Voguing and the house ballroom scene of New York

While made famous by Madonna in her 1990 hit Vogue, voguing was actually born in Harlem, New York in the 1980s. It grew from the area’s house ballroom scene, in which men would work their drag and dancing skills on a catwalk runway. Soul Jazz Records have just published a new book of previously unseen photographs taken by photographer Chantal Regnault at the height of the house ballroom scene’s wildness between 1989-92. They describe it here: “A visual riot of fashion, gender, polysexuality and subversive style, Voguing and the House Ballroom Scene of New York 1989-92 is also a fascinating document on sexuality and race.” A 2CD compilation album will be released to coincide with the book in January. More details on that here but for now, enjoy a selection of the shots below.

Buy ‘Voguing and the House Ballroom Scene of New York City 1989 -92’