- Hey, everybody.
Welcome to another episode of "Whatcha Packin'."
My name is Michelle Visage.
And sitting here with me is New York's own Aquaria.
Hey, Michelle.
MICHELLE VISAGE: Hello, Darling.
How's it going?
New York, by the way of Philadelphia.
Of Philadelphia, the suburbs.
You moved to New York City.
How old were you?
I was fresh out of senior year of high school.
So probably, what, 17, 18?
Same age I was when I was moved to New York City.
It changes your life.
Doesn't it?
It was beyond life changing.
So 21 is a life-changing moment for you.
And I would say "RuPaul's Drag Race"
is a great way to usher that kind of Saturn
returns moment in.
Absolutely.
What was it like for you, Darling?
Never been in the bottom.
Never at all.
Won three challenges.
What has this journey been like for you?
AQUARIA: It's been awesome.
I think I've done an excellent job.
I've put out a great body of work
that I'm more than proud of.
I've become a person that I'm extremely proud of.
So this whole experience has taken me
from what I thought was level 100 to a different version
of level 100.
I'm evolved into a completely different person.
And I don't think any other experience is quite like drag
racing that way in that it can really change you so much.
Well, you say you've evolved into a much better person.
In what way?
I think just how I think about drag,
my outlook on myself as a human being,
my in-tune-ness with my own emotions and feelings,
and agitations about myself and my drag in the world.
I think I've just come more into my own.
And you know as RuPaul said, "We're 21.
We think we're all that and we know everything,
and that we're unbeatable.
But we soon learn that that's not the case
and that there's a lot more to life
than just what we think it is."
Did being the youngest one on the cast give you any anxiety
or make you feel like you weren't being taken seriously?
I think coming into the competition,
I was very confident in who I was.
But I knew that I was the new kid amongst all
these other people who'd been doing drag much longer than I
have been, who who've lived on this earth for much longer than
I've been.
I kind of felt like a little kid who
was getting their first time at the grownup
table at Thanksgiving.
Through every walk through, RuPaul would remind me
that you know I'm not a fraud.
I'm not a phony.
I'm here for a reason and I'm moving along every single week
for a reason.
I definitely felt like I needed to show people that I am more
than the superficial image that they usually
get to see online and whatnot.
Well, because that's all we know you from.
Totally.
MICHELLE VISAGE: Right.
So I'm glad that you all got to see me sing, and dance,
and act, and try to be funny.
And you know in everything that I did--
and RuPaul definitely pushed me to try
to make everything this way--
I tried to put my own Aquarian flair into everything I do.
You know when I do a runway look,
there's a specific way I go about doing that.
And Ru really wanted me to put that mindset into an acting
challenge, a singing challenge.
How does Aquaria take on that type of a challenge?
I'm glad we like made some very distinct connections
during our banter during critiques
because even like the first couple of weeks
you let me know.
You were like these cuts are all wrong, everything is so weird.
And I totally understand it and I get it.
So I was glad that throughout this whole journey,
I wasn't in a position where I was like oh are Michelle
and Ru going to get my look?
Or am I going to have to try to explain my drag?
You know, it was episode one you all got what I was doing.
And from there on, that box was checked,
and I was able to give you me without worrying
about being myself.
Fair enough.
We "get" every type of drag.
AQUARIA: Oh, of course.
There's not a drag that we don't get.
But you got it and liked it.
So I was happy about that. - Yes, I got it and liked it.
Exactly.
For me, it's about not only getting
it but understanding it.
And it has to make sense.
If it doesn't make sense, it doesn't matter who gets it.
It has to be a story that when you look at you
go "Oh, my god."
You might not understand the aesthetic or where it came
from or even like it, but if it makes sense,
then it deserves to be applauded.
I understood who you were and where you were coming from.
I also know that your Drag Mother of sorts
is Sharon Needles.
And I can tell she might not have given you a ton of advice,
but the advice she gave you worked from the way
you were standing on stage in character,
how that makes me very happy.
I would venture to believe that she told you
that because there's little things that make me happy
that only somebody going through that would really know
or that paid attention to close detail in watching
"Ru Paul's Drag Race."
Absolutely.
I mean, between stuff that Sharon suggested to me
and as cheesy as it sounds, Ru Paul's "Workin' It."
He literally mentions how important he thinks beveling is
and keeping your posture in a particular way
so you're looking good for the camera and you.
Maybe I didn't do great in a challenge or maybe
the runway was a little iffy, but if I can at least be me
during the whole thing, that my dedication to that
would go noticed.
And there's something to be said about being on all the time.
How did you do with Cracker?
I know you and Cracker have a frenemy situation.
Yeah, so, we've never--
I guess that is the perfect definition of frenemy.
I think there's love there.
Oh, absolutely.
There's never anything hateful between us.
There's just like ugh, huh?
MICHELLE VISAGE: [laughs]
AQUARIA: Lots of onomatopoeia.
Airing that out into the open on day one
helped us move forward in the competition,
and be better versions of ourselves,
and form more of friendship didn't
have much of an enemy-ship.
Your sense of style is impeccable, especially
for such a young age.
You brought some incredible looks.
This one in the middle is one of my favorites.
Stars are very special to me.
So when you came out it was like yes.
Everything about it was just lovely.
Your hair was perfect with that.
The navy, kind of royal blue mixture
eyeshadow, it's just a lovely carved out eye.
It was just really, really beautiful.
This one here with this gorgeous kimono, tell us about that.
We didn't get to see that.
I actually did not get to share this.
My friend, Hanna, helped me make the corset,
but I did all the stoning and all hip and beading work.
So this one was a lot of time and effort
as far as what I put into it.
And then the kimono piece is a traditional kind
of moment made by a designer named Chang in New York City.
And I just thought walking down the runway
would be so cute to have this gorgeous heavy coat just
dragging and then all this sparkle and glitter.
And it kind of reminded me of fish row.
Barnacles.
Sushi on the runway.
Yes.
So you got to wear mostly everything that you brought.
Pretty much all but a couple looks.
Coming this competition, I prepared so much.
And I really wanted a distinct look and vision
for each of my runways.
And being able to make it to the final four
and say that I was able to serve everything on the runway
and that I feel completed is very validating to me.
This rainbow--
MICHELLE VISAGE:
--Alaskan, whatever, it ended up being on the show.
MICHELLE VISAGE: Miami realness.
AQUARIA: There's Miami realness over here, my friend Alex made.
He's my furry godmother.
MICHELLE VISAGE: [laughs]
AQUARIA: And he used to do all real furs,
but he's recently started working in all faux furs.
MICHELLE VISAGE: I appreciate that.
Absolutely.
Even I was able to put my effort into it, dyeing
all the furs with highlighters to give
it that cute pastel color.
Every single look on the runway I had at least a lot of say in.
And I feel like everything was very genuine to me
and very genuine to the vision I have for Aquaria.
It is a beautiful vision.
I am so very proud of you, so young,
so dedicated to the craft, so in love
with your artistry and your vision.
I understand it all.
I get every single bit of everything
you're trying to put out there.
It does not go unnoticed.
And I'm super grateful you allowed
me to judge you this season.
And I'm so glad that you came to slay.
And I'm so proud of you little Giovanni.
Thank you.
MICHELLE VISAGE: You did a really good job.
That means so much to me.
I mean I know I said every single time on the runway.
"Thank you so much.
I means so much."
But it really does.
Don't ever forget that.
Absolutely.
Just remember that, Kiddo.
Always.
Sweetheart, I'm so proud of you
like a mother is to her child.
You did it.
Thank you, Baby.
You guys, I'll see you next time.
Thanks for watching "Whatcha Packin'."
Bye.
Bon voyage.
[music playing]