Emmy-winning designer Zaldy has been working with RuPaul since 1992, creating every one of the ‘Drag Race’ diva’s runway looks. He breaks down what goes into outfitting the Supermodel of the ‘Drag Race’ and shares his experience with the process. RuPaul stores her outfits in an apartment dedicated to outfits, and she works with Klein Epstein and Parker stylists to send him new suits a dozen at a time in a few weeks.
The contestants receive an extensive list of possible themes and outfits to prepare for, and they only bring their own items but are challenged with creating outfits with specific items and clothing. The “talent team” helps the Ru Girls zip their zippers, button their buttons, and any other last-minute details. Twelve $500 custom runway outfits (which is on the low end) plus wigs and accessories adds up to $7,800.
Zaldy tells EW how he crafts RuPaul’s iconic look looks through a “telepathic” communication with the ‘Drag Race’ contestants. The challenge score is calculated and why it is always different even with the same outfit. Many of the “Drag Race” staff have worked on the show for a decade or more, and for all RuPaul’s boundary-setting, the atmosphere can be unusually challenging.
In honor of RuPaul’s Drag Race heroism, Vogue has rounded up the 100 absolute greatest runway, entrance, and reunion fashion in his Drag Race herstory.
📹 No One Ever Said Tucking Was Easy | RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 9
Being a girl ain’t easy, and neither is mastering a fierce tuck. Watch as one of the queens struggles to get her tucking in control.
Does RuPaul go by her?
RuPaul, born RuPaul Andre Charles on November 17, 1960, is an African-American actor, drag queen, model, author, and singer-songwriter. He gained fame in the 1990s through his appearances in various television programs, films, and musical albums. RuPaul is known for his indifference towards gender-specific pronouns used to address him, using both “he” and “she” as acceptable. He has hosted reality television shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race and RuPaul’s Drag U.
In 2020, RuPaul discovered that he and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker are cousins through their appearance on the TV show Finding Your Roots. RuPaul and Booker have a history of interacting with men and women, with RuPaul Charles often performing as a man in various roles.
What does RuPaul get paid?
RuPaul’s earnings from Drag Race are estimated to be in the millions annually. In 2013, TV Guide reported that he made $50, 000 per episode, while InTouch stated in 2023 that he earned $800, 000 per episode.
Does Plastique Tiara make her own outfits?
Plastique Tiara is the highest confirmed spender on RuPaul’s Drag Race, despite spending all the green on her look. Despite her extravagant spending, she has managed to create masterpieces herself, even gagging RuPaul and Michelle Visage during episode 2’s design challenge. The amount of money these queens spend on stunts is incredible, and it’s impossible to know how much they are willing to spend. Paramount+ is a great source for more incredible and expensive looks from the queens.
Who is the queen of all queens?
The series World of Wonder, a popular American reality TV show, was renewed for its seventh season on February 15, 2022, to air on Paramount+. The cast included eight past season winners, making it the first season featuring only past winners. The cast also included four winners of Drag Race, three winners of All Stars, and the winner of UK season 1, The Vivienne. Jinkx Monsoon was crowned the Queen of All Queens, becoming the first to win two seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Season 8 premiered on Paramount+ on May 12, 2023, with the cast including Alexis Michelle, Darienne Lake, Heidi N. Closet, Jaymes Mansfield, Jessica Wild, Jimbo, Kahanna Montrese, Kandy Muse, Mrs. Kasha Davis, LaLa Ri, Monica Beverly Hillz, and Naysha Lopez. Jimbo won the competition on July 21, 2023, becoming the first queen from a non-American franchise to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Kandy Muse was the runner-up, and LaLa Ri won the title “Queen of the ‘Fame Games'”.
The series was renewed for a ninth season on May 17, 2024, with eight contestants competing for a $200, 000 donation to a charity of their choosing.
Does RuPaul have a husband or boyfriend?
RuPaul, a 14-time Emmy Award recipient, has been married to Georges LeBar, a Wyoming ranch owner, for a period exceeding seven years. They initially encountered one another at the now-defunct New York City Limelight nightclub in 1994 and have since maintained an open marriage. RuPaul asserts that monogamy with men is an untenable proposition. However, given his considerable fame, he is no longer able to rely on a circle of intimate associates.
Who is the richest drag race queen?
RuPaul, the most famous drag queen in the United States, is believed to be worth $60 million. She has become a pop culture sensation, performing alongside icons like Madonna and walking catwalks. RuPaul admitted to spending up to $10, 000 on a single gown, but doesn’t disclose how many he owns. Trixie Mattel, with a net worth of around $10 million, has become a successful businesswoman since winning RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.
She has founded a cosmetic line, jumped at endorsement deals, and starred in numerous TV shows, boosting her personal wealth. These seven world’s richest drag queens are a testament to the power of entertainment and the rise of the drag queen industry.
Who is the richest drag queen?
The list of the richest Drag Race stars of 2024 includes celebrities such as Alyssa Edwards, Chad Michaels, Derrick Barry, Alaska, Bianca Del Rio, Michelle Visage, Trixie Mattel, and RuPaul Charles. The reality show, which aired its first season on Logo TV in 2009, has since become an award-winning, worldwide success, with 29 Emmy Awards to its name. The list includes RuPaul herself, her best friend and fellow judge Michelle Visage, entrepreneur Trixie Mattel, and ‘comedy queen’ Bianca del Rio. The show has grown in popularity over the years.
Does RuPaul have a stylist?
Zaldy, an American drag queen, met American drag queen RuPaul in the late 1980s and has been designing his drag outfits since 1992. RuPaul wears Zaldy’s outfits in his music video and Netflix series AJ and the Queen. Zaldy designed RuPaul’s suit for the 2019 Met Gala and gowns for RuPaul on RuPaul’s Drag Race. He collaborates with three other team members and other craftspeople, including painters, beaders, and graphic designers.
Which drag queen does cosplay?
Megami, also known as Megami D. Vil, is an American drag queen and cosplayer best known for competing on season 16 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Born and raised in Sunset Park, Brooklyn and Staten Island, she began performing in drag in 2016 after winning the cosplay lip-sync show GeekSync in New York. Her drag name is inspired by the Japanese word for goddess and the video game Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga.
Megami was cast on the sixteenth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, having applied five times. She first appeared in the season’s second episode, where she held up a banner stating “Protect Queer Art”, which became a meme in the Drag Race community.
How do drag queens know what outfits to bring?
The show features weekly runway challenges for the contestants, with some challenging outfits like “Boots The House Down”. The contestants are given a list of vague items to bring before the competition starts to prepare for the runway. Judges make funny puns while the queens walk down the runway, but they maintain straight faces. These runway segments are shot twice, once with the judge’s reactions and then with the queens walking to the music.
The show is shot in four weeks, and the queens claim to work on the runways every week, but in reality, they go through their competition days one after the other, resulting in them working nonstop and having no weekends to breathe. The judges make funny jokes during the runway segments, which are then edited together to create the final show.
Does RuPaul wear a wig?
Curtis William Foreman, who has styled RuPaul’s hair for years, has not previously shared images of her looks on Instagram. However, in RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15, Moira Frazier was introduced as the new stylist, despite the fact that his previous work was for his upcoming, award-winning show, Hocus Pocus 2.
📹 FASHION PHOTO RUVIEW: RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Season 4 – Queen Team Makeover Challenge
This week, the UK queens transformed their beloved Queen Team into drag superstars. Raven and Pangina Heals are back to …
So far, out of all the queens that they have put on FPR, Pangina is the only one that I feel could replace either Raja or Raven and do a magnificent job. She has her own opinion/POV without letting it get influenced by her cohost. She is not afraid to criticize or praise whenever she feels like it and she is very objective about it. She is fun, respectful and charming. I love her.
This is what the queens were saying to Jonbers about needing a signature look; the makeover challenge always shows who has a strong sense of what their drag is and who is just enjoying dressing up. Cheddar = alien deity, Pixie = panto dame, they can tell you who they are and what their look is and put someone else in it.
Raven on FPR: I love that there’s the black and white graphic nature with the soft peach apricot tone. Raven as a judge on the mainstage: “Checkered tights and gloves with peach… I love mixing things up and making it go ‘wow I would have never thought of that’… but I LITERALY.. would have never thought of this… *shady tinge noise*”
Dakota did amasing… raven is talking crappppp. Like why dont you say that danny or cheddar do same kijd of drag every time but you talk avout dakota… and saying like why didnt shr have something fun like beard… dudr danny beards drag is having beard like dakotas is to be glam and in that style… damn i hate raven and drag race
Honestly I’m tired of queens just bringing two of the same look in opposing colors. (Or straight up the exact same look) Like, I don’t know when “family resemblance” turned into “make a clone”. So boring. Where’s the story, the concept? The only one who had a semi interesting idea this week was Black Peppa, let’s be honest.
Here’s my thoughts on the looks: Jonbers Blonde & Nanu Noir: Soft toot (The colors are nice but there’s nothing really exciting about either look. Also, Jonbers hair should be white) Pixie Polite & Trixie Truelove: Boot (The garments look cheap and look like a costume from Party City. Also, there’s too much going on) Danny Beard & Mizzy Mustache: Toot (Very 60s inspired. The matching hair & stockings are fun. The dresses are cool with the cuffs. I love that Danny added a beard to her partner) Cheddar Gorgeous & Brie Gorgeous: Toot (I love these futuristic Grace Jones inspired garments. I love the makeup and the different silhouettes in similar fabrics) Black Peppa & Chili Peppa: Soft Toot (The makeup and hair are fun and modern. However, the dresses are pretty simple compared to what she’s served these past few weeks) Dakota Schiffer: Toot (I don’t she was bottom 2 worthy. Her looks were simple but better than a lot of the other looks this week. I like the checker board pattern with the peach colored dress)
I know we all know there are storylines pre-determined to different extents, but really love when a season has been so predictable and so blatantly obvious with its pre-set top 3 (and winner) by its mid-point, for me it has become at this point no longer even fun to watch along for the drag of it all, still knowing what has been scripted. Its actually at this episode truly hit a turning point where its just frustrating to have to see it draggggggggg (no pun) out like Jesus Christ at this point they might as well cut the season here and just air the finale crowning Cheddar already.
Raven having to do this twice over… Ha According to me, this judging overall was rather weird. They panel keeps whining in the US instalment if the other person looks identical but here they like that over the general resemblance. There’s NO WAY Dakota should’ve been in the bottom. The assignment wasn’t ‘make a clone’ but have another person appear to be in your clan… I don’t get it honestly…
lmao I feel like cheddar and brie almost looked more like a beautiful rich alien power couple. This specific episode made me realize how kind of weird it is that to rpdr for ‘family resemblance’ to read successfully, it has to basically be on the level of how you would dress your boy/girl twin babys so everyone would know they are twins in matching outfits, just with a few changes for both’s perspective sexes/assigned genders
I’m going against the grain here. This was a very close episode as to who deserved bottom 3. Everyone saying Jonbers deserved it as they didn’t look like family,and then saying Dakota did deserve to stay,even though they didn’t look like family. Dakota has been told about her silhouette previously but once again played it safe. I feel everyone is saying that Dakota deserved to stay,but I read underneath that they also think that she deserved to stay because she is trans. I don’t think she deserved the bottom two,I would have placed Peppa there. BUT in no way did she lip sync for her life there. She let Pixie win that sync by her not even trying. Pixie had the worst look of the night and should have been sent home on that alone,but Dakota didn’t do hee haw in the lip sync to justify her staying. And them is the rules.
I really like this pairing and this episode. Both of them have their own pov and didn’t let the other one sway them, but they still provided tips, pointers, and critiques that were helpful. And since Dakota’s elimination was very controversial among the fan base (though I will say, Dakota and the other girls all agreed that she was low or bottom 2, so it’s interesting they can see and understand that, but majority of the fan base doesn’t), I’m going to speak on it, by using Raven and Pangina as point of reference; drag is relative which is why anyone can have differing opinions (including two queens are very respected and speak from expertise). Dakota was not robbed, she simply fell pray to differing opinions. The judges acknowledged that she looked good and gave a very safe presentation and look, however it’s week 7 and they want more. They have also given her the same critiques week after week at this point. Now yes, she cannot change her garments or the order the runways fall, but she could switch up makeup and hair and styling and she chose not to. That unfortunately was her undoing. Her drag daughter/sister looked more draggy than she did.