In pictures: The feral fashion at Grilleo and Club Stamina’s Latin link-up

What’s the only thing better than a fashion-filled, trans-led, Latin queer rave? Well, two fashion-filled, trans-led, Latin queer raves, obviously. The Colombian collective Grilleo has been building autonomous queer spaces in Medellín since December 2022, fusing performance, fashion, and underground sounds to amplify femme, trans, and queer resistance. The DJ, stylist and former Dazed100 alum Mina Galán also knows a thing or two about a party, having launched her own intensely hyped night in London following the blowout success of a birthday party at The Standard. For this special edition, Grilleo joined forces with Galán’s Club Stamina for the very first time, giving us a night of dolls, debauchery, and standout fashion moments.

Founded by Alexa TMG and Anastasia Sánchez, Grilleo has become a pillar of Medellín’s underground, carving out liberated spaces for marginalised communities to dance, perform, and assert their voices in a city that often sidelines them. This past edition was co-presented by Worldwide Baddies, a platform created by performer RICO RICA after years of touring, which they use to book their baddie friends and collaborate globally.

For the event, RICO and Grilleo envisioned pole dancers and camgirl-inspired visuals. “It’s work that we’ve done personally, and these are the girls in our community,” they said. The night’s line-up included DJ Sausha, who flew in from NYC, Rayah, who came from Montreal to pole dance, local legend and ‘inflatable doll’ Luna Gil, and a live vocal performance by Anntracks from Medellín. Galán’s Club Stamina videography, curated by Jacqueline Landvik, added another layer to the night.

On the night, the party was full of outfits that were “eclectic, experimental and cunt”, according to Grilleo. “The Grillas know it’s a safe space to express themselves,” continued the collective. “The only space where marginalised people can go as they please, without judgement.” On the dancefloor, this self-expression was telegraphed through the freedom of dress, from itty-bitty leopard swimsuits, diamanté bras, sheer minidresses and crystallised face veils.

And for Alexa and Anastasia, getting dressed up is more than just an aesthetic experience, but a political one too.” We’ve experienced not being let inside some clubs, and there’s some areas of the city such as Provenza, Poblado where we are not allowed to enter because of how we dress,” they explain. “Our party is for the hoes, so they can express themselves freely, because elsewhere in the city you can be shamed during the day.”

The ritual of getting ready, the look, the entrance. It’s symbolic – Mina Galán

Grilleo reclaims nightlife as a form of resistance, centring femme talent and featuring sounds that are often excluded. “There’s so much stigma around genres like guaracha, raptor house, and bala, music with explicit lyrics, music from the ghetto.” And while you might hear those tracks at a party in the Barrio, those spaces often aren’t safe for queer and trans folks. “What we’re doing is merging those realities. Most nightlife in Medellín is made for cis men’s pleasure, or for gay white cis men. Our party is different. It’s not for tourists or the elite. It’s for the girls from the ghetto, the ones who get it.”

Speaking to Galán, she also has her own thoughts on the fashion of club nights. “I wanted to take the underground energy and bring it to the top floor of the most iconic hotel in London.” And though they’re no longer at The Standard, it seemed that Galán’s energy found its way 5000 miles across the Atlantic, with the rest of the party dressed in ornate metallic headdresses, skimpy leather minis and cutout bodycon gowns. Highlights included local performer Maje, who arrived in a dress constructed from acrylic nail tips, and RICO’s metallic cable headpiece, handmade by Pelitozlocos for the occasion. “Fashion has always been part of club culture,” continues Galán. “People come to feel like their best selves: the ritual of getting ready, the look, the entrance. It’s symbolic. The club is sexy, fashion is sexy, music is sexy. It’s all connected.”

Scroll through the gallery above for all of the night’s looks