What is Camp:
According to USA today, “Camp is an aesthetic or expression of “inauthentic visual cues,” says Michael Mamp. Camp is seen as a mode of expression that is over the top and exaggerated. As fashion is, Camp is also subjective to who wears and perceives it.
Many people in fashion are familiar with camp, especially in queer media and in modern fashion. But, camp has been around since the 19th century. “Camp” was a keyword in the Parlyee language (an invented language used in secret by marginalized groups) during this time. Camp was heard and seen through entertainers in music halls and theaters. In other instances, gay men in The United Kingdom also used this language due to the prejudice associated with being gay.
The term Camp originates from the Italian word “campare”, meaning to make something stand out, or from the French word “camper”, meaning to portray or pose. This can draw a parallel to the performers and the actions camp embodies. As is such, camp was and still is a staple in Queer Fashion.
Campin Queer Fashion:
In Susan Sotangs short essay “Notes on Camp”, she defines
the essence of camp exuding "because of that period's extraordinary feeling for artifice, for surface, for symmetry." But one thing not included in Sontag's essay is the importance of camp in queer fashion and queerness in general.
In a Refinery29 article titled "Camp Fashion Is Rooted In Gay Culture - Queer Origins, they explain that “In 1994’s The Politics and Poetics of Camp, critic Moe Meyer accused Sontag’s essay of “removing, or at least minimizing, the connotations of homosexuality” from camp, and defined camp as “strategies and tactics of queer parody.”
Although not the main idea of camp resides in the queerness, the origin of camp is rooted in queer fashion. In using terminology and incorporating camp into modern-day fashion it is essential to pay homage to the birthplace of the term.
Camp in Modern Media/Day:
Currently, many people associate camp with the 2019 Met Gala, Camp: Notes on Fashion, without fully understanding the intentions. The title itself alludes to Susan Sontangs 1964 essay dealing with different art forms, such as fashion. In 2019, designers and celebrities attempted to embody the meaning of camp. But as Met Gala’s have been in the past, some were hit or miss. Notable icons of camp during the 2019 Met Gala are Ezra Miller, Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell, and Billy Porter.
Other examples of camp are prominent throughout drag. Shows such as RuPaul’s Drag Race and Pose show examples of over-exaggerated styles and camp in a performer's context. Some examples of drag queen, camp icons are Trixie Mattel, Rupaul, and even Chappel Roan, an upcoming pop star involved in queer media.
Sources:
What does it mean to be camp?
Camp Fashion Is Rooted In Gay Culture - Queer Origins
What Is Camp Fashion? A Brief and Bold History - Revivalist What does camp mean? Camp definition in fashion and as Gen Z slang. What Is Camp? The Met Gala 2019 Theme, Explained - The New York Times
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