Queer clubbing and fashion

Peter Tully (1947–1992) was a Sydney-based artist and LGBTQIA+ activist who contributed to the marvellous queerification of Sydney Mardi Gras in his role as its director from 1982 until 1986. He is mostly known for his eclectic jewellery and costume designs made from found objects and his unique style which embodies the campness of gay fashion. Unfortunately, Tully’s contributions as an artist are less well-known by the broader public as he was a part of the generation that was lost during the AIDS/HIV pandemic.

​​The queer nightlife scene has long represented freedom for those within the LGTBQIA+ community and queer culture has lived and thrived past the entry lines and through the glistening curtains of queer clubs such as the New York City’s semi-underground Paradise Garage (also known as ‘Gay-Rage’). Open from 1977–87, Paradise Garage was a haven for its members to be with their chosen family who together experienced an affirming queer euphoria. The all-night dance marathons at Paradise Garage accommodated up to two thousand people and were hosted by influential musicians including American DJ Larry Levan.

Tully would attend these clubs with his own chosen family, including creatives such as Jenny Kee, Linda Jackson, David McDiarmid, Fran Moore and William Yang. He would often wear his creations while clubbing, and this has been captured in some of Yang’s photographs. Many queer bars from the twentieth century, however, remain noticeably undocumented. Photography was often discouraged so clubbers could remain safely anonymous from both homophobic opinions and criminalisation.

Supported by an Australia Council travel grant, Tully lived and worked in New York from 1979–80. During that time, he immersed himself in Paradise Garage and found inspiration that provided him with the colour range, textures and surfaces to create garments like Ceremonial coat for the Grand Diva of Paradise Garage c. 1980. Layered over the top of a bright orange mini dress, the coat is heavily embellished with a camp assortment of neon-coloured and reflective found objects. These include tufts of fur, dice, fabric cut outs, spikes, tassels, forks, keys, glow sticks, balls, rings, beads and soft sculptures wrapped with thread. The overall effect is one of wild extravagance and unapologetic self-expression.

Camp outfits created by Tully and his friends such as this one paved the way for queer fashion. Certainly, this work is a visual feast, and it resembles the iconic design challenge outfits created by drag queens from the reality series RuPaul’s Drag Race. This similarity is no surprise as Tully was known to create camp fashion for drag queens by leaning into the DIY nature behind drag aesthetics as well as emphasising the entertaining elements of drag costumes.

​​The energy in queer bars is electric, pulsating with the celebration of identity and expression. Upon entering a queer bar, you become enveloped in a world of unbridled joy, vibrant colours, glittering clothes and fierce performances, all of which Tully has managed to translate into this garment. Tully’s garment evokes the all-encompassing energetic buoyancy and joy of venues like the Paradise Garage, brimming with dancers writhing to an endless playlist. But it is only possible — through surviving garments and a small number of photographs — for us as viewers to imagine how this garment would have been worn and perceived within the gay nightclub. ​

By embracing the flamboyant, we can imagine that Tully’s garment would have been a theatrical display with the neon fabrics glowing under black lights to draw even more attention from the crowd. The garment would have created a dazzling spectacle as each object rattled with movement, becoming a beacon of fearless authenticity and embodying the spirit of gay liberation.

​Le Headpiece is another example of Tully’s camp style which unapologetically embodies the saying ‘everything but the kitchen sink’. The vibrant array of colourful kitchen-based items tied together into a headpiece — including mini soup cans, sponges, plastic cutlery, bread tags, bottle caps, toilet brushes, bowls, feather duster and a dangling flyswatter — showcases Tully’s eclectic sense of humour. The experimental and dramatic nature of Tully’s garments is reminiscent of the Club Kid movement from the late 1980s to the 1990s which encouraged do-it-yourself creativity when creating garments for queer clubbing that transformed the wearer into a larger-than-life character exuding confidence and playfulness. By creating his camp outfits and wearing them, Tully could experience the liberation they bring and perhaps this is the main reasoning for Tully’s fascination for combining art and fashion in a performative manner.

​Coined as ‘Urban Tribalwear’ by Tully, his wearable pieces were made to be worn in queer spaces and to be enjoyed by other members of the queer community — this is evident in the immediate joy that one has when viewing the array of rainbow found items. These designs demonstrate a complete separation from heteronormative culture, which is especially impressive as wearing these garments in public would have been so unconventional at the time. Tully’s Ceremonial coat and Le Headpiece exude the very essence of the over-the-top fabulousness of what is now recognised as a staple for queer performances and festivals such as Sydney Mardi Gras and demonstrates the impact that artists such as Tully have had on queer fashion and material culture. These artworks are not just garments, but a statement — a celebration of freedom, artistic expression and the joy of queer nightlife.

​​Although many iconic and pioneering queer nightclubs like Paradise Garage have closed their doors, their legacy and culture has been conserved through artists like Tully and his contemporaries. Today, queer clubs across the world continue to provide euphoric experiences for the LGTBQIA+ community. While these moments are now commonly captured through photographs posted on social media apps, Peter Tully’s creation reminds us that elements of queer clubbing culture can also live on through the intersection between art and fashion.

This story is part of the 2024 Young Writers Digital Residency.