The NGV Gala is one of the hottest tickets on the Melbourne creative event calendar each year, and now we're getting a second fashion event to entrall sartorial trainspotters. The NGV has announced that the inaugural Bowery Ball will kick off in 2023 – an energetic celebration of queer fashion and performance.
Named after Leigh Bowery, a Melbourne-born queer icon who was revered for his experimental and subversive approach to fashion, art and performance, the Bowery Ball seeks to highlight queer and LGBTIQA+ creative talent. Born out of the Queer exhibition at the NGV, which just wrapped up last week, it is set to ignite imaginations – and surely deliver some red carpet moments worthy of our undivided attention.
"From Sunshine to the world, Leigh Bowery was a one-of-a-kind creative who made an enduring impact on queer style and performance across the globe," says minister for creative industries Steve Dimopoulos. "Inspired by his ground-breaking, boundary-pushing creativity, NGV’s Bowery Ball is a chance to celebrate the creativity, vibrancy and resilience of Victoria’s diverse LGBTIQA+ community."
"The Queer exhibition ignited and strengthened many close connections and partnerships between the NGV and the LGBTIQA+ community at large," says Tony Ellwood AM, director at the NGV. "We remain committed to our vision of inclusivity and look forward to working with our valued partners on the exhibition’s legacy and new initiatives into the future."
"Celebrating Leigh Bowery’s prolific and unbridled creative outputs throughout the 1980s and '90s, the Bowery Ball will invite audiences to appreciate queer identity and performance art in dynamic and thought-provoking ways."
The Bowery Ball will kick off in 2023. Dates are yet to be revealed, so stay tuned to the official website for more details and announcements.