Beyond the Binary: HESTA and the Future of Queer Fashion

The world of fashion is in constant flux, but for many LGBTQ+ communities, this evolution is more than a seasonal trend—it’s a form of survival, celebration, and visibility. Nowhere was this spirit more palpable than at the 10th anniversary of DapperQ’s Queer NYFW show, where designer Hester Sunshine’s label, HESTA, emerged as a focal point for conversations around gender, embodiment, and the future of queer style .

Hester Sunshine, the creative mind behind HESTA, is no stranger to experimentation. With a background that spans art, performance, and design, Sunshine infuses their collections with a palpable sense of play and subversion. Their most recent work, shown at DapperQ Ten, drew on a unique blend of medieval and motocross aesthetics—moody, dramatic, and ready for the dance floor at the end of the world .

Sunshine described the collection as “night inspired” and “what I see for future queer fashion… or what I feel like I want to wear raving in the apocalypse” . This daring approach—eschewing gendered conventions in favor of materials and silhouettes that evoke both protection and liberation—has set HESTA apart in a crowded field.

The centerpiece of HESTA’s recent collection was a garment that sparked immediate buzz: a binder-corset, designed to offer full chest compression while doubling as a sensual, empowering undergarment. Unlike traditional binders, which are often utilitarian and hidden, HESTA’s innovation invites wearers to display it proudly—a radical shift in the conversation around trans and nonbinary embodiment .

Sunshine explained, “I made that’s full compression, and it works! It needs to be workshopped, but this is where I go to test out ideas. I don’t make trials of things… I just go straight to fabric—very Project Runway vibes. All of this was the first time it came together, and I’m so proud of it. It’s been a wild six months” .

For many transgender and nonbinary people, access to affirming garments can be life-changing. Yet, as noted in broader LGBTQ+ fashion coverage, the mainstream industry has often lagged in producing options that are both functional and celebratory . HESTA’s binder-corset challenges this norm, offering not just a tool for dysphoria relief but a statement piece—beautiful, visible, and unashamed.

The ethos of HESTA is inseparable from the culture of the queer communities it serves. Sunshine’s approach is deeply collaborative, drawing inspiration from the lived realities of LGBTQ+ people and the spaces they inhabit. DapperQ, the platform where HESTA’s latest collection debuted, has spent a decade building a space “of visibility, rebellion, and permanence” for queer creators historically excluded from mainstream fashion .

Genevive, DapperQ’s co-producer, reflected on the importance of these milestones: “Ten years is just so meaningful… especially in this political climate, it means everything. Getting to have a community celebration and have all of these incredibly creative and outrageous queers being every bit of themselves—it’s just amazing” .

HESTA’s work, and the platform provided by DapperQ, foreground a community-driven approach to fashion—one that prizes authenticity, collective care, and the full spectrum of gender expression. The binder-corset, for instance, is more than a product; it’s a response to the needs and desires of trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming people who are rarely prioritized by major fashion houses .

In the past year, HESTA’s profile has risen sharply within queer fashion circles, driven by a combination of design innovation, community engagement, and timely cultural relevance. The debut of the binder-corset coincided with renewed calls for trans-affirming fashion and the broader visibility of queer designers at major events like New York Fashion Week .

The mainstream industry’s slow adaptation to nonbinary and trans aesthetics has left a gap that designers like Sunshine are eager to fill. As other LGBTQ+ designers such as Sinéad O’Dwyer and Becca McCharen-Tran have also demonstrated, there is a growing appetite for garments that center inclusivity, body positivity, and queer joy . HESTA’s momentum is a testament to the hunger for fashion that does more than pay lip service to diversity—it builds new worlds, both on the runway and in everyday life.

The significance of HESTA’s work extends beyond the clothing itself. By choosing to debut their binder-corset at DapperQ’s landmark show, Sunshine aligned their brand with an institution committed to amplifying marginalized voices. As co-producer Genevive noted, DapperQ’s legacy is about “embracing all of the wild diversity of creativity that the queer community brings to the world in every kind of way” .

In a time of heightened political scrutiny and backlash against LGBTQ+ rights, the visibility of designers like Hester Sunshine is more urgent than ever. Fashion becomes a form of resistance, an affirmation of identity, and a site of collective joy. HESTA’s rise signals not just a trend, but a shift toward a more inclusive, imaginative, and empowered queer future.

As HESTA continues to develop and refine its vision, the brand’s trajectory offers valuable lessons for the fashion industry at large. Prioritizing community input, centering marginalized experiences, and refusing to compromise on authenticity—these are the principles that will define the next chapter in queer fashion.

The binder-corset’s debut is only the beginning. As Sunshine and their contemporaries push the boundaries of what queer fashion can be, they are not just designing clothes—they are crafting spaces for self-realization, belonging, and celebration. For queer audiences watching HESTA’s ascent, the message is clear: there is room for every body, every story, and every dream on the runway.