Photo by Madison Moore
What is fabulousness? Madison Moore, assistant professor of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, wrote a book on it. In 2018, “Fabulous: The Rise of the Beautiful Eccentric,” was published and raised the Ferguson, Missouri, native’s profile as a cultural commentator. Moore says fabulousness is a way marginalized people, using nightclubs and runways, can become the most creative, bold and true versions of themselves and be seen by a world that doesn’t always notice them. He had been scheduled to speak at VCU’s Institute of Contemporary Art, but the talk, “Dance Mania: A Manifesto for Queer Nightlife,” was canceled amid coronavirus concerns after this interview took place. In our conversation, the author and DJ discusses his time at Yale University, diversity on college campuses and seizing your space.
Richmond magazine: Can you give any insight on what you’ll be talking about at the ICA?
Madison Moore: The lecture will really be exploring ideas of community building and organizing and the importance of seizing dance floors for queer black folks. It’s about seizing space and taking space when you’re not given it and your space is always gentrified and purchased out. And definitely this lecture builds upon my book “Fabulous … ,” which is about style and fashion and the way in which fashion allows different types of people to stretch out and expand into places where we’re often told we’re not allowed to expand or exist. So, fabulousness for me isn’t a label or about having that cute Gucci bag or whatever, but it’s actually about choosing the risk of standing out when it’s easier to blend in.
RM: You attended Yale as a doctoral student. Yale is generally thought of as a very traditional space, so how do you move out of that into everything you’re doing now?
Moore: I think there’s a misconception involving Ivy Leagues. I found myself in a space that was very transformative and that is, of course traditional, but also very progressive in a lot of ways. And I felt like I was able to be there as a scholar but also be encouraged to pursue my interests, a lot of the same ones I’m pursuing now.
RM: VCU is trying to sell a nontraditional experience in comparison. Is that one of the factors that could have led you there?
Moore: Yes, VCU is a very exciting and dynamic place. I’m at a university right now that has made a commitment to building a base in gender studies. We just opened this new Q Collective, which is a research and advocacy center for queer research for students and faculty inside and outside of VCU, so that’s very exciting.
