Words & photography Markus Bidaux
Julian Smith is a bespoke designer with plenty of panache. He studied fashion in Manchester before moving to London in 2000 where he got his MA at the Royal College of Art. He previously flirted with having his own fashion label but is currently focusing on creating unique pieces for cabaret and drag performers, including Sink the Pink and Jonny Woo. He discovered his love for drag in 2007 at Dalston club Vogue Fabrics. “This was before RuPaul’s Drag Race, it was East London drag, which is a lot more mashed-up with fashion and a bit more of a punky spirit.” Now 39, Julian can be found on stage performing as Jacqui Potato or DJing at Dalston Superstore and The Glory.