Xtina, claire reed, lexi delgado

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XTina!

photographer

lexi delgado fashion editors william tamayo, hans kiper, lucy jane hurley by

claire reed 37

Xtina Taylor: student by day, drag queen by night.

Completely commanding the room with an energy that is truly sui generis, she performs with the confidence of a queen who has been on the scene for at least a decade. Xtina, though, has only been on the scene for roughly three years and thrives in the environment. Britney Spears was blasting throughout the bar’s speakers, and we knew that we weren’t just taking photos and doing an interview at that point. We were getting our own show. As said during the photo shoot, “I know [Xtina] is a performer, but damn—what a natural.”

S (Strike): You started drag your freshman year, and you’re now about to graduate. What about you has changed the most since then?

X (Xtina Taylor): My confidence. My connections in the drag world and outside of it. Moving down to Orlando to focus on drag really helped shape that. I was able to meet so many amazing people who shaped me into the queen I am today.

S: Describe your first show for me; what was it like?

X: It was here at 926. It’s completely full circle. I remember my song, exactly what I was wearing, my hair, my makeup. I spent my financial aid refund on costume, hair, and makeup for that first show. My parents had no idea about me doing drag for, like, eight months. They still don’t know about the refund. I practiced my makeup before I went out, and I thought I looked fierce. I did not.

S: They do say that hindsight is 20/20.

X: It was awful. I was a nervous wreck. I did a Lilly Allen song, and I was a little slut. What’s crazy is that some of my best friends now were in the audience, and I had no idea. They’re from Tampa, and we didn’t know each other at all, but now they’re some of my best friends.

S: Of course, you were nervous. What was a fear you that didn’t expect to have going into all of this?

X: Messing up. I prepared everything so much in the first few months that I would forget all of it as soon as I got on stage. I’m such a Leo that I already knew I had the confidence and the star power, but I’m also so meticulous that I over-planned.

S: You just didn’t want to forget something.

X: Yeah, and it just goes to show that you will find your knack as you do it. I didn’t listen to Britney Spears a lot before I started doing drag. I became obsessed with her.

S: How tedious does the process get? The getting ready, calming down your nerves, etc.?

X: At first, it took four hours. Now I’m down to two. But the process sucks. At first, I’m into it, and then I hate the process, and then I end up looking fierce, and I love it again. Very flip-floppy.

S: Could that be representative of your journey in drag?

X: Yes, absolutely. I started and never thought that I would get good. I had so many times where I wasn’t happy with what I was doing. I changed what I didn’t like and kept what I did. I did my homework on it. My end goal is for you to walk down the street, and I catch your eye. I want you to feed into the illusion of it.

S: Is there something about your drag persona that you don’t have in your day to day life?

X: I’m awkward. It’s hard to spark a conversation in the club when I don’t know you because I’m a little awkward. Drag is a suit of armor that I wear that gives me confidence. When somebody matches that confidence, I feed off of that energy.

[about my work] because art is subjective, and S: Is there a favorite memory?

X: It’s so much of my life. The best memory, though, is getting able to film Cosmo Queens in New York. I remember watching them when I was younger and dreaming of being able to make those. Being able to do it—it was the coolest shit ever. It solidified that what I’m doing is for me.

S: You were fulfilling a dream.

X: There are so few opportunities to be able to dream something and then be able to do it.

S: How long had you been doing drag for, at that point?

X: Two and a half years. It wasn’t very long. And I’m there. I’ve reached what I think of myself as a star. But I wouldn’t be there without my drag mom (Jade Embers). She taught me everything I know regarding makeup and movement. And then I was able to tweak my look from that. She’s my best friend.

S: Is there a piece of advice that she’s given you that you would give to others?

X: Oh my god, stop caring about what others think. It’s something I’m still figuring out too.

“I spent my financial aid refund on costume, hair, and makeup for that first show. My parents had no idea about me doing drag for, like, eight months. They still dont know about that refund.”

S: And you’re in college too. There are so many doubts about being in college that I couldn’t imagine adding doubts about your drag career to that.

X: I used to be a music education major. Now I’m in business. I want to help shape the sustainability of the fashion industry. It’s the second-largest polluting industry in the world.

S: Do you try to reflect the sustainable element through your drag?

X: It’s hard. I reuse my costumes and buy pieces that can go with other things. Drag is about making it work. But it’s also so much. You need hair dye, nails, eyelashes, makeup, hairspray. I try to be particular, though. I pay attention to labels and stick to cruel- ty-free.

S: After the glamour ends, what’s your biggest take- away from all of this?

X: Somebody told me that everything happens for a reason. Be open and yourself. Be appreciative of everything you have. It’s so crazy, and I’m so grateful that I have my drag family and my biological family to support me. Some people aren’t as lucky, and to be able to follow your passions is incredible. Be nice, and be humble. Ask for help and give that help.