Drag superstar Violet Chachki has been a fan of the Crazy Horse cabaret in Paris since the mid-2000s. When she first started doing drag performance in her native Atlanta, Chachki recalls stumbling upon videos of performers like Dita Von Teese commanding the Crazy Horse stage—which, today, is known as one of the most glamorous and elevated cabarets in the world. (Even Beyoncé has filmed there.) “I started ripping off the show completely, and putting it in my track numbers in Atlanta,” says Chachki. “I’m now calling it a respectful homage.”
It’s only fitting, then, that Chachki is now a guest performer at Crazy Horse herself. From June 24 to June 28, the drag star was invited to perform 10 exclusive shows at the iconic venue. For Chachki, it was a dream come true, given she’s been a longtime fan of its dancers and choreography. “I don’t even know how many times I’ve been—I always come whenever I’m in Paris,” she tells Vogue, adding that she wanted to bring something unique to the show. “Crazy Horse is a celebration of glamour and sexuality. I wanted to start with the old-school drag vibe that I grew up with, and then the rest of the show is me becoming a Crazy Horse girl—putting my own remixes on their classic numbers.”
Among the Crazy Horse acts Chachki reinvented for her short residency? The performer put her twist on its famous acts such as “Attitude,” which involves dancers in and around twirling rings. “It’s a little shocking because not only is there one male-bodied person on stage doing an iconic number, but I do it with a male dancer—and we basically fuck in the number,” says Chachki. “But it’s tasteful and really beautifully done.” She adds that she was grateful that Crazy Horse allowed her to fully express herself as a queer artist on-stage. “I’m really happy they let me take up space as a queer person in their space,” she says. “It’s powerful.”
Of course, Chachki had to bring a glamorous assortment of stage costumes to the mix—it’s a Crazy Horse signature, after all. For her show, the drag superstar worked with several different designers to bring glitzy, futuristic designs alive including Disco Daddy—a bedazzler to the stars—Ludovic de Saint Sernin, Coperni, and more. “It’s a lot of clothing to wear on stage for Crazy Horse—but of course, I’m taking it all off on stage,” says Chachki. The goal of the looks, she says, was to play into the iconic burlesque feel of Crazy Horse—but in an elevated way. “I wanted to present something fresh, especially with drag being so saturated now,” she says. “The costumes are a bit more avant-garde. We wanted the looks to feel futuristic; Crazy Horse in the ’70s was all about retro-futurism and surrealism.”
Highlights in the assortment include two fully-encrusted looks by Disco Daddy, whose specialty is hand-crystal work. The designer created two special looks for Chachki: The first is a pink and black-striped gown complete with a matching feather boa. “It looks like I’m tied up in ribbon,” says Chachki. Disco Daddy designer Vincent Braccia adds it was important to make it feel extra-refined. “Because Crazy Horse is so intimate—it’s not a huge theater where the audience is far away from the stage—I wanted it to be super detail-oriented, and to look chic from up close. There’s probably over 400,000 crystals; It’s one of the most rhinestoned outfits I’ve made.” The second Disco Daddy look is a vintage dress featuring a vintage Erté print on it, which Chachki found on Etsy; Braccia then fully crystalized it. “He rhinestoned every single line—it became a piece of art,” says Chachki.
As for the other outfits? Chachki was seeking silvery, futuristic looks, and so turned to brands such as Ludovic de Saint Sernin and Coperni. “I’m always about what I’ve done in the past, and how to modernize my references,” says Chachki of the inspirations. “We had some Paco Rabanne on the mood board, and some Guy Bourdin and Mugler.” Punctuating all these striking looks? Custom Christian Louboutin stilettos, of course; Louboutin has been lending his red-soled heels to Crazy Horse for years now. “They’re proper fetish heels—they’re intense,” says Chachki. “It’s a dream come true.”
As Chachki concludes the final day of performances tomorrow evening, the drag superstar hopes attendees will leave feeling a sense of relief, glamour, and joy—even if it’s temporary. “The world that we're living in right now is so chaotic and insane,” she says. “I just want to provide a space to come for an hour and a half to get off your phone, stop scrolling, and to just look at something surreal. It’s a form of escapism—and therapy!”
