Hello darlings! Emma here, your friendly neighbourhood pink tutu-wearing time-travelling drag queen extraordinaire! Welcome back to another fabulous edition of my pink-tastic time travel blog! This month, my darlings, we're taking a trip to the City of Lights! Oh la la!
This is the big one, hunnies. Imagine a little old me, strutting my pink tutu stuff right into the 1930s! What a trip!
Today's the 3rd of March, 1937, and as luck would have it, it's a Tuesday – the perfect day to see some cabaret! I've landed, or should I say twirled, right into Paris. I am absolutely giddy! Paris in the 30s, oh darling! Just the name alone has me practically pirouette-ing all over the place! I'm sure I'm giving the French ladies a real shock!
This year is buzzing with energy, with fashion and the arts hitting all-time highs. What's particularly interesting is the way drag is shifting, morphing into new forms, a real chameleon of performance!
This particular night, I found myself tucked into a tiny corner seat at the famous Moulin Rouge, gazing in absolute awe at the performers. Now, let me tell you, honey, this was a show with capital letters! It’s not just about the glitz and glam, you see; there's a certain sophistication to it, a touch of refined elegance!
Think feather boas, sparkly dresses, slinky sequins, the whole shebang! The costumes are what caught my eye, my darlings. So much drama! Each performer was like a star! One moment you’d have this fabulous lady dressed like a gorgeous French maid, complete with the most glamorous red feather headpiece. Next minute, you'd have a glittering diva draped in pearls, performing a number worthy of an Oscar!
The ladies had such fabulous names! "Miss Bluebell", a vision in a sky-blue, sequined gown; "La Belle Yvonne", whose every movement had you practically wanting to swoon, and "La Perle Blanche", a beauty with such a sweet voice she made the whole place melt! Oh my!
As I’m taking it all in, I spot the star of the evening, "Josephine Baker". Oh darling, her act was phenomenal! You could hear a pin drop as she danced across the stage, her whole persona radiating joy. I absolutely adore her sense of playfulness! Now this was a star who knew how to bring it, strut her stuff, and work that stage! Her performance wasn't just dance, but pure energy, sheer joy, a burst of charisma and charm that brought the house down! The audience was spellbound, enthralled by her every movement. You could see the excitement in everyone’s eyes. It was absolutely electric, and the atmosphere? It was phenomenal!
Now, I know we all have to start somewhere, and you wouldn't believe how many people were gathered here trying to find their place in this world. I spotted one new lady in the wings, ready to make her debut. They had on this beautiful lilac number with big pink feathered wings. I could see how nervous they were, a true rookie about to enter the arena of drag! It reminded me so much of my early days in Derbyshire. There I was, my first gig, surrounded by nervous excitement. Just think, one of them might even become a world-renowned star! Oh the anticipation!
Now, you’re wondering what a young, tutu-clad drag queen does after experiencing the fabulous Moulin Rouge! Why, I did what any fashion-loving queen would do: I took a trip to one of the oldest department stores in Paris – Galeries Lafayette! I’ve got to admit, darling, those couture creations from the 1930s, wow! Those big, luxurious dresses, the perfect shape, every stitch impeccable, exquisite. That perfect balance between elegant, classy and extravagant! And I'm telling you, darling, I felt a shiver go through me when I touched those luxurious fabrics! So much elegance, so much sophistication!
You see, my darlings, that's what time travel is all about. Seeing history not just in books, but feeling the excitement, the vibrancy of an era. It’s more than just sequins, although I must confess, I was doing a little window shopping!
But you know, every journey has its end, and this magical adventure in the Moulin Rouge, even after exploring all those beautiful couture dresses at Galeries Lafayette, came to an end. The pink tutu whirled me back to my present-day Derbyshire! I must confess, that pink feather headpiece in the window display is tempting… perhaps it's time for my little Derbyshire drag performance to up its glam factor?
The time travel was fun, but back to the real world for a bit. Now, I need to start working on a dazzling new look for the next time I step onto the stage, my lovely Derbyshire audience deserves a touch of Moulin Rouge, don't you think? And, of course, I need to prepare for next month's time travel blog – maybe a trip to the US this time? What a thought!
I can't wait to tell you all about it!
Now, if you’ll excuse me, my darlings, I have some sequins to glue and a new song to learn! Until next time, stay fabulous, stay fabulous and above all… stay pink!
Yours eternally,
Emma xx
This is a fictionalized story using a date in history and incorporating facts. All mentions of drag queens are fabricated as drag wasn’t the same as we know it today. Any actual individuals mentioned have no actual link to drag, with the exception of Josephine Baker, who was a star of entertainment but had her own distinctive style.
