He Ye! Hear Ye! Gather ‘round and bow down to thy new Queen of England! We live in a moment in time where “viral moments” are subjectively constant, and they can happen at any moment of the day. However, one incredibly magical woman was able to not only curate a viral fashion moment that took social media platforms by storm but became a noteworthy trendsetter overnight. Black Women are usually not given the proper credit for setting fashion trends that are typically adopted on a mainstream level but then are claimed by white/white-passing public figures. This is the story of Gabrie Bassett, the originator behind the revolutionary viral “European Victorian Ruff” fashion moment.
Bassett is a 24-year-old Black woman who is definitely not a rookie when it comes to curating moments that fit into the several professional hats that she wears. Hailing from Columbus, Ohio, Bassett can be described as a triple threat: She’s a Social Media Marketing Specialist that also indulges in the creative fields of modeling and acting. Bassett’s bold yet commendable choice to wear a European Victorian Neck Ruff to her friend’s birthday party shook the table that is social media. The theme of the birthday party was “Dress to impress,” with an emphasis for her to “wear her best outfit.” When I reached out to Bassett for a Zoom interview, I personally did not know what to expect, but my intuition knew that was a mesmerizing woman with a colorful, full story to tell. Unsurprisingly to me, Bassett confirmed my thoughts when she not only interviewed in her iconic European Neck Ruffle, but she also conducted the entire interview in a British accent. MEFeater Magazine will broadcast the entire sit-down interview that I conducted with Miss. Bassett this upcoming Wednesday (via IGTV), September 2nd, because the visual gives Gabrie’s mesmerizing personality the shine that she absolutely deserves. Until the premiere of the full interview, here is a sneak-peek of the conversation that I had with the visionary behind the look:
Gabrie Bassett on the Inspiration behind Choosing the Pastel Pink Cocktail Dress
“I’m going to talk about the outfit first: I actually went to a clothing store called “Edge,” and that was in Alabama. I found the outfit – it was like a pink, little kind-of sexy see-through on some parts. It had a little corset in there. I was like, ‘Oh! Imma try it on and see what I look like in it.’ I put it on, and it fit my entire body- that was the largest size that they had there. It was a Large. It fit my entire body, and I noticed some people online were saying something about it like, ‘Oh, it didn’t fit the breast part.’ You know what? They were right about THAT. It definitely didn’t fit there, and I had to like stuff 1/4th of my breast in the part that you couldn’t see and then the rest of it? It wasn’t my business. They do what they want to do.”
Gabrie Bassett on the Initial Intention of Buying the European Victorian Neck Ruff
“Originally, I was inspired by a couple of things: so the music video for Cardi B and Megan thee Stallion made called, ‘W.A.P.’ I was inspired by that. It’s kind of weird how it connects, but basically, I saw the video, and I thought it was funny, and I would call myself a bit of a Facebook comedian, you know? I got my regular job. I come home, and I entertain people all day, right. So – you know it was just fun for me. I was thinking that I was going to make a meme, you know? A picture… put words on it or something because I usually make funny videos and such all of the time.”
Gabrie Bassett on the Social Media Controversy Surrounding the Neck Ruffle
“Honestly, I thought that it was awesome! That’s why this (referring to her wearing the Victorian ruff) wasn’t foreign to me when I was getting roasted on the Internet. I’m like, ‘Oh, this is great!’ I do this every day, alright? Mission accomplished.”
Gabrie Bassett on her Initial Plan to Pay Homage to Cardi B and Megan thee Stallion’s “W.A.P.” Music Video
“I was like, ‘Okay… I’m going to order a neck ruffle that shows that you’re royalty… that you’re the Queen.’ I was going to make the meme. I was going to get my Mother (a former beautician) to do my hair in that ‘W.A.P.’ style that the ladies had in the ‘90s. I said to myself, ‘yeah… that’s what I want… my Mom to do my hair in a W.A.P. style because you know that updos are so much better with these (referring to her European Victorian ruff). I was going to wear the W.A.P. style and take a picture to say, ‘the Queen of W.A.P. has ARRIVED!’ That’s the whole reason why I bought it in the first place!”
As one can see, Gabrie Bassett did not make a passive decision solely based on wanting to shake the current. Gabrie Bassett is a Black American woman of intention, action, and completion. Bassett took a risk that most could never do justice, but she was able to facilitate a refreshing shift in the fashion world that ignited a conversation. Social media users have begun to pay homage to Gabrie’s genius social media marketing roll-out with their take on styling the European Victorian Ruff, so it is safe to say that Gabrie Bassett achieved what she intended to do. Gabrie Bassett is the first to remix the European Victorian Ruff in the 21st Century. Gabrie Bassett will become a sensation with the way that she orchestrates engaging moments that are equally as comedic as they are equally impactful. Gabrie Bassett is Thy Star on the Rise. All hail thy Queen of Columbus!
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