If you only know Kelly Mantle from that infamous "bacon dress" on season six of RuPaul’s Drag Race, you’re basically missing the lead. Honestly, it’s kinda wild. Long before the reality TV cameras were rolling, Kelly was already deep in the trenches of high-fashion history. Specifically, we’re talking about Kelly Mantle Italian Vogue.
It sounds like one of those urban legends or a fever dream a stan cooked up on Reddit, but it’s actually real. In the early 2000s—2004 to be exact—Kelly landed in the pages of Vogue Italia. And we aren't talking about some tiny regional insert. This was the era of Steven Meisel, the legendary photographer who basically treated the magazine like his personal high-art sketchbook.
The Steven Meisel Connection
People forget that before "Drag Race" became a global franchise, Kelly was a working actor and performer in a much more underground, gritty Hollywood scene. Meisel is known for spotting "characters." He doesn't just want a pretty face; he wants a story.
Back in 2004, Meisel was shooting a massive spread featuring some of the biggest supermodels on the planet. We’re talking Elise Crombez, Jessica Stam, and Karen Elson. Somewhere in that mix of high-fashion royalty sat Kelly Mantle.
It wasn't a "drag" shoot in the way we think of it now, with heavy contour and giant wigs. It was more about that raw, androgynous energy that Kelly has always moved through the world with. Seeing the photos now is a trip. You’ve got these world-class models, and then there’s Kelly, holding her own, looking like she walked right off a David Lynch set.
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Why the Italian Vogue Moment Still Matters
Most fans of the show were shocked when they stumbled upon this. There’s a specific thread on Reddit where a user was flipping through an old back issue and did a double-take. It’s funny how we pigeonhole people. Because Kelly was the first one out in her season, a lot of casual viewers assumed she was a "filler queen."
But you don't get shot by Steven Meisel for Italian Vogue if you’re "filler."
The Fashion Pedigree
- The Year: 2004.
- The Photographer: Steven Meisel (the man who made Naomi and Linda icons).
- The Vibe: High-concept, cinematic, and slightly unsettling.
- The Cast: Kelly alongside Karen Elson and Missy Rayder.
This wasn't just a fluke. Kelly has always had this weird, wonderful proximity to greatness. I mean, her uncle was Mickey Mantle. The baseball legend. She literally has "switch-hitting" in her DNA, which is a joke she’s been making for decades, and frankly, it never gets old.
Breaking Barriers Long Before the Mainstream Caught Up
We have to talk about the Oscar thing, too, because it connects back to that same "gender-fluid" energy she brought to Vogue. In 2016, Kelly made history. The producers of the film Confessions of a Womanizer submitted her for Oscar consideration in both the "Best Supporting Actor" and "Best Supporting Actress" categories.
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The Academy actually said yes.
They confirmed she was eligible for both. Think about that for a second. In a world that loves to put people in boxes—especially in 2016—Kelly was just like, "Nah, I’m both." It’s that same spirit that probably caught Meisel’s eye in 2004. She was non-binary before the term was a household word.
The Bacon Dress vs. High Fashion
It’s the ultimate irony. Kelly Mantle is arguably one of the most "fashion-credentialed" queens to ever walk onto the Drag Race set, yet she was sent home for a dress made of fabric that looked like breakfast meat.
Life is weird.
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But if you look at her career lately, she’s having a massive renaissance. Between touring with Trixie and Katya and launching The Kelly Mantle Show (which is basically a masterclass in absurdist comedy), she’s proven that a "first-out" placement is just a footnote.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Historians
If you’re trying to track down this specific piece of fashion history, here is how you do it without getting lost in a Google rabbit hole:
- Search the Archives: Look for the Vogue Italia September 2004 or late 2004 issues. Meisel often did the "Hollywood" or "Cinematic" themed spreads during this window.
- Verify the Credits: Sometimes Kelly is credited under her full name, Kelly Leroy Mantle, especially in older theatrical or high-fashion contexts.
- Appreciate the Nuance: Understand that "drag" in 2004 Vogue was often labeled as "androgyny" or "character acting."
Kelly Mantle’s career is a reminder that what we see on reality TV is about 2% of a performer's actual life. She didn't need to win a crown to be a Vogue girl. She already was one before most of the current "Drag Race" contestants even knew how to glue down an eyebrow.
She's an actor first, a musician second, and a fashion icon whenever she feels like it. If you haven't checked out her music or her new podcast, you're missing out on the smartest, funniest person in the room. Don't let the bacon dress fool you; Kelly Mantle is, and always has been, high fashion.