The Second Annual ‘Doll Invasion’ of Fire Island Was a Celestially Fashionable Affair (2024)

The only thing I knew about Fire Island for many years was that it was where Frank O’Hara died. It is not, historically, a place hospitable to trans people looking to party. Last year, the first Doll Invasion—which was spearheaded by a group of trans women and their fashionable sidekicks—took place on Fire Island, and this year the party returned with one notable difference: the great Cecilia Gentili wouldn’t be present, after she died earlier this year. In her honor, “All Dolls Go to Heaven” was graffitied across the Pines and all attendees were encouraged to wear white, silver, and gold. Partiers described the dress code to me as “angelic” and “ethereal,” and of course, not everyone was on theme, but multiple revelers donned angel wings to show their heavenly aspirations. Body glitter, sparkly harnesses, halos, slinky white tops, and slip dresses weren’t hard to spot.

Toward the end of the festivities, DJ Lina Braford went onstage to deliver a house-music inspired set centered on community and family. Veteran performer Charlene Incarnate did a daring, cinematic, masterful striptease to the “Macarena”; musician and It-girl Macy Rodman wowed with teased hair and a slinky red dress; Chicago-based legend Ariel Zetina gave another inspired techno set; and model-actress Maya Margarita gave a fun, beachy performance to start the afternoon off right. The party was free for transsexuals, while everyone else was asked to pay an entrance fee (with a sliding scale of around $50-150 suggested). As the beach filled up, the VIPs took to the balcony to hold court and watch the rest of us frolic around the pool and light up near the sand pit.

Comedians Honey Pluton and Spike Einbinder emceed the first portion of the evening before Chiquitita—Miss Bushwig 2018—took the reins and tried to get the trans boys to make some noise. Mother, author, and activist Ceyenne Doroshow gave a speech asking everyone to take care of one another and discussed her current fundraiser for GLITS. She was welcomed with an uproar of appreciation. (The event itself raised money for Queer Art and Trans Equality Now.)

Those looking for titillation and gossip didn’t have to look far: Models and TV stars mixed with twinks, bodybuilders, and shy girls wearing bikinis for the first time. Geena Rocero, Julio Torres, Jaboukie Young-White, Chelsea Manning, Eli Erlick, Raquel Willis, Laurel Charleston, Gogo Graham, Cherry Jaymes, and JD Samson were all in attendance. Willie Norris, who recently started as the chief creative officer of underwear brand TomboyX—and produced a campaign with current Broadway star Cole Escola—was also present. For this year’s Doll Invasion, she created a series of 300 limited-edition red cups that read “Doll Juice.” Fran Tirado, whom Norris crowned “the matriarch of organizing,” coordinated last year’s shirts, which read: Everyone knows I’m a transsexual.

“The shirts are very legendary,” I said. “I would agree with you,” replied Norris, who wore an altered gold Norma Kamali dress. “The clothes are not that expensive,” Norris went on, telling me of her dress: “This was $150 full-price, not even marked down. You can tell they’re made well.” She wore a stack of her mother’s necklaces and bracelets.

“I see a bunch of people that haven’t always been truly comfortable in a public space with a swimsuit on being genuinely comfortable, and that, to me, is wearing Cecilia. Truly. That was always her thing,” Norris continued. “She inspired me about my body.” When she ran into Gentili at last year’s Doll Invasion, Gentili told her, “I didn’t know you had that under there!” before kissing Norris on the mouth.

Almost everyone present at this year’s incarnation of Doll Invasion had a Cecilia story to tell. As we walked into the party, our hosts chanted the icon’s name over and over before having us form lines to pay: one for trans people and one for “others.” I asked Honey Pluton what he thought of the vibe. “It’s however you wanna be seen in the sun for a long time,” he told me. “It’s comfy-sexy. The theme is just transexuals loving who they are.” Pluton steamed Doroshow’s dress in camo Crocs and brown Playboy swim trunks.

Comedian Marley Gotterer wore Tuckituppp and a custom Singers bra she got while shooting a promo for her upcoming comedy special. She also brought a red polo featuring an anime version of herself that she’ll be selling as merch for the show. She acknowledged all the hustling going on at the event—“There’s clout-ation happening, for sure”—and mentioned that at last year’s party, she took a break by walking down to the beach. While there, she met Cecilia Gentili. “It was fully an angel-on-the-beach moment. The waves were so high we had to hold each other's hand. I have chills talking about it.”

Shoes were very important to everyone, whether they went high-fashion or not. Musician Kelpy Cathedral, hot on the heels of their recent album release, wore platform Demonias: “They’re an extension of my body. If I don’t wear them I feel off.” They also wore a silver snakeskin floor-length skirt, a black string bikini, and a custom white thong by Helena Eisenhart.

My friend and fashion icon Indigo went to a sex shop the day before and found a white and gold polka dot bikini, finished with a green mini skirt and white Nike boots. “I love a boot. You have to have that. A headband and a boot, you’ll see me in it.” Like others, it was her first time on the island.

It was tattoo artist Zyra West’s first time, too. She wore a small white tank top emblazoned with slu*t, Balenciaga shades, “dollified Muay Thai shorts,” long green and black acrylics, tooth gems, and Nike “Tabis” from Japanese eBay. West, like many of my trans friends, is always carrying a million things in her hands: a vape, a phone, a purse, a cigarette. West pulled her shorts down slightly to reveal a sexy trans pin-up before helping me apply a temporary tattoo of a nude trans-girl angel.

Thee Paris L’Hommie wore an anime-inspired look with a blue breast plate and Chris Habana jewelry. “This is a piece I made out of Worbla. I wanted to give a high-fashion interpretation of armor.” She also wore a few steely necklaces, including one featuring a bullet she found while walking around Bushwick.

Drag artist Marti Cummings was glad to see so many new faces. “Fire Island is supposed to be for everyone,” they told me. “No shade to my friends, but a typical Fire Islander is wealthier, cis gay men—which is fine, but if we’re going to call ourselves an LGBT community we have to be a community for all.”

Doll Invasion attendee Desert had been to Fire Island many times before, but never felt welcome while all dolled up. For this year’s main event, she wore a white bodysuit, a halo, and heels. “I know they said don’t wear heels, but I don’t feel complete without heels. I wanted to give hyper-pure femininity,” she said, adding that being at Doll Invasion felt like finding community. “Everyone’s feminized. Doll Invasion makes me feel like a supermodel. Everyone looks so good.”

“It’s filling my heart to see this many dolls together,” my friend September told me at the event, decked out in a celestial, shimmery fishnet dress by Dion Lee, pink Crocs, and Serenade Aux Fraises, a light, refreshing scent not unlike strawberry shortcake.

“I didn’t know I needed this,” Ceyenne Doroshow said as “Got to Be Real” thundered in the background. “It’s what I needed, losing my sister, finding out what the next chapter of my life is gonna be.” A while back, Doroshow brought a few straight men to Fire Island so they could see how she was treated in gay and lesbian spaces. “They were horrified,” Doroshow told me, adding that to her, Doll Invasion is an attempt to make a difference.

The matriarch was carrying around a Balenciaga bag and wore a flowing, white dress pinned perfectly around her. “This is how you hold people,” Doroshow continued. “I think if we present ourselves well in the world, the younger people will see you in the right flair and they’ll see some of this is protection. It’s literally your shield in how people see you. Especially cis women. Then they ask, ‘Who did that? Where did you get that done?’”

When Lina Bradford started working on the island as the resident DJ, she “was the only situation.” She left after a 10-year-long stint in 2015, and was excited to come back for the Invasion. “I’m here for you, always,” she said as she kept spinning house hits. “I’m not done with you, but I just wanted to say that.”