In addition to one-off custom pieces, Chachki also wears vintage ensembles in the photographs that hark back to the days of Old Hollywood. To do so, she pulled special garments from The Last Follies Closet, a costume rental store in Los Angeles. “My friend Alexandria runs it,” says Chachki. “She just bought a Bob Mackie warehouse at auction. She has these incredible costumes from the ’70s.” For accessories, she chose Christian Louboutin shoes (a Chachki signature) as well as archival pieces from Prada, Miu Miu, Jean Paul Gaultier, and more. Even more impressive than styling all of the fashion, however? Chachki self-photographed and creative-directed the whole calendar herself, with the help of assistants, of course. “I like being in control and having total creative freedom,” Chachki says. “Because of the pandemic, I really had to learn how to be self-sufficient. I’m like Marlene Dietrich in that way—whenever I’m on set, I’m like, ‘that light needs to go up, that light needs to go down.’”
Like the rest of us, Chachki says she’s now officially ready to kiss 2020 goodbye—and she surprisingly has high hopes for next year, calendar aside. “I am, by nature, not optimistic: my fellow drag queens would probably describe me as a pessimist,” she laughs. “But I am so optimistic right now, it’s unbelievable! I feel like the stars are going to align and everything is going to open up. We’re going to get a vaccine. We have a new president. I’m picturing residencies and tours and fashion weeks and lovers and dinners and parties and dancing.”
