In the queer community, fashion helps people discover their identity before they can find the words
“Your individual style is what showcases your identity,” Ivanka De Koning, a famed queer femme fashion influencer, told us when asked whether individuality can be manifested through fashion. For hers, it did. “As my identity evolved, so did my style.”
De Koning was 26 years old when she came out as queer, making her what she would call a “late bloomer”. She was born in Heerlen, Netherlands, but traveled around the world for most of her childhood because of her father’s military career, before landing in New York City. Manhattan quickly became her home, a welcoming space free from judgment and expectation.
Since starting a fashion blog in 2016, she’s now gained more than 422,000 followers on Instagram and 60,000 on TikTok, leading two mass
