I AM HERETIC: VIOLET CHACHKI

The root of the word gender translates loosely to ‘kind, sort, or type’. To gender something is to name it, put it in a box, and place a label across it so we can define it and create a set of expectations for it. But nature did not create gender, society did. Nature, in fact, has an absence of gender. Across the swath of creation, flora and fauna don themselves with color, material, and scent to express their individuality and desires… and some of the most beautiful creations exist in that undefined territory outside of the binary.

For our gender-neutral fragrance Dirty Violet we partnered with a brilliant entity living authentically in the in-between realm: the incomparable Violet Chachki. Violet is known for sophisticated drag performances that blend aerial acrobatics, fetish aesthetics, and striptease. Since winning season 7 of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’, Chachki has been named the ‘Queen of Couture’ by Vogue and received the Alan Turing LGBTIQ award for her strides in the community.

Violet Chachki is the very embodiment of the Heretic ethos— a wellspring of glamour, transgression, seduction, and fetishistic desire. Gliding effortlessly between the once segregated spheres of masculine and feminine, Violet represents the essence of modern day celebrity, a luminous lady liberty unshackled from antiquated conventions and stereotypes. In this podcast we talk with Chachki about scent, gender, and of course their journey to becoming the empress of drag performance. You can also find us on Spotify and iTunes.

Photography by Ruven Afanador