RuPaul‘s policy on getting into full drag is pretty similar to the ’90s supermodels policy on getting out of bed: only if it pays. “I do it, if somebody is paying me I’ll do it,” he told Marketplace last year. “If somebody’s ready to throw down some serious cash, I am there.” Which is why he walked the Met Gala red carpet tonight not in a full gown, but rather an eye-catching pink and black zebra-stripped suit. Which, of course, is its own kind of drag in Ru’s eye. Remember, “We’re all born naked…” Though, we shouldn’t be too surprised. The last time RuPaul has worn full drag on in public was in 2012 when he performed at Mardi Gras in Sydney Australia. If you want to go back before that, then you’d have to look to a book signing event in 2007, or, according to the Getty Image archives at least, the 2004 Dance Music Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony for a proper full drag red carpet appearance. Not that RuPaul, 58, is necessarily a hermit. He’s appeared at several awards shows to collect trophies, as well as his own DragCon and other Drag Race related events, but almost always does so in recent years in his collection (of usually quite fetching) designer suits. Though, the reason isn’t purely about money. There’s also the fact that Ru has an image and standard to upkeep, and going through that transformation takes a lot of time to perfect, not to mention money. “I am the Queen of Queens, and the Queen of Queens deserves to look, is expected to look, like a million dollars,” she’s said. In fact, on his podcast What’s The Tee, RuPaul has insinuated that he’s been invited to the Met Gala as a guest of brands before, but most of them wanted him to walk the carpet in drag. Though, drag certainly was represented on the red carpet. Two previous winners of RuPaul’s Drag Race were on hand: Season 7’s Violet Chachki in Moschino and Season 10’s Aquaria in Maison Margiela. US drag queen Aquaria arrives for the 2019 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2019, in New York. – The Gala raises money for the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institute. The Gala’s 2019 theme is Camp: Notes on Fashion” inspired by Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay “Notes on Camp”. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo credit should read ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images) ANGELA WEISS Related: RuPaul Has So Many Creative Names to Call Donald Trump<doc-sep>If you were amongst the Drag Race fans wondering why RuPaul didn't show up to the 2019 Met Gala in drag, Ru's finally got an answer for you. Despite the event's "Camp" theme, RuPaul surprised onlookers by showing up in a sequin-studded, pink and black suit by Zaldy, rather than a perfectly cinched waist and his signature, sky-high blonde wig. However, while appearing on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live, RuPaul explained his unexpected sartorial choice by saying he believed many other male gala attendees would attempt drag. Related | 26 Camp Experts Pick Their Favorite Met Gala Looks "I thought about getting up in drag, but then I thought every man [was] gonna dress as Divine, from the John Waters films," RuPaul said in reference to the legendary Pink Flamingos star. "And I thought, 'I don't wanna be where everyone else is in drag.'" Not only that, but RuPaul also said that he wanted to be comfortable at the event, as he "would be so mean to everyone" if he was in drag, "because it hurts." That said, he did express his surprise at the fact that only Drag Race alums Aquaria and Violet Chachki showed up in drag, but also said that, in his estimation, most people really didn't understood the theme. Other than Céline Dion, obviously. Watch RuPaul talk about his decision, below.<doc-sep>It just wouldn’t be a camp-themed Met Gala without an appearance from a couple of high-profile queens, so we were pleased to see representation from some former RuPaul’s Drag Race champions on the red carpet. This year’s annual event was a celebration of all things camp, and among the star-studded guest list was the reigning queen of Drag Race, Aquaria. She was photographed making her way into the ball in a black silk gown, and a pair of towering heels. ANGELA WEISS via Getty Images Admittedly, it was a fairly simple look, especially considering how off-the-wall some of the stars in attendance went with their outfits, but she did make a nod to the camp theme with her silver wig, an apparent nod to the Julie Andrews outing Victor/Victoria. Her bejeweled gloves also gave her the appearance of silver talons, which we’re very much into. Theo Wargo via Getty Images The reigning queen strikes a pose Aquaria was joined at the Met Gala by her fellow Drag Race winner, and another of the show’s most famous “look queens”, Violet Chachki. Like Aquaria, we were surprised at how low-key Violet’s ensemble actually was, particularly as she regularly wowed on the Drag Race runway, whether with her tartan reveal, her infamous “death becomes her” corset or the stunning effort she made for the season eight final, where she handed over the crown to Bob The Drag Queen. Dimitrios Kambouris via Getty Images However, while her figure-hugging black dress might have looked simple enough, it did have a train shaped like a giant glove, so let no one say there weren’t elements of camp thrown in there. And, of course, also photographed on his way into the event was RuPaul, out of drag but still turning heads in an oversized fuschia patterned suit. He was joined at the Met Gala by his husband, Georges LeBar, in a rare appearance as a couple. Dia Dipasupil via Getty Images Georges and Ru at the Met Gala The eleventh series of RuPaul’s Drag Race is currently streaming on UK Netflix, with just six queens left in the competition. For more of our favourite looks from this year’s Met Gala, click here.<doc-sep>
Camp is where tacky meets extravagance. The theme of the 2019 Met Gala also happens to be a form of drag that famed queens like RuPaul have brought to the mainstream. Honoring the theme and drag culture, RuPaul's Met Ball suit was sequined, pink, and included ostrich feathers and a zebra head. Honestly, it reigned on the carpet. This was RuPaul's first time at the gala, and the iconic drag queen’s debut on the Met steps was truly something to behold. The host and creator of RuPaul’s Drag Race stepped out on the pink carpet for the first time in a custom suit, his stylist Zaldy told People. According to Zaldy, the outfit included 30 inches of ostrich feather that snaked up RuPaul's sleeve to end in a zebra face on his shoulder. To go with his already over-the-top ensemble, the drag star wore a giant David Webb necklace and statement rings. Tying in the whole look with a pair of shiny black platform boots and an oversized bowtie, RuPaul was certainly dressed for camp. This might be RuPaul’s first time participating in one of fashion’s most extravagant events of the year, he certainly makes it look like he’s a veteran at this gig. Neilson Barnard/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images In an April 2019 interview with Vogue, the famed drag queen offered up a definition of camp while doing a photoshoot with Annie Leibovitz. After the photographer suggested he take off his headpiece, RuPaul objects, saying it would completely change the vibe of the outfit “Everything here is overdone,” RuPaul said by way of defending his choice to keep shooting with the headpiece. “The only natural thing about any of this is the light.” RuPaul helped the underground world of drag gain steam in the ‘90s — he was the first drag queen to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame — so it was only natural he'd be at this year's ball to celebrate. As Lena Waithe, another guest at the ball, put it during an interview on the pink carpet: "Black drag queens invented camp." In 2009, the drag icon aired the first season of his epic competition show on Logo TV, putting drag culture on the main stage on national television. Many fans, naturally, expected the star to show up in full drag on Monday — some even demanded an explanation on Twitter. There's actually quite a simple answer: As RuPaul told Marketplace in 2018, "I do [drag], if somebody is paying me I'll do it. If somebody’s ready to throw down some serious cash, I am there." W Magazine pointed out that RuPaul actually hasn't appeared in drag in public since 2012, at a Mardi Gras show in Australia. Drag or not, there's no question that RuPaul slayed the pink carpet this year. Fingers crossed that this first Met Gala absolutely won't be his last.