode of Drag Race season 15, which means that she wasn’t able to walk the “Night of 1,000 Beyoncés” runway category on the show. But when she posted the look she had prepared for that themed runway, let’s just say that the Drag Race fans were truly GAGGED.
“Aura’s look was highly intricate, in direct line with Beyoncé’s that was made by Olivier Rousteing at the French brand Balmain. Across the back, it included a moon as well as Aura’s name,” Mikelle Street wrote for Out. “While they took Balmain’s designs as a base, they made edits for the new drag context. According to Aponte ‘seven different embroidered sequined fabrics were deconstructed and reassembled to create the entire cape.’”
Plasma (Season 16)
Plasma received certain critiques that her looks were more “theatrical” than over-the-top drag — but her unaired look for the “DragCon 1980” runway category absolutely dismantled those ideas about her aesthetic. “Inspired by my mama, who was a twirler at @texastech in the 80s & 90s (plus a little vintage @jeanpaulgaultier) I wanted to capture what I miss most about my home state: the wide open sky,” she wrote in the caption.
Dawn (Season 16)
Another look that broke the internet was Dawn’s outfit for the “Fandango” runway category of season 16. This delicate and intricate piece, along with Dawn’s pitch-perfect mug, could’ve been a show-stopping outfit for the entire Drag Race series.
