FRANCISCO
2023
model, fashion designer FRANCISCO SILVA
art direction/photography GABRIEL VENZI
VIGA studio
You don't need me to describe these images in so much detail, as in many texts I translate the imagery of fashion to make it accessible to the less attentive. Francisco Silva makes them accessible, and Francisco is about accessibility, freedom, strength, and sensuality.
26-year-old, born on the outskirts of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, grew up in a home surrounded by love and support from his parents. He was a Queer child and, like all these children, one day was afraid to dress and behave as he wished. But in his story, there was a home that was a home, a home that provided protection, protection that encouraged, and encouragement that allowed the boy to emerge on a path of conquering spaces and representation.
It all began at the Dnar Rocha Cultural Center through the Gente em Primeiro Lugar program. Years later, he professionally joined the Hip Hop group Remiwl, where, according to teachers Israel Alves, Miranda, and Bruno Barbosa – also Black and from the outskirts – it wasn't enough to just memorize rhythmic movements with music; one needed to study dance. They sparked curiosity and emphasized that knowledge empowers. The lesson from Remiwl is what Francisco carried with him through life. Beyond dance, he delved into research, understanding his sexuality and gaining confidence to increasingly express his style, discovering a passion that, as a self-taught individual, he connected to choreography – fashion.
The fashion product, clothing, is capable of producing movement beyond the body itself. The impact of the costume is one of the instruments in the orchestra that forms the ballet: bodies move, clothes follow, lights strike, clothes reflect, the leap is taken, and the clothing highlights. Francisco emerged on the streets and, through costumes, began to wear identity. With no escape, he walked towards the Ballroom scene.
The Ballroom scene originated in the United States in the 1970s as a response to the need for the affirmation of Black LGBT bodies and the conquest of spaces for these existences as an act of resistance to the racism imposed during that period, especially directed towards the transgender, trans, Black, and Latinx community. These individuals formed houses (Vogue Houses) that were more than competition groups; they were affectionate family structures, a result of welcoming those who were abandoned by their biological parents or had to leave their homes due to hostile realities. These houses competed in terms of costumes and performance, creating a cultural and creative spectacle that evolved and gained prominence and respect. Later, Madonna and her Vogue phenomenon significantly contributed to the spread of the dance that her song is named after. Voguing arrived before Ballroom in Brazil, but as an inherent part of it, today, even Juiz de Fora is burning!
Like any emerging cultural movement, Ballroom originated in a scenario of segregation and marginalization, becoming a political movement in celebration of diversity. Therefore, it harbors emblematic names of the scene such as Venus Xtravaganza (1965-1988), Pepper LaBeija (1948-2003), and Willi Ninja (1961-2006), names constantly remembered and kept alive today as symbols of resistance, responsible for paving the way and humanizing experiences like Francisco's. The history of Ballroom has been well-documented due to its significant importance in the LGBTQIAP+ journey, with the most recommended synthesis appropriately captured in the documentary directed by Jennie Livingston, "Paris is Burning" (1990), a precise chronicle for those who wish to delve deeper.
Returning to Francisco, in his journey, social projects and cultural encouragement were extremely important for his development. Today, he gives back to the world what he once received by teaching dance at an academy that, according to him, has a staff of one hundred employees, of which seven are Black individuals. He has also taught classes for children in the Curumim Program, and when the children questioned his appearance in a subtle way, he explained that he liked colorful nails or different hairstyles, then returned the question: "And you, what do you like?" He, who was once that child, now enlightens the new generation.
In the fashion realm, he works as a stylist and producer, and you can check out his beautiful works on Instagram profile, @csj_francisco. When he combines these creations with Ballroom, his potential is elevated. Francisco enjoys playing with the multiple personalities he can express through clothing, and it is this sense of extreme freedom that attracts him so much to both fashion and performances. In Ballroom, the categories are endless. There was a time when these groups competed to see who best approximated the representation of the white and aristocratic ideal. The ballroom corridors were spaces to rehearse and dream of an uncertain future, a socially desirable reality in their deepest dreams. Over time, the categories expanded to encompass feelings more aligned with their peripheral origins, self-love, self-valorization, and emerging movements of the present day.
O que percebemos na história de Francisco, que difere dos registros históricos, é a presença de amor e respeito familiar. De tantos pais que expulsam seus filhos de casa, os seus são aliados e entusiastas. Sua mãe o elogia, incentiva, ajuda e comemora, e seu pai investe como pode, tendo até trocado um serviço prestado por máquinas de costura que dão vida ao impactante trabalho do filho, figurinos que ele cria para si e para integrantes da cena regional. O macacão que ele veste nas fotos deste trabalho, é um exemplo, inspirado nas silhuetas recortadas dos catsuits da Mugler de Casey Cadwallader.
Em suma, a cultura existente no Ballroom, é uma cultura de amor, de suporte e segurança vivida e repassada através da arte, da dança e da música. É ao conectar esses pilares à relação de apoio que Francisco tem com seus pais que podemos reafirmar a importância e o significado desses espaços seguros na formação da comunidade Queer. Até hoje, mesmo numa realidade mais equilibrada que a dos anos 70, são nesses espaços que muitas mentes criativas se encontram e tornam-se livres, Fracisco, inclusive, foi adotado como “Prince Submundo”- seu nome adotivo - pela Casa de Cosmos, do Rio de Janeiro, guiada pela Legendary Mother Vitória Jovem Cosmos. Até então ele era um 007, como são chamadas as pessoas que competem de forma individual, e agora divide suas habilidades artísticas e seus afetos com a casa à qual representa em Juiz de Fora.
Nessas fotos, vocês conferem tudo isso, o corpo fala, a roupa potencializa!
Francisco, 10! 10! 10, across the board!