i-D Meets: Violet Chachki

i-D Meets...Violet Chachki. Whether they're fishy queens, comedy queens, pageant queens or genderfuck, the art of drag has long provoked interesting and necessary discussions around gay culture, gender binaries and passing privilege. But Ru Paul's Drag Race has taken the art form to prime time, as would-be queens Statewide finesse their drag style and compete in challenges to become America's Next Drag Superstar. One of the most standout queens in Drag Race History is Season 7 winner Violet Chachki who with her burlesque styling, flawless beauty and incredible talent as an aerial artist is elevating what drag can be and what drag will become; and at just 23 years old is already one of drag's most legendary children. Join us as i-D meets Violet Chachki and learns more about her beginnings in the scene, the transformation routine into vision that is Violet and goes backstage with her at Ru Paul's DragCon in Los Angeles to see her influence on her fans.
Director Matt Jacoby
Supervising Producer Eloise King
Associate Producer, LA Samantha Silliman
Camera Operator Mack Fisher
Editor Paul Frankl
Sound Recordist Molly Young
Sound Mix Guy Chase
Colourist Peta Ridley
with Violet Chachki
Music Jingle Punks
Global Executive Producer Ravi Amaratunga
Commercial Creative Director Bunny Kinney
Head of Production Bree Horn
Talent Producer Declan Higgins
Associate Producer Kate Villevoye
Production Manager Lauran Clark
Researcher Stephen Isaac-Wilson
Junior Researcher Lily Rose Thomas
Head of Post Production Daniel Elias
Post Production Administrator Laura Davidson
Post Production Coordinator Regina Lemaire-Costa
Studio Manager Polly Williams
Motion Graphics Director Steve Gurr
Junior Designer Rebecca Hopkins
Special Thanks Lynette Nylander, Jacob Slane, Producer Entertainment Group LLC, Drag Con
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[@MonicaElysia16]

'we don't look like men or women', Whenever i watch the show i always know that they aren't women, but i forget that they are men.

[@bohnbaratheon1695]

They look like people from a different planet, a league of their own. Unique... well some of them anyways 😂😂

[@turdusmerula1831]

Me too!!!

[@imelectraxheart]

ikr, it's like, i don't even care. i just see them as people. artists. their gender is irrelevant. i think that shows like rupaul's drag race could change transphobic people's views.

[@iwant2rob]

i think drag is a great way to break barriers like that, people will see past gender roles and just see these people as artists

[@morganolfursson2560]

this is the nicest and smartest description of drag i have read in a very long time, "i always know that they aren't women, but i forget that they are men." really beautifully said .

[@kamilamcdowell4799]

I am so proud of that mom who was raised to be racist and homophobic and refused that. good for you girl

[@FLuZzyiE]

I agree!

[@alanaswiss]

🙌🏽🙌🏽

[@xXMakeupYouXx]

same

[@Yoyo-xx4ct]

People like her make me so happy. I love her 💜💜💜💜💜👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻💖

[@jcpadilla988]

times are changing.

[@smelly4373]

You guys could seriously do a whole series on different drag queens there is so much style and talent out there

[@diinalens]

yaas i-D MAKE IT

[@Tracydot3]

Yes!

[@paloppop13]

PLEASE YSESSESESEEASYASS

[@Thu_Vu]

Yes!

[@strawberrybbt1362]

KIM CHI WOULD BE SO PERFECT FOR THIS

[@saterho13]

I wasn't really a fan of Violet for most of her reign as queen, but as of late, watching videos of the side of her that wasn't well portrayed on Drag Race, I've really come to adore her. She's intelligent, talented and a lot more down to earth than the show led on.

[@brandonsoto6603]

You mean you've come to Adore Delano her...☻

[@ninaknox1993]

+Brandon Soto lol I see what you did there

[@_innerpeacekeeper]

Yes exactly!

[@99ivyrose]

she was defenitly edited the wrong way, if you watched Untucked you'd see that she wasn't actually a bitch, I think she was really real and just misunderstood or hated on tbh.

[@sythlorde]

I made a remix of this video, please come watch. I also adore him, and he has interviews all over the world, he is so intelligent. I love it

[@alienpopstar]

I'm glad she brought up misogyny in the gay community people don't want to talk about it but they can be just as judgemental as hetero men

[@CTH9821]

It makes gay men uncomfortable despite the misogyny being blindingly apparent. however it is a different kind of misogyny to that of a straight man.

[@maggiepadron4320]

wait, so gay people don't like women? im sorry i didn't really understand that part

[@CTH9821]

+Maggie Padron not every single gay man hates women. However there is a lot of Misogyny amongst the community. Some gay men seem to have a sense of entitlement and think they can get away with being prejudiced.

[@maggiepadron4320]

+Martin ohh ok, thanks :)

[@APR944]

Exactly. Exactly. Exactly!!

[@palacioed17]

I love that VIolet look like a really clean cut boy when he's out of drag and with his hair well coamed. I love Violet! Her aesthetic is so cool.

[@palacioed17]

And that mom in the video is GOALS!!!! I hope I grow up to be a dad like her.

[@KittyBrainsYum]

As soon as she said "how stoned are you" I knew it was Adore

[@user-ex3ey9tk5j]

dad party libra fuck

[@edomc8924]

ko k

[@xXRubella666Xx]

This person has such an aura about them :O

[@myyoutubechannel3672]

What kind of aura ?!

[@richardperalta8629]

+My KZbin channel Power. Confidence. Intelligence

[@mikamaker]

Charisma Uniqueness Nerve Talent

[@kristynapier845]

+Jesper Carlsson ;-) I see what you did there.

[@sean_valentine_]

Kristy Napier That's the actual saying they have to embody... made famous by RuPaul lol.

[@KaliGam]

Violet Chachki is one of my favorite winners TBH and she deserved her win, such an amazing queen

[@mariabrown6926]

very hardworking and talented too

[@KaliGam]

maria brown her look in the season 8 reunion was my all time favorite look of all the queens !!!

[@mariabrown6926]

Kyle Delano yesss

[@rhondacarney9700]

my pick from the day I saw the picture of the cast

[@overgrownkudzu]

yeah true i hate how everyone is saying she didn't deserve it. Sure, she ain't no Bianca or Jinkx, but she does her thing just as they are doing theirs and she is great at it. It's awesome that different types of queens can win, not only the comedy queens or the fashion girls so i hate when people say she didn't deserve to win. she definitely did.

[@leilani3070]

The woman who was talking about how she was raised, congrats to her not many people choose to be their own person really inspiring

[@pp-cc6cl]

aw ikr that made me smile

[@edwintovar135]

Violet is the Dita von tesse of drag

[@APR944]

That's Perfect!! XX

[@notbrookecandy6040]

Exactly! I've always gotten that vibe from her

[@spacemartianbabe6521]

Violet is violet girl

[@erinmorticia8990]

I saw Violet that day at Drag Con. She looked beyond incredible. She's perfection. I wish I'd gotten to meet her. Hopefully next year. And shoutout to that mom who refused to be racist and homophobic or to raise her kids that way. Applause to her! I wish that more of the people raised in that kind of environment would refuse to conform to it.

[@cesarhernandez7064]

Erin Morticia dragon is coming to LA in March on the conversation center or you can look up on the website when it's going to come? Buy your tickets soon it will be all gone!

[@kamalhussin7147]

Erin Morticia Replied

[@bern2964]

COME THROUGH GENDERLESS SUPERHERO

[@katiekawaii]

That blonde mom is *amazing*! To acknowledge the flaws in her upbringing and consciously choose to surpass them is a mark of real character.

[@njuta]

It's so hard to recognize your own prejudices. Kudos to her

[@tanitkirjonen15]

wait, dax is violet's drag mum?!?!? WHAT????

[@joorev7343]

right i was like TF she couldn't even make it past episode 3

[@didrikgustafsson2426]

+Queen Veronica to be fair tho it all depends on how ur coping with the stress and preassure on that show :p dax obviously couldnt handle it, but im sure if it would have been in another enviroment she probably would have slayed most of thoose challenges :p

[@iridaleonaki1981]

Being a drag mom doesn't make you better than your drag daughter. Dax just passed some good qualities to violet and violet made it her own, so she owned it ^_^

[@RK-ev6dw]

Ik that cracked me the fuck up. Girl can't even pad.

[@Nquerojantarsozinho]

Sorry my bad english.. Well, people always get confused by what means be a drag mom, it's an old tradition and come from a really sad situation, drag moms used to be who kids can count when they get kicked of their own homes. So as you can tell, be a drag mom means be suportive, i consider myself the drag mom of one queen of my city because i was the one who sit with her, suport her and teach how use makeup, but the girl now can contour better then I ever dream contour myself hahah

[@haruhiyoshi]

I'm so happy that i-D made a video with Violet. I think it's wonderful that they make it more visible for many other people out of LGBT spectrum. Many kids from my school like to watch i-D's videos and don't have any idea about Drag Queens. And now, they can get to know them, get to know Violet, who is a wonderful and inspiring person. I think that thanks to Violet and this clip many people may become more tolerant and maybe even get to know themselves and find out that they're gay and that it's okay.

[@haruhiyoshi]

*who

[@user-fo2cl8fh5k]

know*

[@haruhiyoshi]

+Alphabet Gal thank you :)

[@franciscoicarocs]

COME THROUGH, MISS CHACHKI!

[@Kyoukichi]

"I'm Violet Chachki and I'm a drag superstar." Yes bitch, yes! I'm 100% positive that these are her words, not the script.

[@kittymcguinness6326]

I wish this was longer, I love anything and everything to do with violet

[@justiniantbh]

3:23 God bless that woman. It takes a lot to turn around how you were raised your whole life. That's so beautiful

[@forcekin]

Honestly.. Violet is such an inspiration. I like the fact that she's so young yet she's so determined and hard-working. I really aspire to be more like her!

[@edamommy2339]

"Genderless Superhero" Love the sound of that

[@VenisMirage]

that tuck tho lmaooo

[@APR944]

Stahp. Lol

[@ninasimone5250]

LOL IKR. M.E.A.T.Y

[@thedarthflagger]

She does it on purpose

[@Starkardur]

The most gorgeous drag I have seen. Stunning. Incredible aesthetics. Well deserving winner.

[@someguy6209]

Season 7 was full of aesthetically pleasing queens and I love it.

[@emilygorey2237]

it's dope to hear him address the misogyny in the community. he's right, nobody ever talks about it

[@nyuchu]

He looks so beautiful! Man. It kind of struck me at the end when he said there was a lot of misogyny in the gay community.... I had no idea :S

[@juliencastle2953]

I don't think there is more misogyny in the gay community than elsewhere but I confirm there is yeah. :/

[@nyuchu]

I didn't even know it was something that was present

[@juliencastle2953]

***** Peoples think that gays don't discriminate cause they are discriminated themselves but there is sexims and racism like everywhere sadly. :/

[@janejanejaney]

It's sort of an anti-femininity thing. My friend often talks about the shame he feels as a gay man who experiences gender very fluidly, wearing makeup and heels, yet remaining stubbly and muscular. On social media many gay men will use the phrase "no femmes", indicating they don't want to be approached by any effeminate guys because they claim to not find them attractive. The lines between gender and sexuality are really difficult to distinguish, but for many being a gay man not only means being attracted to masculinity but also completely disregarding or even shaming femininity. So, my friend often feels he can't be himself within his own community, let alone get a date as his true self. It's a very weird stigma and shouldn't even exist, but I guess even some members of the lgbtq+ community still have a lot of learning to do.

[@nyuchu]

That's unfortunate, I'm sorry to hear that your friend feels alienated and shunned simply from just dressing in the way he finds expresses himself the most. Femininity should not be viewed as a derogatory term, by anybody. That hurts everyone.

[@thecroftfan]

The words of that mother are really powerful "I was raised to be racist, but that's not me". WOW !

[@Meg-space]

That woman who was raised to be racist just shows that people can change

[@redmeghixtape410]

Not all people are easily brain washed or inherently evil and people can change

[@coffycup75]

One of my favorite queens.

[@coffycup75]

Reminds me of Brian Molko from Placebo. ♡♡♡

[@Anthoberries]

Probably why I love her so much!

[@jxk15]

Violet Chachki is a true style icon - I could see her as the first drag queen on Vogue

[@lolmusicyay]

shes already been in vogue italia! (~:

[@jxk15]

Not the cover (~:

[@APR944]

OMG YES. Someone call Anna Wintour!! XX

[@je5971]

I love that drag race has become so widely known.

[@vampireoftheweb]

TOUCH IT

[@tiffanyangel123]

i-D meets Kim Chi would be a great video, she's such an amazing artist

[@genericusername2487]

There is just something about Violet. She's just so captivating, she's got this incredible almost regality about her, whether she's in or out of drag.

[@caiomartins68]

make a Alaska Thunderfuck one, pleaseeeeee

[@caiomartins68]

an *

[@angelip5046]

Someone who auto tunes the hell out of their songs?

[@andrethomas483]

Angeli P SHE MAKES THEM TO BE FUNNY, NOT FOR VOCALS

[@mayei123]

Alaska overratedasfuck

[@marko-zd9rv]

Ariyu U lmao ikr

[@gio4052]

Soon to be LEGEND.

[@PrincessLukaXD]

I'm gagged

[@PrincessLukaXD]

she eats!!!!

[@PrincessLukaXD]

+peach xanax that blonde mom is so cool to be raised homophobic and reject it completely

[@forcekin]

buy Gagged EP by Violet Chachki on itunes today!

[@sugarcranes9882]

I was just shouting out the individual drag queen's names and my brother kept giving me weird looks

[@brandonsoto6603]

SAME!

[@gleeb2168]

Violet is so graceful like a dark swan. swooshy swooooshhhh

[@yanthebear]

IVY WINTERSSSSSSS :D

[@APR944]

HAHA!! YAS. XX

[@hamtwister4359]

right when I saw the thumbnail I gagged Yeeessssss

[@BlythesWorlds]

I love violet so much. she has honestly inspired me so much to just be who I want to be and like the style that I want to like. since I saw her on drag race and many things after that, my entire self perception has changed. mama, you keep doing you! you're inspiring so many more people than you know! ❤️ from Texas

[@adonizmaldororgarcia]

This video is LIFE!!! love Violet, she is perfection.

[@CheshireCesare]

Oh man, she's so elegant and put together, I live.. I also love how so much of her style is influenced by the more vintage, classic Hollywood-ish era As a straight cis woman, I feel watching and learning about drag has taught me so much as a person.. Things like confidence, poise, dedication, passion, teamwork, and not giving a f**k about what haters think (and of course, handy makeup tips lol). I feel anyone, regardless of age or gender, can take those lessons and incorporate them into their own lives and dreams. I remember crying and cheering while watching RuPaul's Drag U, that spinoff was actually really inspiring.. I so wish they'd do new seasons!!

[@Kiidomaru]

I don't know why i saw ID and though "Violet Bitch who did you kill"

[@SmartArtzzz]

I'm hardcore crushing on violet she's so beautiful in and out.

[@KaylaJoySmith]

LOVED this short documentary. It was VERY well done. Shout out to the filmographers as well as the producers and anyone else who worked on this piece! And thank you for highlighting drag!

[@moonbeam4016]

I am a girl but I want to do ...female drag lol. It would be fun to look like a crazy, exaggerated version of a woman.

[@mariewilliams7202]

By all means DO IT!

[@moonbeam4016]

Maurice Williams i think i will one day!!

[@IkarosNeko]

Drag is for everyone. Push all the boundaries!

[@LauraLucy]

Violet is so stunning! I love the way she talks about gender and fluidity and I wish this was longer

[@ramona4ever]

seeing that family w the kid and the mum made me so happy

[@dellar.6082]

Alaskaaaaaa!!!

[@APR944]

YAS!! XX

[@BangRobyn]

this mini documentaries are SO GOOD! please make another one but longer.

[@northernsoutherngirl]

Did NOT know that Dax was her drag mother!!!

[@JaesadaSrisuk]

northernsoutherngirl Yeah. Violet is so much more polished and professional than Dax seemed to be on the show. I guess it's an example of the pupil being more talented, successful and accomplished than the teacher.

[@northernsoutherngirl]

Justice J. Srisuk Agreed!!! Dax does like a futuristic type of drag whereas Violet is Betty Paige-ish with her drag in a sense. Either way, mind still blown.😛😜

[@yubesu7705]

She is like doing everything I can only do in my dream! She's becoming my all time favorite queen and favorite drag race winner.

[@lazyaf1218]

now we need to see the same kind of video with Pearl. And maybe Sharon. And Milk. And Alaska please. Oh, and... like i just literally need my every fav queen on this channel

[@Cuix]

Aaah, she's so cool! I totally relate to her experience regarding androgyny and floating between genders; still working on getting to that level of confidence and skill though. What an inspiration!

[@princesskristan]

I love Violet so much. It blows my mind how just with some makeup, you can forget that drag queens aren't biological women. Whenever I look at a picture of some of my favorite queens (April Carrion, Alyssa, Violet, Farrah Moan and Courtney,) I forget that they are drag queens

[@gustamanavo]

The vison hunty THE VISION! Slay!

[@mitsaki1076]

I was rooting for Violet since episode 1 of her season. Seeing her now, reigning with such grace and being so mature as a performer and as person literally gives me the chills.

[@alyssamurphy7792]

Violet is srsly so freaking attractive both in drag & out of drag. She makes me so confused with my own sexuality when I see her lol. Like, i know she isn't actually a biological female, but I also always forget that she isn't either, if that makes sense to anyone? Lol it makes sense to me, but idk how to explain it any better than that.. 🖤👑

[@veesancez]

Oh wow how funny is it that violet own but Dax barely made it

[@Qwyvern]

Dax, to me, didn't fit in RPDR. Fierce queen, just not RPDR.

[@veesancez]

+Emilio Fautsch same.

[@didrikgustafsson2426]

Its all about how u cope with the stress and preassure of the show, dax obviously couldnt cope with it, but im sure if she would have been in another enviroment she would have slayed most of thoose challenges

[@robbieturner5973]

+Didrik Gustafsson i think people also forget that rpdr is a reality tv show, so if a queen isnt giving them the entertainment value they want they also get kicked off for that reason

[@didrikgustafsson2426]

Adore Delano yea exactly hehe

[@EllieJayden]

YASSSSSS VIOLET WERRRRKKK

[@federicamustaro8974]

comeeeeeee throughhh

[@elizabethcrossley6853]

She is a superstar. It's so obvious why she won.

[@annettvanessaa]

Love Adore and Violet and all RPDR

[@gabbityx2510]

her voice is so calming.

[@elllisgrey]

i remember seeing this come up in my recommended videos 2 years ago, and at the time i had no idea who violet was nor did i really know much about drag in general. i clicked because of how good she looks in the thumbnail (bc damn girl!) and i fell so in love instantly. violet became my very first favorite queen, before i even watched a single episode of drag race. i still love her to this day, and it’s so cool to revisit this video now that i’m such a big fan.

[@gagasluxury7458]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAS VIOLET love her so much

[@jonathalisepulveda8607]

i see you everywhere and i love that

[@the.jquinn]

I love it that she talked a lil about how dax is her mom

[@hp8087]

I just love Violet so much... If I only lived in the USA, I would be attending Drag Cons every year!!! Shout out to my favorite drag queens! You are all awesome!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@margotsimpere9384]

beautiful no matter what, the more I watch " non ru paul videos " of this artist, the more I love her as Violet and him as a human being.

[@maevofficiel7116]

ok so basically I came here to see this inspiring video about violet (love her way of thinking) and I just felt so happy when I saw Adore, I didn't expected that it was a great surprise

[@bluedasher74]

I like watching videos of Violet. Not only is she super talented as a performer, but she seems down-to-earth as a person.

[@Tracydot3]

I love Violet! She's stunning.

[@zach792]

i have so much respect for her, she is so intelligent and well spoken

[@tracy4jester]

That lady with her son and dragcon... Yes! I love seeing people who embody good parenting and diffusing the hate to show her son that there should be no prejudice and that hate for normal human beings shouldn't be accepted.

[@TheGrayboi]

This needs to be a full 30 minutes ;)

[@Disasterina]

Loved hearing her philosophy. Interesting that she doesn't consider herself male or female as a drag queen though she's probably the fishiest queen out there.

[@ZoryaUtrennyaya]

I love that she talked about gender fluidity

[@SearchingForTimothy]

This is fabulous, she is fabulous. Sad I missed her at Drag Con 2016. Next year!

[@letzsnuggzz]

I didn't realise that Dax was Violet's drag mom.

[@maris8222]

cool mom at 3:26 she knows what's up

[@drea4793]

i love how she actually does her makeup to look like "it's normal" normal being that it isn't to over the top but it's there and it's beautiful and she doesn't look like a traditional drag queen

[@alyssamurphy7792]

BLESS that mother who had to grow up in a racist & homophobic home/family but did not agree with any of that shit, & is letting her children go to drag shows & be who they want to be & believe in what they want to believe in & love whoever they want to love. Weather that be a black person, a white person, a man or a woman, that mother is definitely doing parenting right! And her children will always be comfortable enough to talk to her about anything uncomfortable bcus of how open she is to just being whoever you want to be. That is a GOOD parent right there. 👏🏻👏🏻😘

[@CardiM97]

My favorite KZbin channel making a video of one of my biggest obsessions (drag queens) 😭😭😭😭 omfg yessssss

[@Julia-iz9jv]

"A genderless superhero" - what an amazing line! Love that, almost made me tear up

[@riverfreakingsong]

Loved Violet as soon as she stepped into the workroom, so what if she came off as bitchy, she knew what she was doing. I love seeing how she views herself doing drag. I love how she knows herself. That makes for a strong queen. Her style is so unique. I want a documentary just of her now lol.

[@_c0rnholio_]

Violet is one of my favourite people ever I met her on my birthday once and she was honestly such a beautiful soul

[@AishaBananah]

Omg yaaas, look at Miss Chachki getting mainstream recognition!!

[@Broccoliclown]

I didnt like her at first on the season but she has grown so much she really did deserve the win

[@ninaknox1993]

I love violet and I'm glad to see chi chi devayne and Alaska in the vid 😊😊

[@ozarkchinquapin6010]

The editing of this video is spectacular. Beautiful video and I like how this was filmed.

[@SWMUKBANG]

her finale look omggg

[@crystalfumes4915]

VIOLET YEEEESSSS ❤️

[@mikeyweaselwhipper3074]

i love a queen who can use the phrase "social constructs" in a sentence properly.

[@KayPlatinvm]

Bae!!! Yes violet, come thruuu!! Put Violet's on i-D cover pleaseeeeee! Xoxo

[@OzkarFaByaN]

OH MY GOD! listen to her opinion as a drag queen make me realize how smart and clever this girl is. I admire her so much

[@luizfelipe-ji8hw]

The final part is so amazing! Love wins!!

[@akshar4178]

ADORE ❤️❤️😂

[@musics4me]

He has acne! He's human and I live for it