Bradford Billingsley

Americans thrive off their fascination with controversy, fame, and fear. Sexual orientation, gender, and sex itself, are the constant subject of our American controversies. Be it the queer and sexual subject matter in Paul Cadmus'"The Fleet's In" enraging the Navy and its generals in 1934, or the art form of drag being the latest target in the right wing's culture war, the story is as old as time. We are transfixed by what we don't know, by what we don't understand, and frankly, by what disgusts us. Bradford Billingsley's Spring 2023 collection entitled "The Spectacle" is a tribute to Cadmus' work and a celebration of the unique and fiercely unapologetic individuals continuing to push boundaries. These fearless souls have chosen to live a life of vibrance and expression. Some may say they are causing a spectacle, but what's so wrong with that?