On one of her getaways outside the islands, our tireless Lupe Castro is in Madrid with two icons of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Alyssa Edwards, from Season 5 and All Stars 2, and recently crowned winner from Global All Stars, and Gottmik, from Season 13 and All Stars 9. Here’s what happened and everything she got to know from two of the most recognisable queens from the franchise.
LUPE: Okay, so my question. I’m actually writing for an international magazine of the islands called MADE NOW Magazine. This is where you’re travelling next —Cultural Business Pride in the Canary Islands. I’m going to do alternate questions because I didn’t realize I was going to have the chance to interview you both at the same time. So here we go. Starting with you. The icon that is Alyssa Edwards.
ALYSSA: Love that.
LUPE: It’s true. Blending glamour and comedy seamlessly. How do you create and maintain Alyssa’s essence while constantly reinventing yourself?
ALYSSA: Ooh! Well, sorry, how do I do that? Here’s the thing. Are we recording this?
LUPE: Yes, we’re recording
ALYSSA: Wonderful. I think, for me, working with children, being a dance teacher every day of my life, they keep me young. They keep me on my toes. And in the world of drag, it’s constantly evolving. And art is conversational. It’s thought. If art isn’t thought-provoking, it loses its interest. And I think for me, I’m inspired by so many things. When I think of Alyssa Edwards, I think of Joan Collins, Elizabeth Taylor—and these leading ladies that constantly evolved. Just when I thought I did it all, I realized I’m just getting started
LUPE: Uuuh, I love it. And you always say that marvelous saying that you have, which I adore —the one your grandmother said about “the higher the hair, the closer to heaven.”
ALYSSA: Yes, yes.
ALYSSA EDWARDS
LUPE: Oh my God, do I love that. I have no hair, darling, but I love the idea. Okay, moving to you now, Gottmik. I’m not going to stick to fashion only, I promise. I have to do something serious for the magazine with the questions they want. Although your story goes far beyond this, how did you first encounter the world of drag? What initially drew you to it?
GOTTMIK: The first time I saw drag, I was very lucky. I was able to see RuPaul’s Drag Race from a very young age, so I was exposed to it early.
GOTTMIK
ALYSSA: I’m curious —what age?
GOTTMIK: I think the first time I saw it was probably Season 3.
ALYSSA: How old were you, though? What year was that? Were you, like, underage?
GOTTMIK: I was a freshman in high school. Oh my God! I was, like, 13. Yeah, crazy.
LUPE: High school in UK terms is what age?
GOTTMIK: Like 9th grade, so I think around 15 or 16, but 13 for me.
ALYSSA: And you know Gottmik did my makeup before.
LUPE & GOTTMIK: Yessssss.
GOTTMIK: I forgot about that…
ALYSSA: That’s how I stay young. Inspired by the younger generations!
LUPE: That’s what you said before.
ALYSSA: There it is.
GOTTMIK: That is crazy. Yeah, and then I got obsessed with fashion. I saw Marco Marco’s runways with drag queens, and I thought, “This is exactly what I want.”
LUPE: No, that is interesting because it’s exactly what the world needs today—creativity, in order not to make us boxes, so that is very cool.
Alyssa, one of the things that makes you stand out is your ability to make people laugh while maintaining elegance and poise. How do you balance comedy with glamour in your routines, and what’s your philosophy on how a drag queen can connect with an audience beyond just visuals?
ALYSSA EDWARDS AND GOTTMIK
ALYSSA: Oh, I love this question. Well, yet again for me, I think going back to ladies I saw on television, like Joan Rivers. It was glamorous, fabulous, and so over-the-top. Once again, I think Joan Collins always had that essence of beauty, and it was, like, snarky. But also, for me, being a Southern queen, I’ve always just enjoyed a laugh. So, I mean, look at me. I’m sitting here like a Muppet Baby out of space.
LUPE: Yeah, but you still have that ability to make people smile, darling. I think that’s innate because I think it’s… I don’t know how you do it, but you always, you know, whenever I watch you, I mean, you’re serious, but then somewhere else you say something, and it’s just fun.
ALYSSA: Well, I started doing drag because drag was—it was funny to me. I remember going to my very first open stage talent show and seeing these queens on stage gallivanting around. One was twirling a baton, and I just sat in the corner—believe it or not, I was very shy—and I just started giggling. It was one of my very first times also being at a gay bar, so all of this was very new. It was like Alice that fell down a hole. I was in this wonderland.
LUPE: Yeah.
ALYSSA: I think this is a perfect way for me to try to express myself, get in touch with my queerness a little more. And also, I knew at a very young age I wanted to be a choreographer, not a dancer, so this was a perfect opportunity for me to get on stage in a costume and play dress-up. It’s all in fun. I remember watching the Miss Texas pageant as a small child. I’m one of seven, I have four sisters with my grandmother and my mom, and I thought, I would think to myself silently, like, I wish there was something like this I could do. And here I am.
LUPE: We were always given that example of Americanism, Miss Texas, because it was so non-British. It was like so extreme, but in the extremity, it was so much fun, so we all wanted really to do something like that.
ALYSSA: I think I love the idea of competition and glamour, and I loved, to me, it was glamour. These ladies on this huge stage, you know.
LUPE: Yeah, there’s glamour.
ALYSSA: There was lots of glamour and hair. And, you know.
ALYSSA EDWARDS
LUPE. I am going to ask you about the black-and-white makeup.
GOTTMIK: All right!
LUPE: Because obviously, it’s a signature. Now, Gottmik, your black-and-white makeup is iconic. Why did it become your signature?
ALYSSA: I want to know this too.
GOTTMIK: When I started drag, it was before I transitioned. I loved the art of drag, but I was really uncomfortable fully looking like a girl all the time. When I did my face a different color, it was just a different thing. It was like an alien-esque thing as opposed to just being “pretty.” Also, I am huge with branding, so I thought I could make it my stamp. So when you see this, you’re going to think “Gottmik forever.” And so I stuck to it. Now that I transitioned, I became way more comfortable and love dressing way more feminine. I’m able to do more signature makeup.
ALYSSA: You do glam drag great.
GOTTMIK: I do that now, huh?
ALYSSA: You do! But I remember specifically on your first season, there was this runway—it was like a rainbow, clouds.
GOTTMIK: Oh, yeah. It was like, it gave me this texture. It changed your hair.
ALYSSA: Yeah, it was beautiful. I thought that black-and-white look, I thought always because—I’m sorry.
LUPE: Yeah, no, but I’m interested in this.
ALYSSA: I always thought that that was your way of saying, like, it was so punk rock to be like, I don’t want the normal beauty.
GOTTMIK: Yeah, no, it was.
ALYSSA: Because even your black-and-white look is still beauty.
GOTTMIK: Yeah, no, well, it’s getting prettier and prettier. Like, the more comfortable I am out of drag, the more pretty I get in drag. It’s so crazy because before, I was like, I have to be crazy and rock and roll, like, and literally like that. And then now I’m like, wait, I can be pretty too. I’m like, because I don’t see my old self in my drag anymore. So, yeah, it was just a way for me to do drag without being too pretty. And then also, like, I really just am a brand person. I was like, everyone needs their stamp. Like, when you see an Alyssa Edwards eye, you know it’s an Alyssa Edwards eye. Like, you know, like, if you see a Gottmik face, you know it’s a Gottmik face.
LUPE: It’s true.
GOTTMIK
GOTTMIK: Like, I love when girls have their stamps.
ALYSSA: Yeah, yours is—I mean, it’s one of a kind. I think it’s one of a kind.
GOTTMIK: I mean, yours too.
ALYSSA: And this season on All Stars, you were totally in your skin. Yeah. I mean, it was just so authentic, and it was raw and real and fashion-forward and punk rock. It was very edge. I loved it. I’m a huge fan, by the way.
GOTTMIK: Obviously, same.
LUPE: I can see. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be doing this together. I want to ask you just a parting question. I know it’s going to be easy for you, but—favorite designer in fashion. Favorite designer. Of all time.
ALYSSA: Of all time? McQueen. Oh, no, no, no—yeah, McQueen. Oh, gosh. I love Galliano.
LUPE: Yeah, also. I mean, so you, so you.
ALYSSA: Who am I missing?
GOTTMIK: I mean, bad divas too.
ALYSSA: To me, those are like top two.
LUPE: Yeah, but I can see you in each of their outfits of haute couture. Although it could turn. Yeah. Definitely. And what about you, Gottmik?
GOTTMIK: I mean, I’m very much the same. I have a McQueen model tattooed on my arm. McQueen changed my life. I redesigned some of his clothes, and my finale look on Drag Race All Stars was McQueen-inspired. Anytime I need inspiration, I open Gods and Kings, which is about Galliano and McQueen. And I just read that, and it turns me out. Those two—the same era together—is just so amazing. Currently, I’m obsessed with Jonathan Anderson. Absolutely obsessed—he’s such a genius.
LUPE: And of course.
GOTTMIK: Go Jean Paul Gaultier. Oh my God. Hello. I could go forever about that one. It’s very exciting.
LUPE: So what have you got to look forward to now? I mean, you’ve done everything. Seriously, you’ve done everything.
ALYSSA: I’m going to be very honest with you. I’m living in the moment of now. I’ve always been one that’s been a dreamer, a go-getter, a goal-oriented Capricorn that I am—a double Cap at that. And I’ve always been like, “What’s next? What’s next? What’s next?” because the fear of failure is haunting me. But in this moment right now, love is alive. I’m with my partner now almost four years. And I am living in this moment. I am basking in the beauty.
LUPE: Lucky her. Lucky her.
ALYSSA: It comes. Wisdom comes with age. It really is true. I’m going to be 45 in January. And for the first time, I feel comfortable and at peace with everything I’ve worked for. And I’m enjoying the fruits of my labor.
LUPE: It’s nice, right?
ALYSSA: It took a long time to get there, a long time to get there. But I feel like I have arrived.
LUPE: But really, that is what one has got to do.
ALYSSA: But I have so many things that I’m very excited for. So many things. I’m writing a book. It’s been something that I’ve been working on for a couple of years. I was waiting on my final chapter—the happily-ever-after—which, after Global All Stars, I felt like, listen, the crown was the happily-ever-after. But I felt after I left, I was like, “You did it. No matter what.” You can close this chapter and look back and be proud of this. Be proud of the work that you presented. And your growth. And you never stopped growing. You never stopped allowing yourself to grow and develop.
LUPE & GOTTMIK: The book.
ALYSSA: Get ready.
LUPE: And you?
GOTTMIK: I mean, I was always saying—like she used to be—I’m always just like, “What’s next? Where’s the move?” But I’m super proud of what I’ve been doing. And I’m really excited to push into the fashion industry more. And, like, I’ve been so lucky to be best friends with Violet Chachki, who’s the same exact way.
LUPE: Yeah, exactly.
GOTTMIK: With the same vibe. And we just want to push into that together. I have music coming out for the first time.
ALYSSA: Really?
GOTTMIK: Yes, it’s really amazing.
LUPE: When is that happening?
GOTTMIK: I released two this year, and I have, like, hopefully at the beginning of next year—so hopefully in February—a little EP. I also have a makeup line coming out.
ALYSSA: You have a full makeup line?
GOTTMIK: Yes. A full makeup line.
ALYSSA: Good for you.
LUPE: Darlings, thank you. Thank you both so much.
Loved the interview! So inspirational and engaging! They are absolutely stunning. 🔥
Absolute yes! Thank you very much for your comment!