Violet Chachki - The Past, Present and Future of Drag
By Hannah Schmidt-Rees
Rising to fame by winning season 7 of Rupaul's Drag Race in 2015, Violet Chachki has slowly become an icon within the fashion industry. From the first episode of RPDR, Chachki turned look after look, presenting outfits inspired by Thierry Mugler and Alexander McQueen down the runway. Inspired by history, especially the old Hollywood of the 1920s to 1950s and the runways of the 80s and 90s, Chachki's looks captivated because of their incredibly unique aesthetic.
Violet Chachki, or Jason Dardo, was born in 1992 in Atlanta, Georgia. Describing herself as genderfluid, Chachki began performing in clubs at the age of 19, using a fake ID. Her stage name 'Violet' is inspired by Jennifer Tilly's character in the Wachowski's film Bound (a "sexy money hungry lesbian rocking Christian Louboutins and Chanel" as Violet puts it), whereas 'Chachki' is based off the Yiddish word 'tchotchke' which means a small object that is decorative rather than functional. Chachki's love for fashion started with her mother, going through her jewellery collection when growing up. "I remember when she would leave the house, I would go and put on these clip-on earrings, and fulfil my fantasy - play in the mirror, do everything. After that I was stealing dresses from thrift stores, and it just spiralled from there." says Chachki. Her interest in makeup stemmed from playing with her sister's and mother's makeup.
“[Drag makeup is] not about transformation, it’s about glamour. It’s about creating an idealised version of yourself or an idealised version of a part of yourself.”
In terms of aesthetic, Violet Chachki's aesthetic is one of the most unique. Blending fetishism, vintage glamour and high fashion, imagine how many head-turning looks you can fit into an 18-inch corset and 6-inch heels. Inspired by Dita von Teese, Bettie Page, Leigh Bowery and Thierry Mugler, the extreme vintage silhouette is a fundamental part of her looks, whether it further evolves into; a showgirl look, classic vintage glamour, a latex covered dominatrix or a 21st century supermodel. A big part of Chachki’s aesthetic is her attitude, the overconfident vintage femme-fatale mindset adding so much uniqueness to her looks.
A recent evolution in her aesthetic is the exploration of unique hair silhouettes’ concept that has rarely been explored. Just have a look at photos of her from fashion weeks, and you’ll see what I mean. When writing this article, I realised how difficult it is to fully describe and capture Violet Chachki’s style and aesthetic. It’s something that you have to see to believe and understand, so don’t be afraid to check out her Instagram here. It’s amazing.
“I think drag in itself is kind of a fetish. I think especially when you’re really feeling it and feeling you’re look and you’re willing to suffer through the pain to kind of present yourself the way you want to present… I think that’s kind of a fetish. I think it’s exhibitionism almost.”
Chachki's recent involvement in the high fashion industry is just the start of her career. Walking for Jeremy Scott in his Moschino AW 18 show, Resort 2019 show and Resort 2020 show, it's clear that Chachki is becoming a muse for Scott and his Moschino brand. Chachki was even selected to appear at the 2019 Met Gala in a full Moschino look, which fit her like a glove. Chachki has also appeared in a few advertisements for Prada's AW 2018 collection, starring alongside Sarah Paulson. Her presence in the high fashion industry is an example of high fashion brands becoming more open to the breaking down of traditional gender roles, as well as bringing gender politics into the fashion industry. Whether it's walking for a runway show or being invited to fashion events, Chachki's presence is such a big step in queer and LGBT+ representation in the fashion industry. Referring to walking for Moschino, Chachki states; "It felt so powerful to be there, especially in the current political climate… 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." Drag is now more than just a 'man in a dress'. Evolving from an underground community to the mainstream pop culture, the incredible art and the 'fantasy' that drag can create is finally being recognised and realised. However, with the mainstream success, drag needs to be more than just a cash grab for big corporations to appeal to the LGBT+ community. It's art and it needs to be treated as such.
Apart from becoming an icon in the fashion industry, Violet Chachki has also made a name for herself as a burlesque performance artist. Creating classic burlesque with a modern twist, Chachki's performance ranges from aerial silks, to strip teases and aerial hoops. Chachki has become so well known in the burlesque performance industry, that she was invited to join Dita von Teese's "The Art of the Teese" in her Chicago, Dallas and Houston shows, as well as performing an aerial hoop number at Moschino's 2019 Resort show.
Violet Chachki and the art of drag is a perfect example of the idea that our outside appearance; our clothing, hair and makeup; is not a fitting indication of our identity. Drag is such a exaggerated art form of gender expression, an art form that's slowly breaking down the restrictive gender roles we currently live in. As Rupaul says; "We're all born naked and the rest is drag." Gender is nothing but an illusion, so don't be afraid to trick the eye. If you haven't heard of Violet Chachki, a good place to start is her music video for her single 'A Lot More Me'. Full of amazing visuals and vintage fashion, it sums up her aesthetic perfectly. Watch it below. Chachki also now has a YouTube channel, uploading; makeup tutorials, fashion runway reviews, behind-the-scenes looks into fashion events and a breakdown of her own style, including a look at her most iconic corsets. Find it here.
On a personal note, I love Violet Chachki. Whilst my personal style is more androgynous in nature, I definitely consider Violet as a one of my personal style icons, especially as a genderfluid role model. I love the attitude and look of the femme-fatale, an attitude I love embody when I feel my most feminine. My favourite eras of fashion are the 1980s and 40s, two eras that Violet definitely references. Dita von Teese is also another fashion inspiration of mine, and I love the art of the tease; the art of burlesque and cabaret.