Under Filipino artist Eva Le Queen’s The PlayHouse, the art of drag is turning into a professional career. It’s time to talk—and mean—drag business
This fashion feature is an excerpt from MEGA’s June 2024 Issue
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the evilest evil queen of them all? Out of the shadows and into the beams of the spotlights, Filipino artist Eva Le Queen takes her place in the local drag scene. What will her reign bring to the Philippine drag industry?
It all just started as a fun activity with Eva’s friends in Singapore. They played dress up and did pageants for fun until she was discovered by a local drag queen who urged her to join an amateur drag competition. It was love at first drag—and the rest, as they say, is herstory.
From the very beginning, Eva knew that she should stick with a drag persona she would be able to live with for her entire career—one that embodies everything that she wants to be while still being as close to who she is as possible. At the time, she admits that she has been going through a lot of angst and insecurities in life.
“I know I am capable of good but I am mostly misunderstood—like the Wicked Witch,” she says. “And I saw Regina, the character in the ‘Once Upon A Time’ series. I saw myself in all the female villains who had strong, cunning energies but are also riddled with pain, sadness, and anger. To me they were so beautifully scary but also very, very human. So, I took on the name Eva Le Queen—the most beautiful evil queen I have ever seen.”
One might be curious: What is Eva’s personal style out of drag? Recently, it’s going for the low-maintenance, “nonchalant” kind of style. She leans toward pieces that can be easily worn, those that are laid back, relaxed, and neutral with a hint of stylish piece here and there. Plain tees, tailored pants, lots of blacks, baggy fits, and perhaps a pair of simple designer sunglasses or a clutch to complete the look.
But, her style in drag is the total opposite of Eva. Eva Le Queen just screams opulence and glamor in every sense of the word. Recently, she’s been wearing a lot of power shoulders, tighter silhouettes with quintessential sculpted hair, and an impeccable mug that speaks elegance and power.
Before doing drag, Eva, who completed a marketing degree in Singapore, worked in the corporate industry, particularly in project management and human resources. Having these experiences and doing drag always made her think: What would the industry look like if drag queens had better working conditions and the right people knew where to find them?
“We believe that there is a demand for drag talent and it is just a matter of being able to bridge queens and clients together—to speak and mean business,” Eva shares. “This is something that never existed before. For the longest time, drag queens have been heavily exploited in their workplaces, while potential clients do not know where and how to book these drag queens other than word of mouth.”
Get to know more about Eva Le Queen’s mission in MEGA’s June 2024 issue, now available on Readly, Magzter, Press Reader and Zinio.
Photographed by ALAN SEGUI. Creative Direction BRIE VENTURA. Fashion Direction RYUJI SHIOMITSU. Styled by BITHIA REYES assisted by ERICA TEROL and FEDERICH PANEN. Makeup TINY DELUXXXE. Hair GAB STAR. Production JONES PALTENG. Photography Assistants LYNDON KYLE ASUNCION, JEYO, and MILES WENCY.
