Betty Fvck is thirty, flirty and thriving

Betty Fvck drag
Drag and burlesque star BettyFvck. Photo by Gesche Franzen.

Vietnamese star Betty Fvck talks the evolution of drag and working with Vogue. We meet international drag and cabaret sensation Betty Fvck as she embarks on her third decade.

It feels like drag is everywhere these days. Why have people suddenly woken up to the art form?

Drag is absolutely everywhere in our culture nowadays. I’m totally surprised how the scene has accelerated in the last couple of years. Drag queens are dominant in the beauty industry and they set the current beauty trends. There are countless opportunities that drag is offering to the world. In my opinion, the blossoming of the drag decade has been created by reality shows and social media. Young people need a lot of motivation and inspiration in life and they’ve found drag as a great source of inspiration. Drag is fun, cool and beautiful.

You’re part of a generation that got into drag after catching on to RuPaul’s Drag Race. Were you not aware of drag before the show?

I remember watching RuPaul’s Drag Race first time when I was 20 and I was totally gagged. Before the show I had no idea what drag even meant and I mistakenly thought men who cross-dressed were trans. The show educated me a lot and it shows the world that drag is a form of art. I got inspired to do drag then , but I believe drag has much more to offer than just being on a TV show.

The show has been accused of giving quite a uniform idea of what a drag queen should be. Is that something you struggle with?

For me, every form of drag is valid. There isn’t a certain form or idea of drag that is better than any other.  Drag doesn’t belong to anyone and it is the job of every individual to define what drag means to them personally.  I perceive drag as an art form where I can channel my mind into creating different looks and performances. Every artist should find their own drag from within.

Despite only being in the drag game for three years, your look is flawless. Is creating a look a skill you’ve always had?

I didn’t go to any school or workshop for fashion, styling nor makeup. I learnt and got inspired from the people around me. When it comes to creating a look for an drag artist, it’s like making a dish for a chef. A good chef will make a dish based on what they currently have in their own stock. I always create things from what I currently have and from there I ask around for pieces.

When putting an outfit together, where do you start?

I don’t actually have a standard or formula. It depends a lot on the context, the people I work with, the setting of a shoot and so on. The only thing I will say is that it starts from within, something I believe in. Above anything else, your style has to represent you.

Are there any non-Drag Race queens or performers that inspire you?

I’ve learnt a lot from people I met during shows and events. Some are great burlesque performers, great dancers, others great drag make-up artists. They push me to learn more, to be a better self.

As a gay kid, who were you obsessed with? Has any diva left a lasting impression on you?

I remember when I was living with my mom, she was obsessed with the blond bombshells.  Marilyn Monroe, Madonna. She hung a bunch of their posters around the house and those images have stayed in my mind until today. My mother could actually be my diva to worship. 

How was growing up queer in Vietnam?

I would just say it was difficult. I did not have any queer friends before the age of 17 and I didn’t get to learn about my queerness. I had to hide it somehow. Because of the internet, I was able find some gay friends, many of them I’ve stayed in contact with. I believe that for a young queer person who’s struggling and learning about themselves; it’s important to team up with people who are going through the same thing.

You’re now based in Helsinki. Finland seems to be making positive steps in embracing its queer people in recent years. Have you seen that change?

I’m grateful to be able to contribute my humble effort in this change, not only in Finland but on the European scene in general. I notice how the conversations around queer issues and queer lifestyle are now covered in the mainstream media. We’ve made big steps towards a more liberal and tolerant community; but there’s so much that we have to work on to protect and support our brothers and sisters.

Let’s talk Vogue Italia. How was working with such a heavyweight of the fashion world?

The fashion world is very interesting and colourful. I was so lucky to take a little step inside it. The industry has done a wonderful job in opening its door to drag artists and I was grateful for this opportunity. For me, it came naturally and I just delivered what I had.

Betty Fvck drag
Drag and burlesque star BettyFvck. Photo by Gesche Franzen. (Co-model: Vinh Phillips)

Since you’re based in Helsinki, how would you describe the city to anyone who hasn’t visited?

If you don’t know about Helsinki, you’re sure to know Santa Claus. He lives in Northern Finland and if you want to visit him, you pass by Helsinki on this route. It’s a great city with convenient and quite simple living. It is what I love about it. People here are non-judgemental and very queer.

What would you say’s been a career highlight so far?

In the last couple of years, I’ve had some great opportunities to work on some gigantic projects in our queer community. Helsinki Pride that had over 100,000 attendees was really was a bliss for me to perform at. The Querelle festival for queer people in Helsinki had me as a featured artist, and maybe best of all was the Life ball 2019.

What does the future hold for Betty Fvck?

Stay tuned for a production I’m working on that’ll feature only for queer people, coming in 2020 in Helsinki. It’s a collaboration project between me and Helsinki to promote Queer Art. Hopefully we’ll run the show a few times a year and invite both international artists and local artists to perform. I’m happy to put the effort it to glad to contribute my efforts to make our community more beautiful and queerer!

Finally, where should people go to keep up with all things Betty Fvck?

Keep up to date on my work on my social media channels! It’s @BettyFvck on both Facebook and Instagram. I hope that I’ve inspired you a little bit on your queerful journey.

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