To say Symone has had quite the year would be an understatement. The self-proclaimed Ebony Enchantress and winner of Rupaul’s Drag Race Season 13 has graced the red carpet of the Met Gala, fronted buzzy campaigns, and appeared on the pages of fashion’s most prominent publications—all the while maintaining the authentic, captivating essence that sprung her into the spotlight. And as a Black, queer drag queen from a quaint town in Arkansas, the past months have been wildly significant—as someone who is now occupying spaces and navigating uncharted territory, Symone is charting her own path as an artist and entertainer. 

And now, just prior to New York City’s annual Pride weekend, Symone joined forces with Jean Paul Gaultier to ring in the occasion at the Fleur Room at Moxy Chelsea. Hosting the event alongside fellow Drag Race alum Gigi Goode and the House of Avalon, Symone rang in the occasion in style. Thumping beats by DJ duo The Misshapes had the crowd twirling all night long and Symone’s nightcap performance rounded out the night in a fashion, nightlife match-made-in-heaven. 

As Symone prepared for the big night, V caught up with the superstar to talk all things performance, Pride, Jean Paul Gaultier, and so much more. Read on, below!

On Celebrating Pride with Jean Paul Gaultier:

“Jean Paul Gaultier is an iconic house, it’s done so many things. And to have them want to work with me—especially for Pride—it’s a dream, it means everything.”

 

On the Importance of Brands Spotlighting LGBTQ+ Artists:

“It doesn’t matter where you’re from, it doesn’t matter your background, [what] matters is you as a person and the art you put out. And it’s encouraging for other people to see—people like where I come from—someone like myself or the other queens and divas collaborating with the brand. It lets them say ‘I can do that too.’”

 

On Collaborating and Performing with Friends:

“It’s very comforting because I love the people I have around me. They’re very important to me, so to be able to work with them on an artistic level and share our ideas—I consider them family—it means a lot because I trust them and ‘we see each other, we see each other!’”

On the Value of Chosen Family:

“With the people around me, I feel safe, I feel like I can put out my ideas, do what I need [to], say what I need to say, while also having all these people around me to help critique, take away, and add more. It’s a collaborative experience that I cherish [and] I’m very proud to be a part of.”

On the Energy of New York:

“Oh my God, I love New York. I’ve loved it ever since the first time I got to come here and I love coming back. The first time I came to New York was for pride, so to come back again is very special.”

On Celebrating Pride in New York:

“To be in the city for pride, especially the New York Pride, it means everything. This is where it all started and to be able to be a part of it, in my way, is fun. It’s exciting and I just love doing what I do.”

On a Typical Pride Weekend:

“I’m going to somebody’s Pride somewhere: they’re booking me one place, I go to another. But it usually means being surrounded by the community, being in the drags, doing my numbers, meeting the fans, and going places that I haven’t necessarily been.”

On the Energy Surrounding Pride:

“It means being surrounded by family—I call the community family. All the rainbows, all the letters. I’m going from one stage to the other room, meeting people, and being surrounded in that love.”

On Becoming Symone:

“I shower first because you gotta wash the day away. Then I have my music, I don’t like to get ready in silence, it stresses me out. I usually will play my music and I’ll do my skincare first and then I’ll start the process.”

On the Getting Ready Process:

“I usually do my face, my eyes, sometimes I’ll drink, but that might cause a wonky eye! Yeah, so I can’t do that too often, otherwise I’ll have one brown this way, one brow that way. Then I’ll put on my hair and then I’ll put on my outfit—the shoes, the heels, the nails. And then I’ve arrived. Yes, it’s fabulous.”

On the Night’s Jean Paul Gaultier Look:

“We went to the showroom and I got to look and see what I wanted. But today is a denim creation that they had. Yes, yes, yes—denim pants, denim top. And my lovely gold locks. A denim princess!”