Filmmaker John Waters is well known for his movie “Pink Flamingos,” but he drew attention last weekend for a different pink item.
At the Vanity Fair Oscars Party in Los Angeles on Sunday, Waters wore a pair of Pink Beatle Bozo Tractor Boots, by designer Rick Owens.
Attending the party with Blondie singer Debbie Harry, Waters said wearing pink tractor boots was his way of subverting mainstream fashion expectations on Oscars night.
“I know that in Hollywood, they like to ruin the classic look of men’s tuxedos,” he told correspondent Denny Directo of ETOnline.com. “So I got in the spirit of it and wore shoes that look like the Easter rabbit.”
“I love that for John Waters – it’s counterculture,” Directo said.
Always one to put in a good word for his hometown, Waters said his tuxedo came from “Joseph Bank – the most normal men’s store in Baltimore.”
Jos. A. Bank Clothiers was established in 1905 in Baltimore by Charles Bank and grandson Joseph Alfred Bank and had its headquarters in the city for decades. It merged with Men’s Wearhouse in 2014 and is now a subsidiary of California-based Tailored Brands, with Maryland branches in Towson, Hunt Valley, Columbia and Bel Air.
Waters and Harry were seated at the Vanity Fair party next to Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, 81, who presented the Oscar for Best Original Song. While onstage, Jagger confided that “I wasn’t the first choice to give this award out. The producers really wanted Bob Dylan to do this.”
Jagger said Dylan declined, allegedly because he thought “the best songs this year were obviously in the movie ‘A Complete Unknown.’” He said Dylan, 83, told the producers, “You should find someone younger. I said, ‘OK, I’m younger! I’m younger than Bob. I’ll do it.’ So here I am.”
Directo asked Waters, 78, and Harry, 79, if they’d be dancing at the party. Harry, who appeared as Velma Von Tussle in Waters’ 1988 dance film “Hairspray” and wore a Gucci gown at the Vanity Fair event, said she loves dancing. Waters said he typically doesn’t get on the dance floor.
“I just watch,” he said. “I’m not a dancer. I just watch. Maybe I should do The Fly. All you have to do is move your hands like that, but I don’t think they’ll be playing that record.”
Waters’ oversized boots, covered in pink fur, came from Owens’ Strobe FW22 Collection and represented a nod both to “Pink Flamingos” and to the two men’s admiration for each other. Waters has worn Rick Owens designs for years, and Owens has previously cited Waters as an influence.
On March 4, Waters performed his spoken-word show, “The Naked Truth,” at Living Out Palm Springs, a 55-and-older LGBTQ+ community in Palm Springs. According to The Desert Sun, it was “the first time he’s performed in a retirement community, not to mention one specifically geared toward the LGBTQ+ community.” The show started at the senior-friendly time of 4:30 p.m.
Waters will have a book signing in Baltimore in May for three new paperback books – screenplays of “Pink Flamingos,” “Desperate Living” and “Flamingos Forever,” a never-filmed sequel to “Pink Flamingos.” It will be held on May 21 starting at 7 p.m. at Atomic Books, 3620 Falls Road in Hampden.
