A biography for Violet Chachkihasn’t been written yet.
“That's what I really love about glamour and drag; it's about celebrating femininity and fun, while being really provocative.”
“Getting success really quickly - overnight success - it's a bit jarring at first, for sure, to transition into that.”
“The drag culture in the States is very rich and has a lot of history behind it.”
“I started doing drag as a form of rebellion and expression and then I got attention and it snowballed.”
“I've always been into subcultures. In the '50s and '60s, what Pierre Molinier was doing was super subculture - he was taking self-portraits, it was very private, very intimate. I think that's actually how I started my drag - in my bedroom, taking MacBook self-portraits.”
“Notes on 'Camp' talks a lot about homosexuality and androgyny and performance and a false seriousness, nit-picking the trivial things and making them funny. And that's exactly what drag does. Reading through the entire essay I couldn't help but relate all of it back to drag.”
“It's easier when you're just upfront with somebody. You can just learn and grow from it.”
“I'm a visual person, and I love visual extremes and aesthetic discipline.”
“I definitely think that I, as a drag queen, can endure pain a lot better than most people.”
“I draw a lot of inspiration from different time periods.”
“I feel like I have a legacy that I've built. I feel like I've made my little notch in history.”
“A Lot More Me' is the culmination of 10 years of work as a drag artist.”
“I've always put a lot of stock in aesthetics and visuals. I truly believe a picture is worth a thousand words and that fashion and glamour have the power to transport and transform someone.”
“For me, drag is about two things - confidence and glamour. Drag is about using artiface and illusion to tap into the self-confidence we all have. And glamour is about taking what you have naturally and showcasing in a way that makes you feel good. It's truly a practice in faking it until you make it.”
“I am, by nature, not optimistic: my fellow drag queens would probably describe me as a pessimist.”
“Drag Race' is a huge opportunity for us to elevate drag culture, to tell our stories. It really is a career-maker.”
“A word of advice for all the aspiring drag queens out there: be resourceful.”
“In the drag community it's mostly women in the audience, even for burlesque. I think people look at strippping as a male gaze thing and I think the actual neo-classical burlesque community is more about women supporting women and their creativity, along with freedom of expression.”
“There are so many drag queens on 'Drag Race.' In order to have a fulfilling career, you have to do well on the show. You have to make yourself stand out.”
“There's so many different identities out there and I think they all deserve some visibility.”