Art Simone is one of Australia's most loved drag queens. She says we need to have more fun with style.

Art Simone is one of Australia's most beloved drag queens. She rose to even greater fame on RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under - also dressing up as the one and only Bindi Irwin for the season's Snatch Game competition episode.

When you see the stunning queens on the show, and even on social media, they look incredibly confident. But according to Art, it took her a while to find her groove in the drag scene - and to carve out her own sense of style.

"It's been an evolutionary process like it is for everyone. I started off not having the best resources, or knowledge in what I wanted my drag persona to be or who I was. And that's where drag was really special for me - because I used it as a tool to discover who I was, what I liked and what I wanted to show the world," she said on Mamamia's What Are You Wearing podcast.

And just like with anyone - drag queen or not - Art said her style has changed drastically over the years.

"It's changed over the years. I started off as an emo kid, so when I began drag as a teenager it was very ooky spooky, goth-inspired and punk. Plus, it was very bare bones because I didn't have access to a lot of things - so bras and hot pants did the job!" 

Then as the gigs increased, and so did the public interest, Art Simone went on to her next phase - corporate glamour. Because with more opportunities come bigger pay cheques... and more capacity to spend big on the outfits!

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"There was a very big, pink sparkly phase and that led me to corporate glamour which is the glitz and glam with a bit of edge. It is colour, paint splatters and everything. And it's good that I can sit comfortably, and do what I want, wear what I want to, and be who I want to be."

As Art explained, self-expression is at the crux of what drag queens do - it's performance art, and a way to showcase a different side of themselves - someone who is bold, fun and free. So with that in mind, the style inspiration can come from anywhere and anything. Even a two-dollar store.

"I find my inspiration outside of the actual style world. I used to walk through a two-dollar shop and get inspired by a pack of sponges. Or I used to go outside, go for a walk and get inspired by the colours I saw. I'm in no way traditional. That's the beauty of drag - you can wear a dress made of spoons and it's fun."

And if you've ever peeked inside Art Simone's wardrobe, you would know just how fabulous her collection is. It includes hundreds of outfits, cupboards and cupboards of accessories, glitter, sequins and dozens of headpieces. 

A lot of the clothes and costumes are on the exxy side as well - considering the amount of work that goes into creating each masterpiece. One dress was created by a team of five people, working to hand-sew the silk flower appliques and adorn the whole thing in Swarovski crystals. 

She even has a rainbow hair coat made of six kilos worth of synthetic fibres.

Watch: Inside Art Simone's wardrobe. Story continues below.

But the pièce de résistance of Art's collection has to be her wigs. With over 1000 to choose from, Art said it's one of the easiest ways to have fun with style. So with this in mind, why don't more of us embrace it!

Wigs are a staple in the drag world, no doubt about it. But from Lisa Rinna on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, to the Kardashian-Jenner clan, wigs are once again having a resurgence. And for the Black community, wigs have been embraced for decades. 

"There's a big resurgence for the accessibility and acceptance of wearing wigs. Dolly Parton used to have her own wig line that ladies would wear all the time - it was very common then. So I'm excited to see wigs coming back. For incorporating it into your style - just wear the damn thing. Have fun with it," Art Simone said on the podcast.

"I think people get stuck in the realism and trying to make it look 'natural'. Screw it - just take full advantage of the wig world, and wear all different colours. Don't be scared of the wig - just do it."

It's this sentiment of caring less what others think and having fun with your fashion that Art wants to get across. Ultimately, we're all individuals - so we should be able to dress however uniquely we want. 

"In my day-to-day working world, it comes down to how I'm feeling - and I'll express that with what I pick. So some days I'll be feeling 'a bit bitey', so I'll wear a dress covered in safety pins. Or another day I want to be a glamourous drag queen so that's when the corporate glamour comes out!"

And it's not just fashion that expresses our personalities, but makeup as well.

"The place which you can really see what I'm feeling and where I'm coming from in my headspace is with my makeup. It's the final touch," she said. "When it comes to finding who you are through style, it's all about doing it in your own time. It can be scary. When I first started doing drag I was doing it all behind closed doors and testing it out. You don't have to be a fashionista glamazon - just do whatever makes you feel comfortable. Ask yourself 'do I feel good in this?' If the answer's yes, then great - babez you're doing well."

You can listen to Concealed with Art Simon here.

Feature Image: Instagram @rtist_.

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