PHOTOGRAPHY & CREATIVE DIRECTION Celine Van Heel
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Ana Carolina Gonzalez Bortot
ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHERS Andres Cevallos, Saso Domijan & Fili Dominquez
DIGITAL ART DIRECTOR Squid
CGI & 3D ARTIST Daria Kochneva
RETOUCHER Mister Raw Studios
COVER TEXT DESIGNER Peter Bonomi
MUA Esteban Martinez
STYLISTS Charisse Kamir & Hanna Ferrer
ASSISTANT STYLISTS Geraldine Hernandez & Laura Serrao
SET DESIGNER Charisse Kamir
ASSISTANT SET DESIGNERS Tomas Reyes & Sean Perreira
STUDIO Vagabond Studio
SPECIAL THANKS Voss Events
In the pulsating heart of New York’s nightlife scene, where neon lights dance to the rhythm of unapologetic self-expression, Amanda Lepore stands as an iconic figure, emblematic of a lineage of Club Kids who have transformed queer spaces into arenas of loud love and unity since the 1980s.
From the quiet suburbs of New Jersey, Amanda landed in the underground clubs of New York City before taking to the global stage, becoming the legendary muse of renowned photographer David LaChapelle and collaborating with luminaries such as Pierre et Gilles, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Balenciaga.
Since then, with her timeless glamour and trendsetting status, Amanda has been a beacon of inspiration for generations of individuals navigating the complexities of gender identity, forming a tapestry woven with threads of resilience and authenticity.
Fast forward to 2020, and Bimini Bon-Boulash was carving their own platform among the contestants of the second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. Inspired by Amanda’s confident candidness, Bimini quickly shook the entertainment world by providing much-needed representation for queer non-binary folks in the UK, complete with fierce political activism and an unapologetic, hilarious sense of humour.
The two have fearlessly shattered conservative societal barriers, representing two generations of romping queer joy and vibrant parties, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural landscape.
In Bimini’s tender admiration of Amanda as a pioneer of individuality and queer self-expression, we witness cross-generational companionship and an acknowledgement of the profound impact of mentorship and kinship within queer communities.
Below, Amanda and Bimini discuss how nightlife has globally evolved throughout the decades, its inextricable ties to fashion, and the constant need for unwavering support and kindness within the queer community.
Far left look: FULL LOOK Man Made Skins, EARRINGS Navarro Jewellery, SHOES Philipp Plein Shoes via Purple PR. Pink look: DRESS Garo Sparo, EARRINGS Sourced by Maria Daniela Velazco. Black look with stars: FULL LOOK Amanda’s archive, SHOES Phillip Plein via Purple PR. Red look: DRESS Michael Costello, RING Sourced by Maria Daniela Velazco, EARRINGS & SHOES Amanda’s archive. Champagne look (far right): CORSET Garo Sparo, EARRINGS Navarro Jewellery, PEARLS Sourced by Maria Daniela Velazco, GLOVES Amanda’s archive.
Bimini Bon Boulash: Amanda, how are you doing? How are you?
Amanda Lepore: I’m good. I’m very good.
B: Amazing. Where are you right now? What are you up to?
A: I’m in New York City.
B: Stunning, gorgeous. And I’ve just flown back in from Berlin.
A: Oh, nice. I was just in Berlin.
B: This was my first time, I was only there for 24 hours but it was fun.
A: Okay, I was there a few times, I did that Harald Glööckler fashion show. I just actually got back like two days ago.
B: We just missed each other! The last time we saw each other was on the Orient Express?
A: Yeah, that was so fun. It’s been a while.
B: It was so much fun. You were performing and it was incredible. For anyone who is reading this, if you haven’t seen an Amanda Lepore performance then you are missing out because it is everything that you could ever dream of… and more. It was amazing. It was so much fun. It was wild, wasn’t it?
A: Yeah, it was so tiny on the train, right? It was an adventure.
B: I remember first seeing you when I was growing up. When I was about 16 I got into fashion and Club Kids were a massive inspiration for me at the start of everything. Obviously, you were there, and it seemed to me to be the most amazing time. When I first moved to London, I went to Larry Tee’s night. You knew Larry then, and you’re a complete original inspiration to so many people, including myself, but at what stage of your life do you feel like you reached contentment in yourself? And were there any specific experiences that helped you or guided you with that?
A: After my sex change, I felt much more like myself – my body matched my mind. That was a big step for me and my life. There were so many different things, like the modelling work with David LaChappelle was really out of the blue for me, because I never thought I would be modelling and then he was using me for campaigns every five minutes. I got a lot of publicity going out completely naked too, and that was really fun because I think normal people couldn’t handle it, but the fashion people and the art world embraced me. Those were big moments in my life.
B: Did you expect that?
A: I didn’t know what to expect. I just knew that I wasn’t liked by normal people, they just didn’t like my appearance and didn’t know what was going on.
B: It’s difficult when you’re finding out who you are as yourself as well, and to feel not accepted by people. But to find those people that accept you is amazing. You were famously the muse of David LaChapelle, that must have been a whirlwind.
A: Yeah, that was the farthest thing from my mind, that that could happen. We did incredible stuff together. It was wild because I never thought that I would be modelling and doing all these campaigns.
B: It’s incredible, though. You paved your own lane. You’re someone that I hugely admire and respect, and I feel like David LaChapelle creates incredible images, but you two together, it was just dynamic. Has that relationship helped you inform how you navigated other creative relationships? Or was it kind of a unique one?
A: Definitely, I mean, it gave me so much confidence. It used to make me nervous, going out naked, because I thought I would get arrested one day, but that never happened and it did make me feel free and true to myself. I was blatantly being myself.
It used to make me nervous, going out naked, because I thought I would get arrested one day, but that never happened and it did make me feel free and true to myself. I was blatantly being myself.
Amanda Lepore
B: Beautiful. I think if you were to look back at people who have inspired Amanda Lepore, who would you say those people were?
A: Monroe was definitely very inspiring. I love how she transformed and she was ahead of her time with makeup and did that dewy skin look at the time, which is what people are doing now. She just used crazy products like Vaseline and all this stuff. I have always been inspired by people who transform. People who aren’t necessarily born beautiful but they make their own persona. I love it.
B: I think beauty is confidence. Not every day do we feel confident, but if you shine within yourself, I think there’s beauty there and I think people see beauty in that authenticity. You just radiate that energy and it’s beautiful to see. I think people like Madonna too, her sex book was huge for me.
A: That’s my favourite era of Madonna.
B: Erotica, I can see that. Marilyn Monroe, LaChapelle and the sex book, I see a lot of that world, and you’re in that space, which to me is iconic. I don’t think you’ll remember this, but the first time we met was actually before I’d been on Drag Race. I went to On Top in 2018 in New York. I was wearing this biker look and I got invited by Kyle over to you and your table, and it was the biggest deal to meet you and I just thought, this is insane.
A: I do remember meeting you.
B: It was the first time I tucked in my outfit and it was very revealing, but you appreciated it which I found amazing.
A: I thought that you looked incredible.
B: Thank you. I love that in the New York-like nightlife scene, you are such a staple. You are someone you immediately think of.
A: I’ve been doing this for decades. I love going to clubs. I love the escape of it, especially parties where people dress up. I love looks and dressing up. That’s pretty much why I do it, because that’s my passion.
B: To anyone who is going to read this, I have seen Amanda in the flesh, and when I say head to toe, it is head to toe. There is not a diamond or sparkle out of place. It is honestly incredible. You are a walking piece of art and it is beautiful.
A: I’m a petite woman so I try to make myself look taller. I go to great lengths with head-to-toe looks to just add length.
B: I’m also quite petite, so I do the same in different but similar ways. Before we go into fashion stuff, I want to talk to you about the New York nightlife. Would you say it’s changed a lot over the last few years, and how?
A: I think we’ve finally got back to normal. After the pandemic was strange, but people were so happy to be out and now it feels like it was before.
B: For me, a big issue with London’s nightlife now is phones, which almost kind of ruined it. I think it takes away an element of the mystique of nightlife.
A: I talked about this in Berlin, the main clubs there check your phones and you can’t use them so you’re forced to meet people the way you would years ago which is cool. I love meeting new people and just talking. A lot of the time, I don’t take my phone out with me because my friend drives so she picks me up and I don’t need it. I just don’t want to look at it other than at home. I do miss the days when you would meet people more, and not everything was on an app or would require being on your phone every five minutes.
B: I feel like people are a bit more tame now. Fewer people are being provocative or outrageous, I think because they’re afraid of it being documented. I want to see people getting their boobs out and having fun and just being free. I want that hedonism back a bit.
A: That’s really true. I do think that people are more self-conscious, definitely about how they’re going to look. They’re constantly taking in their own content and it gets more boring after a while. But I do try to do my part and leave my phone at home often.
B: Yeah, amazing. Okay, so why don’t we move into a bit of fashion? So one of the first campaigns I saw you doing was a beauty one with Mac, and I remember you painting the entire body in lipstick. I’d recommend anyone to check that out.
A: Yeah, that was when I really had to let myself go, because I’m so into glamour and everything. It was definitely an acting sort of thing, which was so crazy, and people love it.
B: It was performance art, which is something that you do with your style and your fashion. There’s an artistry to it. That was an amazing campaign to see Mac produce.
A: I couldn’t believe that they played it in stores.
B: I know, I feel like that wouldn’t happen now. That’s what I mean, everyone is a bit too tame. We might have moved forward but still.
A: Definitely. When I used to perform, I used to go naked. And then I got in trouble with Instagram, and I would get in trouble with clubs that didn’t have cabaret licences and stuff. So I had to do the pay fees and all that kind of thing. It’s definitely changed. I think it was much more wild.
B: In the fashion world, you’ve been embraced by some industry-leading designers and houses. How have your experiences in the fashion industry changed?
A: I always loved fashion and a lot of my looks were actually in the limelight. I used to watch fashion shows and I would remake the look on a budget, recreating the look from the runway. It’s always been a big influence on me.
B: That was a big thing with Club Kids. I remember the Richard Bey talk show where you were all there, there was a lot of news on that and I think I found it so enthralling. I remember when Sink The Pink was created in 2010 which was a bit more gender fuckery and it felt a lot less restrictive than drag ideals of today. I think that’s what Club Kids were all about too. I think what was beautiful about Club Kids was that fashion, at the time, wasn’t necessarily for people like you and me, and I think taking that power and doing it and owning it is amazing, but it must have been difficult.
When I first started working in the clubs, even though I was really glamorous, I always liked punk and I found the Club Kids to be punk because they were rebelling against sexual stereotypes and fucking everything up.
Amanda Lepore
A: It was a lot of fun and I really liked it. When I first started working in the clubs, even though I was really glamorous, I always liked punk and I found the Club Kids to be punk because they were rebelling against sexual stereotypes and fucking everything up.
B: I think punk evolves and I think queerness has that element as well. If you’re sticking it to the system that’s trying to stop you doing things, that’s as punk as anything. You’re gonna be in London soon, aren’t you?
A: In the summer I’ll be performing at Mighty Hoopla.
B: I can’t wait to see you there. What can you tell us about your live performances for the coming year? Have you been thinking about it? What do you want to do?
A: I think it’s gonna be a lot of fun because I’ve got brand new tits. I went up a little bigger, so that’s definitely gonna be some fun.
B: Get the bad boys out! When it comes to performing, what’s your favourite song to perform?
A: I’m the happiest when I’m on stage. I really get the energy from the audience, and I’m always just so happy. I like performing my classic songs like ‘Nails Done’ and ‘Turn Me Over’, those songs are really fun.
B: “I don’t know much about clothes, but my hair looks fierce!” I love that. You’ve got a new song that’s just come out, ‘Come Closer’. When you’re creating a perfect club performance track, what’s essential?
A: I just think if it has a story behind it, it’ll be more fun to perform. I always think about how it will be performed in the club.
B: Do you still get nervous though?
A: I always get very nervous before I go on, even though I’m experienced in it. I just want to do a good job.
B: Of course. I think nerves are good. Nerves are natural and it shows that you care.
A: I always get nervous. And the more that I have to wait, the more nervous I get.
B: When they push it back another half an hour, you’re just thinking,’ Oh, I just want to get out.’ But as soon as you get out there, it’s fine, right?
A: Yeah. Then everything goes away.
B: You’ve obviously performed all over the world, but when it comes to the UK and the US, are there any major differences between the club scenes?
A: I think the big cities are always different. I think there’s more cool people and more seasoned people, I guess. When I go out in America sometimes I’m in a really small town where there really isn’t that much stuff going on so I’ll feel really needed, and I’m glad that I’m there.
B: You don’t realise it, do you? I’m in London, you’re in New York – when you do go to those places that are smaller and you see the younger people within our community that maybe don’t get to experience it, it’s really heartwarming.
A: Yeah, it feels really good. I remember I performed at this one thing, and I guess I performed there 10 years before, and there were all these girls that had transitioned by then and they had boobs and everything. It was so fun. There were maybe 10 girls that said, ‘Oh, I saw you perform, and I transitioned after that.’ That was really cool.
B: That’s amazing, and that’s representation, isn’t it? It’s seeing someone that brings it out of you.
A: Oh, yeah. Then I feel like I did a good job, giving a good service.
B: Do you ever feel pressure when people look up to you?
A: I just try to stay true to myself and I’m definitely very disciplined.
B: I mean, you follow your heart, and if your heart’s in the right place, and you’re following good intentions, that’s all that matters. It’s amazing to see the influence that can be had, but I definitely have had experiences where I felt a bit like, ‘Oh, I’m a human, I don’t want to mess up.’ But get then again, that’s a part of being human, that we do fuck up, and that’s okay.
A: Right. Sometimes I make mistakes, but it’s still me, you know? I’m still true. I don’t feel pressured to do anything that I’m not doing.
B: You’ve come up through the nightlife scene, as I have in London, but there are a lot of queer spaces that are under threat of closure, some because of the pandemic, some because of the horrible uprising of negative views in the right wing rhetoric, and how they’re treating trans people and queer people is disgusting. How important is it to you to protect these spaces, and make sure that they are welcoming?
A: It’s very important to me, and I’m usually shocked by what the right wing people say. It’s just going back in time, back to the 60s or something, it’s really crazy. I can’t believe that some of the claims that these people make, it’s so ridiculous.
B: And there’s never evidence to back it up, they’re just attacking a group. I feel like there’s always a certain group that’s been attacked, and right now, it’s, it’s the trans community that’s under threat more than ever, and I think we just need to rally together as a community, and be there and stand up, but I do think it’s difficult.
A: We definitely have to support and watch out for each other.
B: It’s sad when it’s coming from within the community too.
A: All the freaks are the minority, so you have to stay strong and not be shady to each other. I think that we have to really encourage each other and support each other for our community to stay strong.
All the freaks are the minority, so you have to stay strong and not be shady to each other. I think that we have to really encourage each other and support each other for our community to stay strong.
Amanda Lepore
B: Is there anything you could share as a positive moment or act of kindness that has always stuck with you from growing up in the queer community?
A: Definitely, that’s why I take pictures with people and stop and talk with them, because I came from a place where I was harassed as a kid, and it’s so nice to be treated with kindness. Anytime people ask for pictures I always do it because I just feel so lucky.
B: That’s beautiful. Seeing that happen is incredible. Do you have a piece of advice or perhaps something that made you feel empowered in who you are, your identity and the community around you?
A: I think you just have to do what makes you happy and find your niche in life so that you can be kind to other people and support each other, and be happy with what you’re doing.
B: I agree, I think it’s about carving your own lane. I think with competition shows – I obviously came from one – there could be a lot of tension within the community and it can be very competitive. There’s a good level of competitiveness, but when you find who you are, and your own identity and authenticity, then you can create your own space, you create your own lane. I think that’s something that everyone should learn, to not settle on other people. And just do you baby.
A: Yeah, it’s so important.
B: The industry can be a ruthless environment, so it’s important to have a strong system around you. Is there anyone in your support network that stands out?
A: I’m lucky that I have really good friends that care about me and I care about them. We’ve definitely supported each other really well – they’re my family.
B: I’m gonna get vulnerable, but I found that quite difficult in these last few years, trusting certain people, because I tried to trust people a lot, and I have been stabbed in the back. It’s amazing you’ve been able to find that support. Do you have any advice?
A: You have to be careful of certain people ’cause they’re there. It’s negative and dark. You want to get away from those kinds of people, because you don’t want them around you, and it just doesn’t get you anywhere.
B: You’ve previously spoken out against bullying and your experiences tackling abuse online and homophobia transphobia. What more can be done to protect queer people online and offline?
A: Just supporting each other and weeding out people that are being negative around you, because they could really ruin your life.
B: I try not to read online comments. Do you ever read them?
A: I do. Yeah.
B: I try not to read all of them. I’ll try reading, and some I laugh at because if they’re posting a negative comment, that’s on them. If there’s anything negative, then that’s the mirror they’re holding up at themselves.
A: I think that it’s usually someone with two followers who’s just an angry person. I usually just ignore it.
B: That’s strong, you’ve got to rise above it.
A: I’m not interested, you know?
B: That’s amazing. That’s the way to be. For BRICKS, this is the ‘Be Tender’ Issue. Radical acts of kindness, what does that look like for you?
A: Being kind to people that are in the club scene that aren’t popular, encouraging them to grow and giving them good advice.
B: On that note, what steps do you take to protect your own energy and your own space?
A: I try to keep negativity away from me. Be friends with people that are supportive. I spend a lot of time alone too, I love jewelling things and making outfits and tweaking looks. I like my own company.
B: That’s a beautiful thing to have. Did you always love your own company or was that something you’ve had to work at?
A: I think it’s something I got used to. I think being a transsexual, you spend a lot of time alone, more than other people, so it’s just something that I was trained with since I was a little girl.
B: Yeah, you’ve built that strength within yourself and acceptance I know is hard, but once you find that power, I think it’s amazing. This is such a tricky one, I think, with how the community evolves and changes, but what does the word queer mean to you? I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer.
A: Well, queer is everything that’s not straight, an alternative world, and as many different things and different lifestyles and people.
B: It’s an attitude, isn’t it? It’s a way of living. It’s expressive.
A: It’s a way of living, for sure. For the most part, I think, it’s who you are. I couldn’t be anything that I’m that I’m not. I’m sure other queer people, as well, have to be themselves.
B: What made you keep persevering and finding your authenticity, and being that person? Once these campaigns started, for example, and the fashion industry started, how did it feel, how did you persevere? Did you believe in yourself? Did you tell yourself affirmations?
A: I always just tried to do the best job that I could possibly do in everything that I do. I’ve just always had a drive, you know? Be disciplined and do everything that you do as well as you can.
B: Work hard at what you do and enjoy it.
A: Yeah. For sure.
B: Is there anything that you’d like to add or anything else that you would like to talk about?
A: Just spread love.
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