Severely Mame & the Best Friends Club

SEVERELY MAME & THE BEST FRIENDS CLUB by Helen Norman

FROM HER raven-haired nights haunting the New York drag scene to packing up her broom and heading west to make a new life in Arizona, I’ve followed her (and her infinite costumes changes) vicariously on Instagram for years. So the pleasure really was all mine when The Vintage Woman Magazine asked me to interview the ultimate playghoul, Severely Mame...

So you went from “hex in the city” to a “desert rose”, what’s the story behind your big move from New York City to Arizona?

When the Best Friends Club first met, it was at Drag Con NYC, the four of us all fell in love that weekend and when the weekend ended

we couldn’t wait to see each other again! Chianne, being the smart and organized one, she planned out a trip for Renee and I to come out for Lauren’s birthday as a surprise! I loved it, and visited two more times and by the third time I came to visit I was sold on living in Phoenix! I had been looking to get out of

In the U.K. there’s a bit of backlash about the possibility of a U.K. Drag Race in the pipeline as fans consider U.K. drag to be very different. Does the drag scene in Arizona differ to New York City?

Both yes and no! The drag scenes in every city run the same way for the most part. In NYC it felt like the city was over saturated with drag queens, in my last couple years living in NYC I rarely performed! In Phoenix there is a lot of queer spaces and shows, like NYC, but here the scene is a little more intimate. I’ve been able to work more regularly and produce a show again!

You have such a unique, honed style. Where do you take your inspiration?

Like so many other people, so many of my inspirations come from old movies! Or vintage fashion magazines and pattern sleeves! I love sewing as many of my looks as I can! I love taking on tedious projects like beading and knitting projects! I’m currently working on reproducing a knit that Michael Banks wore in Mary Poppins Returns! I also take a lot of inspiration from Disney movies and Disneyland too! I was raised on the movies so they’re ingrained in me!

Tell us a little bit more about the “Best Friends Club” (BFC), and how that came about?

The Best Friends Club is just four gals who love being friends and wearing matching outfits! We try and meet up as often as possible! The Best Friends Club name started when Renee took Lauren and Chianne’s phone numbers at Drag Con and saved them as ‘Lauren Best Friend’ and ‘Chianne Best Friend’ I followed suit and then the group chat started. The four of us named the group chat ‘Best Friends Club’ and we pretty much keep it up every day! We went through a really big period of audio texting each other 24/7. Other people in our lives fully hated us during this phase.

The Best Friends Club is officially just the four of us, but we do have honorary best friends, like Meatball the Los Angeles based drag queen! When she dons her orange wigs she is considered one of us! She brought a wig to Disneyland in her backpack and was questioned by security why she had it! It was to take this photo!

How do you plan the BFC outfits? Do you take it in turns or does it just happen organically?

Chianne does the planning for our matchies almost exclusively! Sometimes I will help in the planning or production but it all started with these star and moon skirts and capes, and then hand sequined bows Chianne was making for all of us along with matching skirts and for Disney we did shirts! We have a lot of fun with it, but Chianne puts a lot of work into our handmade matchies! Overall everyone has a hand in it, sometimes bigger or smaller depending on the look, Lauren is in charge of our hair when we’re together, Renee works for Alexis Bittar and will pick out matchie jewelry for all of us!

A personal favourite of mine was the pastel nylon baby dolls you all wore at Disney. What’s been your favourite group ensemble?

For our first Disneyland trip together Chianne made us green plaid skirts and bows, that is a favorite tied with one of our Provencetown matchies. They were matching skirt/bows/ scarves out of the same print in different colors!

Apart from world domination, what’s next on the cards for the BFC?

I’m all for a stage show, or action figures! We just missed our local try-outs for Family Feud, which I think we would be very entertaining on!

Maybe once the stage show happens, the merch will follow!

Does Chianne really make all those clothes for you all single-handed? Is there a secret sweatshop in her basement?

Chianne really does make all of them! Sometimes I help! But when we have a vacation all together, Chianne really has her work cut out for her! When we’re together for days we usually all will look in our closets to figure out what things we already have and can start with! Like color matching or patterns!

You’re such a prolific creative yourself, how do you find the time to juggle it all and still manage to turn out so many bombshell banshee looks?

Well I am very lucky; Lauren and Chianne do so much to help me in person! Chianne always helps with outfits if I need something cut with her Cricut or help sewing something! Lauren takes care of my hair, which is pretty much a full time job! And though Renee isn’t in Phoenix, she keeps me in the finest jewels for all of my/our outfits!

QUICK HELlFIRE QUESTIONS QUICK HELLFIRE QUESTIONS

Vampira or Elvira? Vampira

Open casket or closed? Open, not to waste this beauty! I'm curious where we are going to find a casket fit for four!

If you could go back in time to any place or period where/when would it be and why? I’m good in the here and now. Being a trans person, I’m disgusted by having to watch the mistreatment of women, POC and the LGBTQIA community now. I don’t think I could stand to be in another time frame to see how bad it was back then! But if it was a quick stop in and back out,

I’d love to spend a night queer bar hopping in 30s Berlin, and then stop by some NYC department stores for a shopping day in the 1940s!

Top 3 favourite witches? The Wicked Witch of the West The Wicked Queen from Snow White Gillian Holryod from Bell, Book and Candle, though I would never choose a man over my magic!

Baby Jane or Blanche? I think I’m a true 50/50 split of them both.

Who would play you and the rest of the Best Friends Club in the Severely Mame biopic? I hope it would be animated and voiced by every famous living redhead. I’d like Geena Davis to voice me and Angela Lansbury to have some sort of cameo. ♦

@severelymame

@bestfriendsclubofficial www.severelymame.com