London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

Violet Chachki’s Glamorous 2021 Calendar Is a Visual Feast

Violet Chachki’s Glamorous 2021 Calendar Is a Visual Feast

It’s safe to say that we’re all eager to leave 2020 behind us-and Violet Chachki is ready to start 2021 on a super glamorous note.

The drag superstar has unveiled a special calendar that ushers in the new year with fabulosity. Each month features a photo of Chachki in her signature drag style: vintage, pinup-inspired looks. “In the ’50s, you would have these risqué pinup calendars that were sort of taboo-it was almost like softcore porn,” Chachki tells Vogue of the project, adding that one of her biggest inspirations from the decade were stars such as Bettie Page. “[Bettie] was one of those cheesecake models that would pose for these sexy pictures,” she says. “If you look at [the pictures] now, though, they're so innocent and playful.”

The 2021 calendar isn’t Chachki’s first go at retro calendar modeling. This is actually Chachki’s fourth calendar project, having done one in 2016, 2018, and 2019 (the latter was shot by legendary celebrity photographer Ellen von Unwerth). “Every year is its own monster,” Chachki says. “This year, it’s more of a punk approach: the whole thing has this acid trip, ’70s and ’80s vibe.”



These calendar shoots began innocently enough for Chachki-she needed a visual medium to display all of the amazing ensembles in her archive that she hasn’t gotten to wear yet. “I’m a fashion hoarder,” she says. “I have a ton of stuff, and I like to cycle it out to have room for more stuff. The calendar is a way for me to archive and catalogue all of the pieces that have been through my hands.” This year, with the pandemic and quarantine, she had an even bigger abundance of pieces that were begging to be worn-so she channelled her creativity into a 2021 calendar shoot, which was shot at a secret hotel in Palm Springs this summer. “It’s this ’70s motel, and they have all these crazy themed rooms,” says Chachki. “The rooms and spaces dictated each month.”

Each calendar month saw Chachki embrace its feeling or mood. She got spooky for Halloween, or romantic and flirty for February’s Valentine’s Day theme. (December, however, proved to be not very Christmas-like, instead, it’s more ballerina-inspired. “To be honest, I’m kind of a Grinch,” she says.) For Chachki’s birth month in June, she also went for a Barbarella-inspired look, a favorite film of hers. “It’s super surreal and campy,” she says. “I love that retro-futuristic look, because it feels modern in a way. I had this reflective mylar corset and panty made by my corset maker in Atlanta, who I call my own personal Mr Pearl.”



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.”


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×