The Narrative's 7053 Profile: Twiggy Pucci Garçon

Published 11/20/19

The runway icon discusses her role in Ball community and how it’s resurgence in mainstream America presents a double-edged sword — as it hurtles towards renewed eminence in the digital age.

“It’s about centering the story around them and ensuring that they have an active role in the participation of how they want to be seen”, states Twiggy Pucci Garçon producer/co-writer of KiKi (2016). A critically acclaimed film (Sundance, Berlin International Film Festival) KiKi surveys the lives of LGBT youths of color through the lens of the drag and vogueging scene in New York City — a scene that has defined Garçon since her arrival in the city. She is moving quickly on the phone, a testament to her creativity and targeted nature. Responding to the question of how to best move our community forward, she cites the rejection of typical documentarian procedures of film where the subject is not an active participant in how their lives will be portrayed on film — even if they’ve lived the experience. Garçon differs, and feels it necessary to incorporate her subjects in the room to accurately spotlight and portray their lived experiences for all to see. But I begin to discern that there is a much larger picture with her choice to include her subjects in the room and how Garçon views her role in the community that has helped shape the person I’m speaking with over the phone. The more she continues, the more I understand the urgency and gravitas of how she is ensuring the protection of some of society’s most vulnerable - especially as that community is beginning to take center stage across the country, and world, like never before. 

Ball culture, is gaining an unprecedented notoriety across all digital, traditional, linear and non-linear channels. Whether it be from Ryan Murphy’s FX’s POSE, to Anna Wintour’s pre-MET Gala exhibition “Battle of The Legends” (2019), or to VICE’s short-lived My House (2018), its mainstream resurgence is remarkable  — with Garçon, a presence at the helm. An active participant in some of the projects mentioned, (Garçon serves as a consultant on POSE and participated in Battle of The Legends as a judge) she is developing the platforms to not just expand awareness around the experiences of the most vulnerable in and out of the Ballroom scene; yet is also developing the frameworks and tools necessary for survival of her community, by working with organizations like True Colors United. “Folks who live the experience should be at the center of their story and the solutions to issues that impact their lives,” states Garçon, a theme that can be ascertained throughout her work; her community’s needs taking center stage with each initiative.

In a country that has a notorious track record of its treatment towards LGBTQIA+ persons, and similar treatment of its Melanated citizens (yet affinity for its culture); the Balls, have served as a space for non-conformity in a society hellbent on maintaining its patriarchal structures at whatever cost. With the rise of social media; proliferation of content, and an increasing cultural desire for transparency, these structures have become even more unrelenting in their demands for acquiescence, producing unprecedented threats and challenges for society’s most vulnerable. Despite their double-edged sword-like nature, due to mass exposure’s strong correlation of existential threats; when these benefactors (social media, proliferation of content, etc.) coalesce they spotlight a non-monolithic society. As a result, their convergence gives platforms to the voiceless, further illuminating the sub-cultures that routinely shape our culture  — a prime example being Ball culture.

With its mainstream ascent in the 21st century, Ball community is a culture rich in resilience and struggle, yet also privacy. At its core, it relies on kinship, creating a safe haven for the most vulnerable (particularly black/brown LGBTQIA culture) to self-actualize and/or serve as the highest expression of themselves through various categories. Yet with more exposure, comes glamorization. As visibility increases, so too does the possibility of exploitation; leaving the victims or cultural institutions of a la mode susceptible to new levels of adversity -- unless it be for the gatekeepers and guardians to ensure that its foundations are firm and protected.

Enter Garçon, a multi-hyphenated activist, who sits not only at the center of the current cultural zeitgeist promulgated by the black/brown LGBTQIA community; yet has been doing the work to ensure the success of the most vulnerable (albeit, the cultural pacemakers) of our society. I’m struggling to keep up with her pace over the phone, which is sharp, grounded and clearly directed. We’ve moved on to her conversation about her film KiKi; jumped to her being a consultant on POSE and ensuring Murphy gets it right, to now about her work with True Colors United. The Virginia-born, house/ballroom runway performer, LGBTQIA+ health advocate, and Overall Overseer of the House of Comme Des Garçon (to name a few), is also Senior Program Director of the organization [True Colors United] — an American nonprofit organization addressing the issue of youth homelessness in the United States. She stops, allowing me to catch my breath, as she lets me in on her work with them.

“At True Colors, young people have lived and are living this experience [homelessness]. They are at the center of our conversations and direction around policy and regulations that can help facilitate the necessary skills for them to succeed like public speaking, resume building, etc.” With the current amplification of black/brown LGBTQIA+ culture by media, and the tidal wave of exposure that is coming towards them — there is a level of groundedness and preparation in her voice. I begin to see the drivers and the role of Garçon relative to her community. She is not only assisting in the “discovery” of her community, yet preparing its members (some of which are helped by True Colors United), for the future — drawing on the doctrines and familial bonds of Ball community for structure. In an accessible shifting landscape where validation and destruction is centered on retweets, hearts, likes and virality; her role in the era of rapid exposure or viral awareness is evident. Garçon is gatekeeper.

Since POSE’s debut, there has been a clamor to gravitate towards what is hot or colonize Ball community’s ascent from streaming deals to Cannes this year alone. Scout Production’s (Netflix’s Queer Eye) in partnership with HBO Max recently inked a deal for an “unscripted vogueing competition” titled Legendary; and Danielle Lessovitz’ and Martin Scorsese-backed film Port Authority (starring Leyna Bloom, house of Miyake-Mugler) was shown at Cannes Film Festival this year to rave reviews. Community (in particular Ball community) again, faces an ascent of mainstream success and brand awareness — yet also the possibility of another round of exploitation from the outside; not nuanced enough to grasp the important issues that led some parts of it to be considered a subculture to begin with. 

Long before Ryan Murphy or Anna Wintour entered the arena of LGBTQIA+ black/brown culture, as many others will now begin to do, Garçon has worked to ensure the success and elevation of her community since she first stepped on the scene in the early 2000’s. From working with homeless youths (a common theme of Ball community) to give them the resources and basic job-skills to survive; to serving as an advocate for LGBTQIA+ health, she embodies the archetypal 21st century luminary driven by a greater purpose. Yet Garçon is different. She operates with a credo that ensures the ones that she serves are better off before, yet has the nuanced ability to elevate her community’s presence for greater good to legendary fashion icons like Wintour herself — essentially keeping media’s tastemakers culturally aware, (dare I say culturally relevant), while spotlighting important communal grievances and challenges.

In a two-pronged strategy to protecting and promoting Ball culture and its most vulnerable (as the very benefactors that spotlight her community can hinder it) Garçon amplifies its presence and ensures that they or herself are in the room to protect the narrative; spotlighting important experiences, albeit systemic issues to a larger audience. And while for the first time in a magnifying way, Ball community’s culture, existence, contributions, struggle and values are being made clear through 21st century variants like social media, Garçon has become one of the many prominent guiding voices during its re-ascendance into mainstream culture. 

A heavy responsibility, her values from Ball community emanate through the phone, as she herself has lived the experience of the most vulnerable (Garcon was homeless at one point) being adopted by the Ball community of New York City. She now is the vessel of its foundations, having the experiential foresight and leadership to spot Ball community’s challenges and hurdles as it enters into a new era of mass exposure. We quickly circle back to the themes and drivers of Garçon. She reaffirms that in order to ensure the most vulnerable are protected, norms and standards must be reevaluated to suit the worlds of the subjects being targeted or exposed. She states, “It’s truly about decolonizing things the way they have been done [KiKi]. In a documentary, it’s unethical for people to have a subject in the story, but we should always be in the room.” 

Perhaps when or if mainstream America grows tired of Ball community and/or culture, it will not matter. With the guidance of Garçon and the already existing familial bonds that shape Ball community, it seems it has the roots to withstand these fads and leverage them for what they are. Garçon’s framework of serving as consultant for POSE; to ensuring subjects of film-making are present in decision-making, to doing the work to ensure those less fortunate have the tools and frameworks to succeed is everlasting. In pure fashion, Garçon is the new gatekeeper just like the ones before her, yet the landscape has changed completely with even greater ferocity. Her efforts will have not just positioned the most vulnerable and future leaders of her community (and of ours) to succeed, yet also endure the colossal tidal wave of success (and long-over due fort