Quotes from Violet Chachki

I can definitely make sample size work.

I'm a visual person, and I love visual extremes and aesthetic discipline.

It's very important to have visual representation, to show that queers are important, queers are powerful, queers are beautiful, queers are valid, and you can't erase us.

I vividly remember hearing the car pull into the driveway and looking into the mirror on my mom's vanity with a face full of makeup and the counter below me a mess; it sent me into complete panic mode. From there, I would steal bits of makeup where I could to start my own little collection and play in my bedroom with the door locked.

I draw a lot of inspiration from different time periods.

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

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.

No one should be gatekeeping clothing of any kind.

I think barefaced, minimal makeup happens mostly on editorial shoots. And I've taken a swing at minimal makeup here and there, but I think a lot of what drag celebrates is the opposite of that. I think the inauthenticity and the hyperfemininity is part of why it's so celebrated.

When I was smelling Heretic for the first time, I was impressed because it was organic-smelling and light and refreshing and natural and not overbearing at all and not too synthetic or floral. It doesn't smell like you're wearing cotton candy.

It's probably the best feeling ever, taking off your corset after a long night.

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'm like a cross between Bettie Page and Lady Miss Kier but a guy.

I always have been excited by taboo things, especially growing up, going to Catholic school.

I don't pretend to be an eco-warrior; I need to perform in an air-conditioned space otherwise my make-up will melt off. But I definitely buy clothes with longevity in mind; I love the idea of a shoe that lasts a lifetime.

I love burlesque. I'm a decent aerialist. I think I set myself apart visually.

There's nothing I love more than admiring the details and embellishments on the works of art that I wear.

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.

My whole confidence is almost a 'fake it 'til you make it' kind of thing.

At things like DragWorld and Drag Con, you see young people come out in droves and be moved to tears, or hear their stories about how they found strength in what we do.

That's what I really love about glamour and drag; it's about celebrating femininity and fun, while being really provocative.

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

I perform in theaters, international stages with people screaming for me, and then I go back to my hotel room, take all my makeup off, and I'm alone.

I started as an inexperienced drag queen with awful makeup serving daiquiris to obnoxious bachelorette parties.