w o r ld a n d I ’m really lucky to b e here in a t im e w h e n it’s s o activ e and acces s ib le. I re a lly lo o k up to leg end s like m y d r ag m o t h e r Sh ea C o uleé, T he V ix en, and L u c y St o o l e, alo ng with m y d r ag fam ily B a m b i B a nks -C o uleé, K enz ie C o uleé, Ab h ije e t , and JFo r P ay.
Q + A with Khloe Couleé [ b y Abhijeet Rane, c o-f ou n de r of A Q u e e r P ri de a n d C h ic a g o is a Dr a g F e s t iv a l ] A bhije et: What w as t he f ir s t mome nt yo u thou ght abou t being a Dr a g Que e n? K hl oe: I’v e alway s bee n a ve ry c re a t i ve p erson who’s o bsesse d w i t h m a k e u p, p erforming and making vi de os. W h e n I w as st ill in Hig h School i n In di a n a , my mom t o ld me about Ru P a u l ’s D ra g R ace a nd we sat down t oge t h e r t o w atch seaso n one o f th e sh ow t oge t h e r. Watch i ng t ho se art ist s w e rk t h e i r w a y on stage definit ely inspire d m e t o st a rt i n m y b ed room at first , and t h e n i n t h e Ch i c a go n i ghtl i fe scene.
Ne t fl i x sh o w o n o r s o m e m u s ic p la y in g n e a rby. I a lw a y s s t a r t w it h a c o n c e p t a n d m a p e v e r y t h in g o u t in m y h e a d , t h e n t a k e t h i ng s s lo w a n d s t e a d y, o n e s t e p a t a t i m e . T h e re ’s n e v e r a re a s o n t o r u s h , t h e y c a n’t s t a r t t h e p a r t y w it h M E!
H o w has you r st yle/lo ok d e v e lop e d ov e r the ye ars? I s tarte d wit h a ver y “ gi rl n e xt door” aesthet ic and exper ime n t e d w i t h h ow I w ou l d dress if I was a gi rl , m a k i n g do w i th st o res around me . O ve r t h e ye a rs I’ ve transfor med t o a m u c h c ool e r a n d fash i on- fo rward aest he t i c - a n d you c a n al w ays cat ch me in t he c l u b w i t h c u st om fash i on, spar kly jewelr y a n d n e w h a i r!
W ha t a re y o u r p e r f o r m a n c e s l i k e ? A K h l oe C o u le é p e r f o r m a n c e is a lw a y s h i gh e n e r g y a n d u p b e a t . M y s t re n g t h is bri n gi n g e le m e n t s o f in t e r a c t iv it y a n d a l l t h e dr a g s t u n t s t o e v e r y n u m b e r n o m a t t e r t h e g e n re - c a t c h m e g o in g f rom doin g a h a n d s t a n d d u r in g a k - p o p n u m be r t o a ju m p - s p lit in h ip - h o p . Plu s I c a n bri ng y o u a f u n n y a n d g o o f y m o m e n t when needed.
D e sc rib e you r “getting re a d y ” p roc e s s . I can n ever get ready wi t h ou t h a vi n g a
W hic h ot h e r pe r f o r m e r s d o y o u a d m i re ? Ch i c a go h a s s o m e o f t h e b e s t d r a g in t h e
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W ha t’s y o u r f a v o r i t e m a k e u p pro du c t y ou c a n’t l i v e wi t h o u t ? I t h i n k n e u t r a ls a re a m u s t h a v e f o r e ve ryon e w h o w e a r s m a k e u p , a n d m y f a vori t e is Ur b a n De c a y ’s N a k e d H e a t e ye sh a do w p a le t t e .
W h a t wa s i t l i ke bei n g par t o f t h e fi r st C h i c a g o I s A D r ag F est i val ? I ’ v e w o r k e d with A Queer P r id e o n a b u n c h o f ev ents b efo re and was e x t re m e ly ex cited to b e as ked to ho s t s u c h a m a j o r inaug ur al ev ent d es p ite b e in g n e w to the s cene. I t was a w h ir lw in d o f new ex p er iences b ut a m a z in g t o em cee fo r o ne o f m y b ig g es t c ro w d s t o d ate. Lo o king b ack at it no w, I s t ill c a n ’t b eliev e I was the o p ening ho s t a t t h e la r g es t d r ag ev ent in C hicag o , a n d o n e t hat was celeb r ating 5 0 y ear s o f C h ic a g o Prid e and the 5 0 th anniv er s ar y o f t h e St o newall Rio ts . A Queer P r id e is a lw a y s a t the fro nt o f b r ing ing y o u the c o o le s t e v ents and s p ecial g ues ts in C h ic a g o . W h a t c a n peo pl e expect fro m t h e e x p e r i en ce? W it h a n y t hing A Queer P r id e p ro d uces , e x p e c t t h e unex p ected - b ut alway s e x p e c t a g o o d and m em o r ab le tim e. W h y i s D r ag i m po r t an t t o t h e An de r s o n vi l l e n ei g h bo r h o o d? Dr a g in And er s o nv ille s ho ws that the a r t d o e s a nd need s to ex is t o uts id e o f ju s t N o r th H als ted . Dr ag can b e a s in t e re s ting and creativ e o uts id e o f n ig h t c lu b s and ex is t alo ng s id e a fam ily n e ig h b o r h o o d . W ho d o es n’t want to s ee a q u e e n c a r twheel o uts id e o n a S und ay m o r n in g ? C hicag o I s A Dr ag Fes tiv al a ls o s h o w c as ed ho w m any res id ents o f t h e n e ig h b o r ho o d are fans o f d r ag and a re in t e re s ted in s up p o r ting lo cal ar tis ts a n d n a t io n al head liner s . T here’s s o m uch p o t e n t ia l t o keep g ro wing . Te l l u s a bo u t yo u r exper i en ces w i t h D r a g i n An der so n vi l l e. Su n d a y Social with C ham illa Fo x x at / 2021 : 2022
M eeting H o us e Tav er n is o ne o f m y fav o r ite s ho ws in the neig hb o r ho o d . I t b r ing s to g ether s uch a d iv er s e cro wd o f p er fo r m er s and aud iences to enjo y an am az ing ev ening o f d r ag and d r inks to g ether. I ’v e als o had the o p p o r tunity to wo r k with Rep lay A nd er s o nv ille, H am b ur g er M ar y ’s when it was s till o p en, Octav io ’s (no w T he Bird C ag e) and T he C all, and the s taff and cro wd are alway s s up er welco m ing and s up p o r tiv e. Dr ag fans can s to p b y RAYGUN to g et m erch fro m s o m e o f y o ur fav o r ite lo cal d r ag p er fo r m er s . P lus , p eo p le interes ted in s tar ting d r ag can g o o utfit s ho p p ing r ig ht in the neig hb o r ho o d at A K I RA fo r the p er fect ens em b le. T h ere seem s t o be m o re dr ag qu een s t h an dr ag ki n g s? Wh y do yo u t h i n k t h at i s? I think there has alway s b een a m ains tream v is ib ility o f d r ag as a “m ale to fem ale” tr ans fo r m atio n b ut it is s o m uch m o re than that and b ey o nd g end er o r s ex uality. We s ho uld co ntinue to create s p aces fo r d r ag king s and o ther A FA B p er fo r m er s within o ur s ho ws and v enues . S o m e am az ing d r ag king s to check o ut in C hicag o are Tend ero ni, Tr av is Fiero and M ick Do uch, and o uts id e o f the city Dr ag ula’s Land o n C id er and S p ikey Van Dy key who head lined C hicag o I s A Dr ag Fes tiv al (in the hear t o f A nd er s o nv ille) in 2 0 1 9 . Tel l u s abo u t D r ag i n t h e C OVID - 1 9 er a. W ith v enues clo s ing d o wn, ev er y o ne is b ack to their ro o ts o f d o ing d r ag in their b ed ro o m s . I t has d efinitely b eco m e m o re fo cus ed o n ap p ealing to aud iences fro m a d is tance, with an em p has is in the v is ual as p ect. I ’v e lear ned to s p end m o re tim e ex p er im enting with creativ e id eas , tr ans fo r m ing m y hig h ener g y to hig h co ncep t. Fo llo w K hlo e o n I ns tag r am and Twitter at @ k hlo eco ulee and fo llo w A Queer P r id e at @ aq ueer p r id e. P ho to s o f K hlo e b y A d am Ouahm ane.
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