Top 10 Worst Design Challenge Looks on RuPaul's Drag Race

#10: Mrs. Kasha Davis’ Supermarket Supermodel Eleganza

“The Supermarket Ball”

We weren’t exactly holding our breath for Mrs. Kasha Davis going into the Ball challenge on All Stars eight. The season seven queen had already confessed she still couldn’t sew, which immediately foretold of a potential runway mishap. But nothing could have prepared us for the disaster that unfolded. Kasha took the word “supermarket” far too literally, as if she had raided the aisles and glued everything she could find directly onto her body. There were streamers, there were flowers, there was even a birthday cake… all placed so haphazardly it looked like a piñata that had been through hell and back. It may have been inspired by a children’s party, but this look was anything but festive.

#9: Vanessa Vanjie Mateo’s Drag On a Dime

“10s Across the Board”

Vanessa Vanjie Mateo’s first go in this competition is best remembered for the inescapable “Miss Vanjie” meme. The catchphrase was so iconic that it’s easy to forget the horrid ensemble that led to her elimination in the first place. Tasked with crafting a look from items sourced at a 99-cent store, Vanjie’s creativity went out the window, as she simply rolled herself in fake flowers, slapped on a tulle cape and called it a day. On closer inspection, the outfit only gets worse, with random dolls and fish toys awkwardly sticking out, like a rushed arts-and-crafts school project. The look swallowed up her upper half, leaving her with no semblance of shape. Unsurprisingly, it landed her in the bottom two.

#8: Aja’s Princess Disastah

“Draggily Ever After”

The queens were supposed to create fairytale versions of themselves in this Season 9 challenge, but what Aja presented on the runway was more of a horror show than a happily-ever-after. The Brooklyn queen named her character Princess Disastah, an ominous choice that turned out to be foreshadowing at its finest. Aja’s eventual look was indeed a disaster, as her elaborate flame-inspired outfit crashed and burned immediately she hit the runway. The outfit itself was bad enough, but the misshapen wig and disastrous makeup only made things worse. This was neither perfect nor was it beautiful, and Aja definitely did not look like Linda Evangelista wearing it.

#7: Maddy Morphosis’ Glamazon Look

“Glamazon Prime”

After landing in the bottom two during the Ball episode, Maddy Morphosis got the opportunity to redeem herself in another design challenge just three episodes later. Unfortunately, she completely squandered it. Maddy hit the runway in a “rag-tag homemade country” dress that was the worst version of every word in that description. The patchwork of mismatched materials lacked any clear pattern, the dress had an awkward length, and the finishing was a disaster. To make matters worse, she brought with her an inflatable doll, which only seemed to be a desperate attempt to distract the judges from her outfit. This was not “glam” by any stretch of the imagination. This was straight trash.

#6: Plasma’s Neo-Goth Look

“See You Next Wednesday”

Going into this episode, Plasma was one of the frontrunners of the seasons, having already snagged two wins. All she needed to do was deliver a decent outfit to keep her safe, but for all her colorful camp, this theater queen failed to manage even that. What Plasma ended up presenting on the runway was a shoddy-looking top with a plunging neckline and pants that were so glaringly lacking any proper execution. And while the outfit could have been enhanced with proper accessories, all Plasma could throw on was a shag coat that resembled a bundle of mops stitched together. Swiffer? We hardly know her.

#5: Kelly Mantle’s Bacon Dress

“RuPaul's Big Opening”

In the season six premiere, the judges were expecting a feast of stunning fashion inspired by TV shows, but they got a different kind of meal from Kelly Mantle. The LA queen had to draw inspiration from “Downton Abbey” and layered fake flower petals over one another to create the top half of her dress. Unfortunately, the result resembled bacon, which the judges were quick to point out. And once they did, it was impossible to unsee. The bottom half didn’t make things any better either, as the long polyester skirt clashed with the top and failed to capture the essence of the source material. At least, this dress has now become iconic among the fanbase, so there’s your silver lining.

#4: Shangela’s Christmas Eleganza

“The Queen Who Mopped Xmas”

The second season of “Drag Race” kicked off with a design challenge that saw Shangela sashay away due to her poorly constructed garment. Following a high-profile return for season three, Shangela proved that some things just never change, precisely, her sewing skills. For the premiere, the queens were tasked to make Eleganza outfits out of Christmas-themed items. Shangela, for reasons best known to her, zeroed in on a big lamp and decided to structure her entire garment around it. The result was a skirt that disintegrated with every step she took on the runway. Not even her snowman prop could save her from landing in the bottom. This time, though, she turned things around and slayed the lip sync.

#3: Serena ChaCha’s Hollywood Realness

“RuPaullywood or Bust”

Serena ChaCha waltzed into the competition eager to flaunt her impressive achievement of being selected at just 21, on her very first try. But it soon became abundantly clear that she still needed a lot more time in the drag oven. For the first challenge, Serena was supposed to turn garbage into couture, but it seems she missed the “couture” part entirely. What she delivered barely made it past the trash can, with a concept that was MIA and execution that fell completely flat. This was particularly ironic given how often she reminded everyone of her art college degree, which she claimed was her secret weapon. We doubt this creation would’ve made any of her college professors proud.

#2: Jiggly Caliente’s Post-Apocalyptic Couture

“RuPocalypse Now!”

Jiggly Caliente burst onto season four with a bang, snatching the very first mini-challenge win. But not only did she fail to carry that momentum into the maxi-challenge, she flopped completely. Her post-apocalyptic couture wasn’t so much the aftermath of a disaster as it was the disaster itself. Sure, we knew she couldn’t sew and had to rely on a hot glue gun. But Jiggly glued any and everything in the werkroom onto her body, and when she ran out of space, she just grabbed the leftovers and swung them as she stomped down the runway. It was a trainwreck worthy of instant elimination, but Jiggly’s lip sync skills saved her, keeping her around for a few more episodes.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Katya, “Hello, Kitty Girls!”

This Mess of a Hello Kitty Outfit Had Us Waving Goodbye to Katya

Nina West, “The Paint Ball”

A Paint Ball Look Ripped From the Pages of a Kindergartener’s Coloring Book

Tia Kofi, “Who Wore It Best?”

An Adequate Gown That Was Inadequate to Keep Tia Out of the Bottom

Derrick Barry, “RuPaul Book Ball”

We’d Read Derrick, but the Book Ball Challenge Already Did

Aiden Zhane, “The Ball Ball”

Given the Lack of Effort, It’s a Surprise She Didn’t End up in the Bottom

#1: Lala Ri’s Bag Look

“The Bag Ball”

It’s a special kind of legendary to serve a look so bad that “Drag Race” producers invent an entire award category for you. Lala Ri’s first two Bag Ball outfits were decent enough to keep her out of the bottom. However, when she turned the corner in her third look, you could see the judges go “huh?” What should have been a fun, colorful dress made from gift bags ended up as a black corset with bags slapped on with reckless abandon. One would think the queens had no time to create their looks until you remember what others like Utica produced in the same period. It was a disaster so unforgettable it led to the creation of the Golden Boot Award.




What is the worst design challenge look you’ve seen descend the “Drag Race” runway? Let us know in the comments below.