ALTBALL PRESENTS

UNDERGROUND

Let’s Step into the light.

MAY 14, 2027

Some of culture’s boldest moments happen when someone refuses the rule. They always have. Warhol made the party his own moving artwork. Willi Ninja turned the floor into a language of the body. Leigh Bowery transformed into something closer to sculpture. No rules, no permission, only uninterrupted self-expression. Their uniqueness helped shape spaces, communities and movements where others could show up, “wear themselves” and live in their own power.

ALTBALL 2027 calls back to the personalities and spaces that started movements: the self, the art and the floor. UNDERGROUND is an homage to those that rewrote what art, fashion or performance could be and gave alternative culture its platforms. Those rooms started out of sight. Now the doors are open - with no separation between the art, the show and the room. This year, the runway doesn’t hold still; it melds and moves through the entire space.

UNDERGROUND is about the world only you can see and the nerve to share it with others. This is a space that welcomes what’s next.

For over 35 years, DOORWAYS has provided emergency housing and supportive services for individuals affected by HIV, illness and poverty in St. Louis and across Missouri & Illinois. Each year DOORWAYS’ programs serve over 3,500 clients with wrap-around services to stabilize and rebuild their lives.

ALTBALL celebrates the strength, resilience and beauty of this community - demonstrating what’s possible when everyone is free to be and express themselves at the height of their potential. Designers, artists, drag queens and ballroom legends will showcase avant-garde creations on the runway while raising funds for DOORWAYS’ programs.

Part artistic spectacle, part fashion show, part ball - ALTBALL is a unique creative showcase that is both *of* the community and *for* the community.

All proceeds to benefit the mission and programs of DOORWAYS - which improves the quality of life of people affected by HIV, illness, and poverty, advancing their stability and well-being through housing, health, and empowerment services.

Thank you to all who joined us at ALTBALL 2026 to MAKE SOME BEAUTIFUL NOISE.

Some nights, fashion isn't just fashion - it's a manifesto. Thank you to everyone who showed up and showed out at ALTBALL: ICON, channeling the fearless spirit of icons past and present who have used fashion as an instrument of rebellion, identity, and liberation.

To our designers, models, and performers: you didn't just interpret the theme, you became it. To our sponsors, volunteers, and vendors: your generosity is what let the vision come to life. This was a true collaboration… the kind that only happens when a whole community decides to show up for something bigger than itself.

That's the spirit ALTBALL exists to create. DOORWAYS' work - keeping families housed, offering stability when it's needed most - happens because communities like ours choose to show up again and again, not just on the night of the show. As you're able, we hope you’ve been inspired to make a donation to support DOORWAYS' mission year-round.

See you in 2027.

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RELIVE ALTBALL 2026 ・ALTBALL 2025 ・ ALTBALL 2024

FOR NEARLY FOUR DECADES DOORWAYS HAS PROVIDED clients HOUSING, HEALTH & HOPE

DOORWAYS, based in St. Louis, is dedicated to providing housing and supportive services for those in our community affected by HIV. Founded in 1988 as an interfaith organization offering hospice care at the height of the AIDS crisis, DOORWAYS’ programs have expanded to six platforms of housing services. Today, they serve over 3,500 individuals each year with emergency housing and supportive services across the St. Louis metro and MO/IL communities.

Their Annual Impact Report and other information outlining their work and impact can be found at doorwayshousing.org