Tiger King's Joe Exotic Is The Style Star We Never Knew We Needed

What do you get when you combine politics at an Oklahoma zoo, an assortment of wild and exotic animals and big cats (1,200 to be exact), and a plot that thickens by the second? You'll end up with Netflix's wildly entertaining documentary, Tiger King. The seven-part series follows its flamboyant private zoo owner and protagonist Joseph Maldonado-Passage, a.k.a. Joe Exotic, through a bizarre journey that sees him fighting for the right to own big cats. What ensues is sheer TV heaven as our guy gets embroiled in a feud with cat rescue activist Carole Baskin.

If the plot doesn't get you, then Exotic's zany style certainly will. Think what you might get if you cross Halpern with Balenciaga: there are plenty of sequinned dress shirts, dad jeans, OTT rodeo hats, and flashy belts and piercings. Exotic's brand of cowboy-drag ensembles has even influenced the likes of Jared Leto and fashion influencer Chriselle Lim who paid homage to his wardrobe on her TikTok account. Here, our turn to get inspired by this campy glam wardrobe.