The Amanda Lepore Effect

In the ever-changing landscape of New York City’s nightlife, Amanda Lepore has staying power. Over the past three decades, she has made her glamorous image recognizable around the globe through movies, music videos, and major fashion campaigns, most recently a cheeky Alexis Bittar ad where Lepore flirts with a hard-boiled detective. Given that she remains a frequent face at the splashiest parties—and in our Instagram feeds—it’s worth noting Lepore is one of the few ’90s-era club kids who is finding a new generation of fans. Is it simply a case of the culture catching up with her?

“When I was asked to model for Balenciaga, I really was so surprised,” Lepore tells Harper’s Bazaar about her recent appearance in Balenciaga’s Summer ’24 runway show in Paris. She walked the runway with luminaries like Erykah Badu, Kris Jenner and Paloma Elsesser. “[Back] when I modeled for David LaChapelle, being a model in Paris was totally unattainable for someone like me,” says Lepore, citing the lack of trans representation in the early 2000s—and her 5’2″ stature.

Amanda Lepore for the Balenciaga Summer 2024 collection.

Leading up to the Balenciaga show, Lepore relished each step of the process, from the multiple fittings to the event itself. “They were such a wonderful team. They made me feel so comfortable. And of course I was extremely nervous,” she admits. The footage of Lepore walking the Paris runway in a form-fitting black beaded gown spread widely on social media, which she credits to her interpretation of the “strong walk” she was asked to do despite wearing such a heavy garment. “I stiffened my body and it came out more robotic, and it just went viral on TikTok, everybody loved it so much,” she recalls, adding, “They really thought a lot about capturing my style and were respectful to that.”

Lepore’s skin-baring garments and plumped red lips have been a constant throughout her career as an entertainer, but her provocative persona wasn’t always so widely embraced. Being a public face of the trans community on early-’90s talk shows, alongside other gender-nonconforming club kids, often meant having her physique sensationalized and her image critiqued. But as trans visibility has increased in recent decades, Lepore has seen her fanbase expand primarily by staying true to her aesthetic. “There are people that do more trendy things and change a lot, but I always kind of kept the red lipstick and blonde hair and bombshell thing, and it worked for me because I was more recognizable,” Lepore says.

With nearly half a million Instagram followers, not to mention her own brand of lipstick and lip gloss, Lepore has been enjoying a more universal appreciation of her outsized persona. “Sometimes I get hired for really straight parties, and I’m always surprised that I have all these girl fans,” she admits.

Another case in point: Lepore’s photo shoot for Harper’s Bazaar on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan was interrupted by an employee of a nearby boutique who spotted her through the window, then rushed out and asked her to take a picture in fluffy pink garment not unlike the Michael Kors shawl-collar coat she happened to be posing in. Lepore kindly obliged.

Following the shoot, Lepore was looking for a place for a late meal and ended up at the newly-opened Diner 24 near her Gramercy residence. “They knew who I was and they were so happy—they were asking for pictures. They wanted us to have a good time,” she says. When asked about Lepore’s surprise visit at his new venture, restaurateur Stratis Morfogen declared, “The queen of twenty-four-hour nightlife needs a twenty-four-hour diner!” Morfogen considers her a pioneer of the late-night culture that he hopes to revive with the new eatery, which made her off-duty appearance more than welcome.

Amanda Lepore’s post–photo shoot visit to Diner 24 included taking photos with Philippe Bondon (back row, center) who opened the venture with Stratis Morfogen.

At a time when anti-trans legislation is surging across the country, Lepore’s visibility outside of traditionally queer spaces is more necessary than ever. She loves engaging with her diverse fans whether it’s in Costa Rica or Berlin, but often feels pressure to perform up to her own standards. “If you’re around me in my dressing room before the show, you’ll be like, Oh my God, she’s going through it, because I get so nervous. But after… it just all goes away and I’m so energetic and happy,” she says.

A look back at Amanda Lepore on the runway of the Heatherette Fall 2006 fashion show.

Lepore’s recent experience in a fly-over state left her with a poignant reminder of the effect she has by simply putting herself out there. While visiting a middle-American city, she learned that some of the locals she met on a past trip to that same venue had decided to transition since meeting her, inspired by her example. “Sometimes I’ll go to really small towns and I’ll feel like, Wow, they really needed me. … You just realize just the power of it all.”

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Styling: Carlos Nazario; hair: Jimmy Paul; makeup: Yadim for Valentino Beauty; manicure: Dawn Sterling for Nail Glam; production: Day International; set design: Griffin Stoddard; special thanks to Please Space Studios.

Carl Kelsch is the managing editor of Harper’s Bazaar and Oprah Daily. Apart from interviewing today’s most inspiring content creators for Hearst, he is also a screenwriter and filmmaker.