10 questions for drag queen «La Rica»

Natalie Hemengül

24/8/2022

Translation: Katherine Martin

Drag queens are multifaceted quick-change artists. «La Rica» is one of them. I sat down with her for a quick interview.

How did you come up with your stage name?
La Rica: Rica or La Rica (she/her) is a simple off-shoot of my given name Rico, which is the name I usually go by in the Argentinian ballroom community (linked article in German). The name actually just popped up. On my last birthday, I was voguing and my friends were cheering me on, shouting «dale Rica, dalo todo», basically «come on Rica, give it your all». I’ve been using the name ever since. It’s not particularly creative, but I like that it’s a play on my real name.

What does Rico’s daily life look like?
Right now, I’m working as an ice-cream seller for the summer in Zurich. In September, I’m going back to Buenos Aires, where I’ve been living for a year and a half. I write about LGBTIQA+ issues on a freelance basis, including for Display Magazin and the German site queer.de. And I also give workshops on gender and advise companies on how to form a position on the issue internally; how they can create awareness of the issue without just pinkwashing their external image.

What makes your drag character different from you?
Sometimes, I wonder what a drag character really is. I think my longest drag performance was actually being a PR consultant. Sure, that had a lot to do with me personally, but a lot of that role was simply learned. You study the wording, the concepts and the social codes necessary to do a marketing job, then you just perform them. Customer journey, generating added value, etc. That’s not to say that none of it interested me. I found the world of PR and advertising exciting. But the fact wage labour takes on such importance in forging your identity as an individual, especially in Switzerland, is unbelievable. I mean, it’s usually the first question asked during small talk. My drag character is inspired by that. I often play around with the image of a «boss bitch» who’s actually critical of neoliberalism, but is still a master of the game, who can make the best out of it. She takes what she wants.

In three words: my drag looks are ...
... never a costume.

How did you come to discover drag?
Through ballroom culture. I’m pretty involved in the scene in Buenos Aires. I mean, I go to balls and enter different categories. They’re also good places to get inspiration. At my first ball about a year and a half ago, I still had someone else do my make-up. The result was amazing, but I knew I wanted to pick up those kinds of make-up skills too. Then I found the «Escuela Drag», a drag school in Buenos Aires. I enrolled there and did several courses. Suddenly, the art form of drag had me in its clutches, partly because it’s also very political.

What does drag give you?
Drag gives me a lot of gender euphoria – the exuberant joy of self-discovery, and of exploring my non-binary identity. I like queering up my gender. It’s a journey I’ve only just embarked on.

Before a performance ..
... I’m nervous and insecure. Especially when I see all the other incredibly talented people around me.

When I go to balls, I feel ...
... a rush.

What make-up do you like using most?
The colour palettes from the Argentinian brand «Holzer».

What does beauty mean to you?
Beauty, like the gender binary, is a social construct that I unfortunately can’t escape. That said, I try not let myself be overly influenced by the distorted Instagram filter aesthetic. When I started doing drag, I’d think, oh no! How come I can still see the structure of my skin underneath my make-up, even though I spent four hours doing it? The answer to that is pretty simple – it’s because the skin has a structure and it’s okay for it to be visible. It’s human.

In the short-form feature «10 Questions for ...» I interview interesting people about their expertise, their passion or their lifestyle. Different people, different topics.

Natalie Hemengül

Senior Editor

Natalie.Hemenguel@digitecgalaxus.ch

As a massive Disney fan, I see the world through rose-tinted glasses. I worship series from the 90s and consider mermaids a religion. When I’m not dancing in glitter rain, I’m either hanging out at pyjama parties or sitting at my make-up table. P.S. I love you, bacon, garlic and onions. more

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