Yesterday evening, Latimmier’s Ervin Latimer introduced the journalists and buyers visiting for Fashion in Helsinki to Anna Conda. The rest is herstery
On a mild evening during Fashion in Helsinki, a familiar doyenne of the Finnish nightlife scene hosted a raucous Bingo evening. Drag queen Anna Conda, clad in a strappy green number, generous breastplate and flowing blonde wig emerged from the back of a basement space to the delight of the visiting buyers and journalists. “What, there weren’t any dick jokes at the Marimekko dinner?” She asked as guests whooped and cheered. Armed with a soundboard of audio clips from Sex and the City, NSFW Internet clips and even the Grindr notification sound, she led her audience in several rounds of bingo as we noshed on food by trendy chef collective Tampopo. When a buyer from Le Bon Marché in Paris yelled ‘Bingo’, she won a penis-shaped candle. “My line sheet is in the back,” said Anna Conda to applause and laughter.
Photo: Karim Awad
Photo: Karim Awad
Out of drag, Anna Conda is Ervin Latimer, designer of beloved Finnish brand Latimmier. “She has this kind of motherly hostess energy,” Latimer says of his drag persona. “I’ve always felt Anna Conda is a bit more of a mature lady who’s seen some shit.” It’s fitting that the designer would find an artistic outlet in drag; since its inception, his namesake brand has explored the notion of performative masculinity and the ways in which garments dictate – or subvert – gender identity. Still, Anna Conda’s imperfect aesthetic – the big, messy wigs, the more-is-more makeup – is directly at odds with Latimmier’s meticulous, technical tailoring.
“It’s never been about perfect makeup or super expensive outfits – even though I do sew most things myself,” says Latimer. Though he respects the queens who approach drag as more of an aesthetic art form, Anna Conda has a different priority. “First and foremost, whatever I do in drag, it has to make me laugh,” says Latimer.
Photo: Karim Awad
Photo: Karim Awad
Anna Conda has played a role in Latimmier from the beginning, hosting the brand’s debut ballroom-themed show at Pitti Uomo in 2022 and opening the Wall Street-themed spring/summer '24 show in Copenhagen with a lip synch of 'Big Spender'. For Latimer, who’s big on authenticity, involving his drag persona in the Latimmier universe serves several purposes. “Obviously I’m so happy drag and queer culture is more mainstream and more popular, but sometimes you get the sense that you’re invited to work for a campaign for a brand and then it’s kind of, ‘Grab your wig and get out’,” he says. “For me, it serves as a reminder that when we say we’re inspired by a history of cross-dressing, the legacy of ballroom… there’s an authentic connection to this culture.” Plus, it’s just plain fun. “At fashion weeks, people take themselves quite seriously,” Latimer says. “Two things can be true: you can do a good job, you can be precise and thoughtful, and you can also have fun. You can also say, ‘Hey, it isn’t that serious’.”
Photo: Karim Awad
The buyer from Le Bon Marché claims her prize. Photo: Karim Awad
Latimer first dipped his toe into drag at a friend’s midsummer celebration some years ago. Guests were invited to perform if they had a suitable talent. “I don’t know how to sing or play an instrument,” says Latimer. “So I just thought it would be funny for me to do drag.” The first proper Anna Conda gig came in 2018, in the basement of a pizza parlour (“It sounds stranger than it is – it’s a venue people rent for parties,” Latimer says) at an event thrown by Ruskeat Tytöt Media, a non-profit, independent publication that gives voice to Finnish people of colour (Latimer was the managing editor for some time). Dubbed ‘My Neck, My Back’ the event took place during Helsinki Pride and was specifically for people of colour. Anna Conda was the host. The event became a mainstay in Helsinki’s queer community. “The club has evolved over the years. Now I haven’t had so much time to do it, but I used to do it quite regularly,” says Latimer. "People are begging me to do it again.”
Both Anna Conda and Latimer are booked and busy. In fact, following Anna’s hosting duties at drag bingo, Latimer was set to present an award at the Aalto University graduate show. It’s among his first duties as a professor at the prestigious fashion school. “It would be a great introduction to do it as Anna,” he mused, though he ultimately opted to change out of drag. Until next time, Anna – I’m still holding out for my big win.