Denim, Star of Canada’s Drag Race, Nailed Quirky Fashion This Season
“I can’t help being a trans icon. It’s in my genes!”
This is what Denim declared as she made her grand entrance on season four of Canada’s Drag Race back in November—and it couldn’t be more accurate. The drag star, who ended up making it to the final four, made herstory this season as the second trans man to ever compete in the franchise. And despite losing the top crown to Venus, she’s still a winner in our books, baby! Denim emerged as a standout of the season thanks to her extra-quirky (and always campy) fashion. “Nothing can really prepare you for Drag Race,” says Denim. “It made me feel incredibly proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish. It also taught me so much about my aspirations with my drag and how I want to evolve and elevate it even more.”
Hailing from Canada’s maritime province of Prince Edward Island, Denim’s foray into drag began while navigating queer identity as a teen. “Growing up as a queer kid in Prince Edward Island, I really didn’t know anyone else who was trans,” says Denim. “I had an epiphany that, for my entire life, I was playing this femme persona leading up to my transition. The first 18 years of my life was me doing drag.” As Denim got more interested in the art form, she discovered a sense of power in using fashion and performance as a means to play up all of the different facets of herself. “My drag stemmed from a reclamation of this hyper-feminine persona that I put on for so long,” says Denim.