“I don’t have a drag mother, but I do consider Our Lady of Guadalupe my drag mother, who is a very important figure in Mexican culture,” Leyva reveals. She even had movies put aside special budget for her costumes.

Considered one of the most important female figures of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, Félix was dressed by the best designers of the day, including Christian Dior and Valentino. While some queens cite more pop cultural women as influences – the Kardashian sisters, for example – Leyva’s admiration of Félix suggests a deep love of cinema and a pride in his Mexican heritage. is the most rich, powerful and intellectual woman in the world” – James Leyvaĭespite displaying a keen interest in fashion, it is not designers who inform Leyva’s drag but film stars, or rather one specific film star: María Félix, who he describes as “the Mexican goddess” and “the superstar of the 1940s”. “ is the most rich, powerful and intellectual woman in the world.” “Miuccia is a genius of a woman,” he enthuses of the Italian designer. Is he a fan of Miucca’s work? Of course he is. “I have a very retro aesthetic that I love to give a modern flare, a modern take.” Fashion is something Leyva has been engaged with in a professional capacity too, having worked in the Prada store on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. “I am quite classic in my taste,” he muses. When asked what designers he likes, he quickly reels off a list that includes Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana, Oscar de La Renta, Carolina Herrera, and Ralph & Russo. It’s when we start talking about fashion that Leyva really lights up. It was an experience he describes as his introduction to drag. “I went from being this little boy who was not doing great at school to a creative person who was really adored by other people in school… I started to blossom.” Through the arts, specifically theatre, he also made an important discovery in beauty, working on the girls’ make-up before they went on stage. But it was the performing arts that were to be his saving grace he first got involved in the sixth grade and underwent a complete transformation.

He remembers being called “gay” before he even understood what the word meant. This, coupled with his quiet manner and artistic temperament, made Leyva an easy target for bullies, particularly from kindergarten to the fourth grade. “I remember grabbing my towel and turning it into a beautiful skirt or a beautiful shawl” – James Leyva So when I would get out of the bath, my mum would let me dry myself, and I remember grabbing my towel and turning it into a beautiful skirt or a beautiful shawl.” “I was always very creative and I always loved design. You’re a model.” But who is the man behind Valentina? Well, we rang him to find out.īorn to first-generation Mexican immigrants (his mum is from Caliente, his dad from Chihuahua), Leyva’s fascination with femininity found other outlets – still a child, he began fashioning women’s clothes for himself out of the most rudimentary materials. Who can forget Brooklyn queen Aja's mocking words: “You’re perfect. The judges have been so enamoured that she has drawn derision from her competitors, perhaps unsurprisingly. And what makes Leyva’s story all the more captivating is that she’s only been doing drag for a year – which, considering the level of her craft, is frankly astonishing. A matador-inspired ensemble in episode one a gorgeous Dolce-esque wedding gown in episode two a glittering Rococo-style bodysuit in episode three: the list goes on. Seven episodes into season nine, Valentina has floored the judges and Drag Race fans around the world with her beauty and her impossibly chic runway looks, demonstrating a fashion sensibility which far surpasses that of her fellow competitors. A name that has been on the fashion industry’s lips ever since the drag performer, whose real name is James Leyva, first appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race in March of this year.

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