The Chaotic Beauty of Yvie Oddly’s Rule-Breaking Drag

Fresh from emerging victorious as America’s Drag Superstar from the 11th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, YVIE ODDLY is the name on everyone’s lips. More than doing drag as a means for performance and dressing up, the current reigning queen is raising the flag for all freaks and shaking up the scene with her whimsical and audacious approach to the art form.

“Yvie is just an expression of Jovan. As she has had to transform into this public persona, I, too, have had a lot of growth to undergo,” Yvie—or Jovan Bridges in real life—shares on her triumph's aftermath. For us, it has only been three months since we saw her give the performance of her life in that iconic mirrored ensemble, but to the Drag Race breakout star, it's been almost a year and a half. For an extremely self-aware artist like Yvie, some intense processing had to be done with this newfound responsibility; particularly due to the fact that she's the most distinctly different out of the three other competing queens—she's the authentic weirdo painting her face like an alien and putting together the most bizarre of looks in a sea of glamour. Through this, Yvie has earned her characteristic freak identity in the eyes of Drag Race's predominantly young audience who now consider her an icon and inspiration. "It’s been a lifetime’s worth of change for all of me. I’ve had to force myself to start thinking about my life in terms of creating some tangible future that I actually have the power to create. I’ve had to learn what truly makes me happy and focus on that unhindered."

"Yvie was an alienating experience that made it easy for me to further alienate myself. So when I happened upon drag, I saw it as a magical way to express this otherness, let my guard down, and tell my stories.”

Growing up mixed, gay, feminine, and “weird”, Yvie just always checked the “other” box. Before coming into all this acclaim, the persona of Yvie Oddly developed from the young, ambitious Jovan's desire to be seen, heard, and felt—turning to drag to illustrate all her idiosyncrasies in a world that didn't fit her standard of normal. "[Creating Yvie] was an alienating experience that made it easy for me to further alienate myself. So when I happened upon drag, I saw it as a magical way to express this otherness, let my guard down, and tell my stories," she explains. While she's part of a generation of young queens who were birthed from the drag reality show and largely have more access to resources compared to their seasoned counterparts, Yvie knew she wanted to ride against the current and bring forth something no one has ever seen. On the other hand, that proved a challenge as a budding artist and performer. "I knew that I wanted to shake up the drag I was seeing, but found it difficult to sell others even the most basic of visions when I still had so much learning to do." And so she carried on with her pursuit to reinvention and signed up to a local drag competition; launching what was only the first step of her journey towards exploring and revamping the medium.

"I learned that if I use my words to critique the world around me, I could begin to affect change in it and change isn’t always welcome [or] easy, but it’s vital to creating a better future.”

Fans of the show would know, Yvie isn't afraid to speak her mind. She has been at the center of a few conflicts during her season and though her competitors might have found her honesty too abrasive, the 26-year-old has unapologetically stuck true to her authentic self. By virtue, her only objective is to ultimately elicit a change in the world, even through small steps. "I also learned that if I use my words to critique the world around me, I could begin to affect change in it and change isn’t always welcome [or] easy, but it’s vital to creating a better future," the Denver-native tells. It's no secret that Yvie has always been quite of an underdog; known both in the show and in the drag scene as a peculiar personality who refused to follow the conventional. It's that very attribute that makes her Drag Race win so meaningful as she raises the flag for all the unlikely winners, breaking through and representing for the queer youth who are afraid to express and be themselves.

On the subject of the future, Yvie is treading towards experimenting with art and fashion further, exploring a musical career, and continuing to challenge the world's views using her platform. She's definitely got a lot up her sleeve, but we're letting the odd queen tell it herself, including some personal stories and her process of creating narratives in every look.

Everyone knows you to be the type of artist that never confines herself in one category or style. What was your relationship with fashion and beauty as a child? Why do you think you never gravitated to the conventionally glamorous side of drag?

I’ve always had an attraction to bright colors and interesting fashion. My mom likes to tell me how when I was little, I would refer to people by their shirt colors, and how I was awestruck whenever I see people with dramatic or alternative senses of style. While I’ve grown to appreciate things that are traditionally “glamorous,” I’ve always had an obsession with unusual and unique forms of expression because of the way they shock and intrigue.

Your approach to drag is something that we definitely can’t put into words. We’re curious, how do you come up with your looks? What is your process like on these ideas taking form and coming to life?

Drag for me is like making a process piece. I draw inspiration from many different sources. When I’m working on a look, I’ll start with one specific idea and just continue to have a conversation with it, adding and subtracting other ideas as it feels right. I know it’s done when I can imagine a clear character behind the look.

What’s your definition of drag? More than just its sheer meaning of dressing up and performing, what does it mean to you now to be a drag queen in this political climate? Or would you say it’s not meant to be political at all?

Quite the contrary actually. Drag is inherently political because it’s an act of rebellion against the rigid ideals of gender—and in a broader sense, identity. Drag, especially in times like these, is particularly important because it disregards all the facets of identity that some forces are determined to oppress us with. At its roots, it says “I don’t care how you see me, because even your vision can be fooled.”

You’re someone who’s not afraid to say your piece and that’s been evident on the show. How did this confidence develop?

I actually have my family to thank for my brazen demeanor. My dad was always cool, confident, and collected. He inspired me with his mantra of “don’t speak if you don’t have anything important to say”. My mom was always a “make it work” idealist which made her a tough critic with a sharp tongue, so I learned to be very cerebral.

You talked about coming from a religious family and how it took a while for them to accept your identity. While it’s definitely true that coming out carries great significance to every queer person’s life, a lot have said that they never did so or don’t feel the need to. In your opinion, is coming out a necessity?

I don’t believe there’s any singular experience that’s necessary for everyone to live a happy queer life, but it was incredibly important for me. I needed to come out because it was the first time I could discover and proclaim my own identity instead of being handed it. It taught me to question the norm and moreover, taught me the power of “I am”.

We’re in a time now when everything is accessible because of the digital age. As a part of the new generation of drag queens, how do you think the culture of drag has changed? Is it easier for queens now?

I feel like the culture has shifted in ways that I’m not even particularly qualified to speak on. I can’t say whether or not it’s easier for queens now, but I believe it’s a lot less isolating to be a queen. There’s a worldwide drag community that can be accessed from your fingertips and there are endless resources to support the development of newer drag entertainers.

Let’s talk about your song “Dolla Store”. We were so excited to witness your rap persona when the video dropped. How do you see your music evolving in the future? Are you sticking with a hip-hop sound or will it—just like your drag—be more experimental?

I’ve actually been wondering the same thing. I like exploring myself as a rapper because it taps into this part of my identity that I never fully took ownership of. I feel like I have quite a bit more to find out about this side of myself, but there is still so much else I’d like to experiment with too.

We know you also like to do illustrations on the side. As a lover of art and fashion, how do these two integrate into your work and your identity? Who are your biggest influences in these realms?

It’s funny how drag and studio art have kind of reversed roles in my life. I used to be a flamboyant artist who dabbled in drag and now I’m drag queen who’s lucky to have time to sketch. Now, fashion is the best way for me to express my artistic identity and explore different facets of the human (and inhuman) experience. You know, I don’t really have outside influences as much as I just appreciate what others are doing with their mediums. My biggest influence has always been my own imagination.

We discovered you’re a Leo-Virgo cusp! We definitely see that with your knack for perfection, self-awareness, and audacious attitude. Do you see yourself as more of a Leo or a Virgo?

I feel like a Leo in life and a Virgo in mind. I’m loud, proud, and fiercely loyal to the people in my life, but I’m also very pensive, calculating, and hard-working.

From all the places you’ve gone to jet-setting across the globe, is there a difference between the crowds you’ve performed for around the world? What has been the most interesting experience you’ve had traveling for drag?

Aside from the language that people speak, there isn’t a major difference between most of the crowds I’ve performed for. They’re made up of people who just love drag and maybe more specifically, have connected to the “odd” representation my journey has given them. To be honest, this whole adventure has been so intense that now it’s the little things I remember best: a lunch in Toronto, giving a tear-stained hug to someone else struggling with EDS, seeing my family…

You talked about previously not wanting to bring up your struggle with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and sharing something so personal with the world. Now that it has come to light because of your opening up about it on the show, how do you want to keep the conversation going?

I want the masses to start challenging their ableist views. It’s scary for me because this is such a personal issue that I’m still not always dealing with very well but if I can be a sounding board for how people struggling with invisible disabilities [and] are navigating through the world, then perhaps we can reach a place where people won’t be afraid to be seen as weak for speaking on their struggles.

What has been the best piece of advice you have ever received? And what’s one you can give to the underdogs who are inspired by you and your story?

The best piece of advice I’ve received was to make sure that I’m doing the things in life that make me happy no matter what people think or say. The best advice I can give is to scare yourself. You have to try things that are out of your comfort zone in order to discover who you really are.

As the current reigning Drag Superstar, what does the future of drag look like to you? How do you want to use your platform to usher in a change to both the community and the world?

To me, the future of drag looks like a free form method of expression that people will perform on the daily. It has no gender, no race, and no rules. But to get to that place we have a lot of listening to and learning from others to do. I want people to be inspired to look at the world through different eyes every day.

What are you looking forward to in the coming months? What can we expect to see from Yvie Oddly?

I’m really excited to continue touring the world, meeting people, and trying new things. More so, I can’t wait until I’ve caught up to this new learning curve and everything feels like second nature so I can start working on some of my bigger dreams/projects. Everyone can expect to be shocked.

Photographed by Marco Ovando