Dakota Vegas has won the tough Miss Drag Pride competition at Auckland's Family Bar. She tells us how she started out, wanting to bring something different to the NZ drag scene.
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Tell us a bit about yourself?
Well where do I start? I'm a 95% ass cheeks and 20% sexy so in theory I'm 115% of a person.
How did you
get into drag?
I started out wanting to bring something different to the New Zealand drag
scene, so I tried taking as much clothing off as possible. I've always had an
itch to do it but always denied myself the freedom to express myself as a drag
queen and then I moved in with these two amazing guys who introduced me to drag
race and basically helped put a wig and a dress on me the rest is Herstory now.
How long
have you been doing it for?
My first ever night in full drag was 30 May 2014 and since then it's been a big
blur of booze, nails, wigs, eyelashes and creeps sending me nudes on every
possible social media forum I have.
How did you
decide on a name?
Well I won't spring my inspiration by full name but I named myself after a very
dear friend of mine whose stripper name was Dakota and then she worked at somewhere
called Vegas. As a person she was such a huge inspiration to me and in her
fashion style so we agreed it would be a fitting name.
Who have
been your inspirations?
If we're talking mainstream drag queens? Obviously Willam Belli, that mouth of
his needs a good slap but then so does mine haha. In the Auckland Drag Scene I
try take a little bit from every queen I meet being anyone from Kita Mean, Tess
Tickle, Betty Ford or Daisha Jackzon (sometimes) I try take anything I like
about them or anyone and apply it to myself and trial it out.
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The competition was super tough! There were some fierce competitors. I mean did you see Yuri's head pieces? And then Elektra busting out with six back up dancers? And then at last minute my previous back up dancers had to pull out and then I had to completely restart!
How much
work did you put in?
I can't say I stood entirely alone in this competition. My mother Daisha
Jackzon has been there every step of the way reminding me to step it up and
take it to the next level. Other than that there was lots of work and planning
I think I had about four shows put together by the end of this competition. So
that was a lot of stress and deciding which works the best
What does it
mean to you to win?
Well to start it means the Haus Of TCD are now all title holders! It means a
trip to Hawaii clearly........ In all seriousness though for me it means that
my hard work and my ability to be able to do different looks and follow a
different style of drag was recognized. It also means I'm buying ear plugs so I
don't have to listen to Ribena snoring while I'm in Hawaii with her.
Tell us a
bit about your life outside of drag?
My life outside of drag is AMAZING! I'm a hairdresser by trade but my life is
fun and full of lots of love and friends. I spend all my spare time I can doing
things that make me happy. I refuse to ever stop!
What music
do you love?
I must admit I'm a black woman trapped inside a white drag queens body. If I
can twerk to it you can guarantee it's on my playlist. I am the biggest Nicki
Minaj Fan anything from the Young Money Family is on my playlist.
Who are your
style icons?
Anyone who likes to get naked! If people are looking to keep their clothes on
then definitely Carmen Carrera, Gigi and Willam Belli.
What rules
do you live your life by?
I don't live by rules if it makes me happy then I will it or him. The one
phrase I try to incorporate into my everyday life is 'always live with
forgiveness'
Anyone you’d
like to thank?
Yes definitely I'm going to start right back at the start. I'd like to thank
Tess Tickle and Grady Elliot for being the first people to ever put me on stage
and giving me a platform to perform. I'd like to thank Ribena and Trinity Ice
for hosting such a great competition and believing that I could win this! I'd
like to thank my flatmates for putting up with my constant mess there are all
sort of stuff floating in our house. Certainly not least Daisha Jackzon and
everyone around her (Betty Ford, Dee Dee Vine) for supporting me Daisha mainly
for being my mother taking the time to understand me and for always encouraging
me to do things that people shouldn't do. She has been my biggest supporter and
fan in this competition and without her in my life, it becomes a life not worth
living.
Also a quick thank you to the judges and everyone in the crowd/online who supported me. Without you none of this would be possible.
