Violet Chachki

“I'm not a social justice warrior - that was never my goal, to be a political figurehead.”

“It's not my thing to dance in my living room on a livestream, so I'm really having to figure out ways to elevate the digital world and bring it to the level that I've held my drag at for so long.”

“Where I come from, camp was kind of looked down upon because the drag queens that I grew up with took themselves so seriously.”

“I'm living and doing my work on my own terms. It's a lot of pressure, not just for the audience, but for myself.”

“I mean, casting gender non-conforming people in campaigns and editorials and on covers of magazines is a risk for any business because there's going to be controversy, but I think they need to take the risk and believe they're moving in the right direction.”

“I just love a little bit of tinted moisturiser or an SPF on days where I don't have to wear any makeup. Giving your skin a break is crucial and there's actually a bit of glamour in beautiful skincare and no makeup days.”

“The reason I started drag in the first place is because I felt like I never really fit in, and I still don't feel like I fit in to any of those places: the drag world, the circus world or the burlesque world. I'm kinda this combination of everything, so it made sense to me that I'd set out to do my own solo show.”

“Oh I love not wearing makeup, that's like my favourite thing.”

“I'm proud of what I've accomplished and that is empowering.”

“I use glamour as a tool, almost like armor to confidently take up space, to provoke questions and conversations about society and gender norms.”

“I don't necessarily like being a TV personality, I just want to be an artist.”

“I get asked really dumb questions.”

“Skincare is a journey for everyone. Everyone's skin is different, so there's no one answer.”

“Glamour has the potential to be very powerful in that way without saying anything.”

“Well, I was raised in the south, so it's like Bible belt vibes. I went to Catholic school, so I had a male uniform my whole life. I always had very specific gender roles with hair and makeup and nails. Every single little aspect of me was gendered and then I was told aesthetically what was allowed per my gender.”

“I've always dreamed of creating my own show.”

“I had to change foundations four or five times and I finally found one that I think my skin agrees with.”

“It feels like a lot of times when I'm watching people perform, they're just going through the motions and checking boxes. Costume - good, hair - good, make-up - good, death drop - good; it's like they're just going through a checklist of what makes a 'good performance' but it's not entertaining, it's very disposable.”

“I think Atlanta has been a drag capital for a long time. A lot of people get there start here.”