Amanda Lepore’s “Lactose” Legend: Queer Icons, Camp, and the Art of Bottled Presence at Art Basel Miami

Miami in December is no stranger to spectacle, but even among the dazzling kaleidoscope of Art Basel, few projects are generating as much buzz—or queer anticipation—as “Lactose by Lepore.” On December 6, 2025, the Miami Beach Convention Center will play host to the unveiling of a photo series so deliciously camp, so blazingly unapologetic, that it’s already being whispered about as an instant classic of queer creative collaboration .

At the heart of this project is Amanda Lepore, the legendary transgender nightlife superstar whose platinum presence has defined generations of queer glamour. Lepore is joined by Cuban-American model Marcos Pedraza, who slips into the role of “Marcos the Milkman”—a persona equal parts fantasy, metaphor, and Miami heat. The creative ringleader, Gregory Farrell, a brand identity savant and visual provocateur, dreamed up the series as a love letter to queer audacity and the power of visual metaphor.

If you’re picturing Amanda Lepore reclining in a cloud of pink tulle, cradling a bottle of her own “special milk,” congratulations: you’re halfway to understanding the outrageous, layered genius of “Lactose by Lepore.” But this isn’t just a cheeky riff on classic pin-up tropes or a nod to the dairy aisle; it’s a meditation on the mythos of queer icons and the hunger for their presence in a world that too often tries to bottle, label, or commodify what makes them magical.

As Pedraza puts it, “‘Lactose by Lepore’ is a metaphor for something much bigger: The aura of Amanda Lepore. She is a magical woman, and anyone who meets her can attest to that. There is nobody quite like Amanda Lepore. If it was truly possible to bottle up Amanda's presence… I know the world would demand it in a heartbeat. As ‘Marcos the Milkman,’ it is my responsibility to deliver it to the people” .

Farrell, for his part, leans into the delicious tension between shock and taste, art and camp: “Amanda's special milk being her own breastmilk as a trans woman is a powerful, yet playful, statement to what is going on in the world right now. It invites conversations to be held in a camp way. If it was actually possible to bottle Amanda's aura, the world would become beyond addicted” .

At a time when trans visibility is both under attack and on the rise, “Lactose by Lepore” functions as both a shield and a celebration: a “camp way” to hold space for conversations about gender, performance, and the relentless beauty of living authentically.

Amanda Lepore is not just a model—she’s an icon forged in the crucible of New York nightlife, pop-art pageantry, and queer survival. Her journey, from fighting for presence in every room with a smile to starring in a MAC Cosmetics campaign that “plays on rotation in my head,” as Farrell recalls, is the stuff of legend. “She is the O.G. Doll. Amanda Lepore fought for her presence to be respected in all rooms, and did it with a smile on her face. She is one of the nicest people I've ever worked with, and she is a mother to many in her community. Amanda Lepore is forever *that girl*,” Farrell beams .

The collaboration is also a testament to queer mentorship and creative kinship. Farrell and Pedraza’s dynamic is one of mutual trust, laughter, and boundary-pushing invention. “I consider Marcos as my muse. He's down to earth and our dynamic is exciting. We're always laughing, and that's a great foundation to operate from... There is nothing that Marcos and I can't create together; this shoot is only the beginning of what is yet to come” .

For Pedraza, whose own star is rising, the experience is both surreal and grounding: “Living in a digital realm where people try to view artwork as content, things get easily reviewed and dismissed. It takes a question like this for me to really reflect on the building blocks that are being laid out in front of me. As I look back on this past year, I'm so happy to be creating, growing, and evolving into new opportunities. I am making my dreams turn into reality” .

Art Basel Miami Beach is always a cultural crossroads—a place where the global art world meets the heat, color, and complexity of Miami. This year, the fair is foregrounding urgent artistic currents, including Latinx and diasporic voices, and is spotlighting queer identity as both a subject and a creative force . “Lactose by Lepore” fits right into this vanguard, joining presentations that explore queerness and mestizaje in Mexican identity, feminist avant-garde, and the blurred boundaries between art, fashion, and performance .

The presence of Lepore, Pedraza, and Farrell at Art Basel is more than a display of eye-popping visuals; it’s a moment of queer legacy in action. For trans and queer communities, seeing Amanda Lepore not just represented, but celebrated and mythologized, is an affirmation with stakes that go beyond aesthetics. In a world that too often insists on shrinking or sanitizing queer presence, “Lactose by Lepore” doubles down on excess, metaphor, and the right to be fully, fabulously seen.

As the art world and queer community alike prepare for the spectacle, one thing is clear: to bottle the aura of Amanda Lepore is to bottle a piece of queer history, resistance, and joy. And if the world is thirsty for it, “Lactose by Lepore” is ready to deliver.