Shea Couleé: Cringe Becomes Her
After weeks of working around busy schedules, tour rehearsals, and top secret projects, the incredibly booked and blessed Shea Couleé cleared her schedule to sit down with me for a conversation about her upcoming year. This was no mean feat: This call took dozens of emails flying here, there and everywhere, conversations with PR, holidays and festivities to contend with, not to mention the exceedingly busy jet-setting lifestyle of an international superstar. As she cements her reputation as the face of a new generation of queer black beauty, we should prepare ourselves to bow down and worship this divine goddess. Coming off a spectacular run on Rupaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 7 alongside other iconic winners such as Raja and Jinkx Monsoon last year, Shea Couleé is primed to take over the world in 2023.
Already a bonafide fashion icon, the first queen to wear real couture on the Drag Race runway, a celebrated mother of Chicago drag, and professional podcastress, there are no ends to Shea’s talents. But the 33 year old has even more to unveil for this upcoming year - including (but not limited to) becoming a series regular in Ironheart, the latest addition to the Marvel cinematic universe and the first drag queen character in the superhero world. A triumph for the multitude of queer fans who find themselves, finally, represented by the legendary comic book studio.
Currently visiting LA as she finishes recording new music, Shea called me over breakfast. It's early in the morning in California, but she is primed and ready to go, already excited for the vocal coaching session she has as soon as our interview is over. We started with Drag Race, how could we not? Her first appearance in reality show competition was in 2017, where she proved herself as THE girl to beat, making it all the way to the finale episode. After only just missing out on the crown, she came back in 2020 for All Stars 5 to rapturous applause from the show’s fans.
This season was a master class in talent, showcasing Shea’s leadership qualities in group challenges, musical prowess, seasoned performances and a truly nuanced and compelling fashion sense. No one was surprised to finally see Shea given the overall win, one she so rightly deserved. All Stars 7 aired in 2022, and was a showcase for the best of the best, eight winners all competing for the title of Queen of All Queens, where once again, Shea proved herself a deadly competitor. Shea calls her multiple seasons of competing an accelerated intensive programme, comparing season 9 of the show to high school, All Stars 5 an undergraduate degree, and All Stars 7 the PHD.
“Getting the chance to meet Naomi Campbell, and then walk the runway in haute couture, my inner child was screaming. It was just like checking off all these dreams all at once.”
Even though it was arguably more difficult to compete against the series’ titans and fan favourites - “We were really put to the test and had to work super hard” - Shea enthuses that the most recent series had more of an atmosphere of fun and positivity when compared to the heated competition of her first run around. Ms Couleé explains that “of all the seasons that I've done, this season had the tightest sisterhood, it was just so special to be able to go through that experience with them.” With already existing bonds of respect and familiarity between the show’s winners, the series was elevated to a more light-hearted place for both contestants and viewers.
The new All Stars Winners format didn't eliminate any queens until the finale, allowing us as an audience to see some spectacular performances week after week. A stand out being Shea’s cooler-than-cool talent show performance of her new song Your Name. A seemingly effortless slow jam with the precise dance moves of Janet Jackson in her prime, this has been on heavy rotation in the Polyester household.
She cites her co-star, the legendary Raja (Sutan Amrull), as a major influence on her early career in drag and out of it. After Raja’s crown-snatching run on season 3, and her work as a makeup artist on America’s Next Top Model, Raja beat her own path as a fashion queen, showing budding performers like a baby Shea Couleé that there was space in the drag world that wasn’t super pageanty or club kid abstract, but avant garde and fashion forward. “She inspired me so much. I have so much respect and fondness for Raja, and to learn what an amazingly grounded, down to earth and just brilliant human being she really is was incredible. They say don't meet your heroes, but she exceeded my expectations.”
Taking her predecessor’s lead, Shea followed in Raja’s legendary footsteps with her runway presentations; she set the world on fire with her first episode of All Stars 7, not only with her regal Valentino look, but even impressing the notoriously discerning icon Naomi Campbell with her signature walk. She effervesces, “Getting the chance to meet Naomi Campbell, and then walk the runway in haute couture, my inner child was screaming. It was just like checking off all these dreams all at once.”
The episode saw Shea brimming with emotions over meeting her hero, and, as she repeatedly does in her work, bringing the focus onto the impact of Black women on her drag - from the likes of 90s supermodels and family members to historical figures.
The pair got to catch up properly at Paris fashion week last year, but Naomi wasn’t the only star to see Ms Couleé at fashion week. As a guest of Valentino, Shea cemented her place in the world of the fashion elite. She spent her time at parties and in green rooms hanging out with the likes of Dove Cameron and Jenna Ortega, sitting within spitting distance of Anna Wintour at runway presentations, and being celebrated by ground-breaking editor Edward Ennniful, captain of British Vogue. “My jaw dropped because he knew who I was, I was just so beside myself. He was so gracious and sweet with such a beautiful smile, and warm personality.” Shea grins, “I was like, ‘Wow, so nice to meet you, put me in your magazine!’”
“They say that it's groundbreaking and shocking, but when really queer people do it, we're chastised for it.”
Speaking of Vogue, we tentatively touch on Harry Styles’ infamous cover and the current hot topic of fashion queer-baiting and straight men (or presumed straight men) benefiting from queer aesthetics and experience. Harry’s wardrobe was created by queer designer Harris Reed, but sparked furious internet debate on why someone like Harry Styles gets to be celebrated for his outré outfits when so many openly trans and queer people are not afforded the same privilege. Shea notes: “It was less about the individual and more about the audience.” In her point of view, it’s great for people, straight men included, to play with fashion and image, but when the viewers applaud a pop star for wearing something on a magazine cover that they would harass a queer person on the street for, that’s where change needs to happen.
“It feels like you're adopting our experiences and feeding them to the masses for the sake of entertainment.” She details, “They say that it's groundbreaking and shocking, but when really queer people do it, we're chastised for it.” After years of Drag Race workroom conversations discussing the brutalities queer people face for being outwardly queer presenting, the time has come for us to… Put Shea Coulée on the cover, of course.
When asked about shooting our digital cover, Shea laughs. Avoiding the “polish” expected of drag, the DIY approach allowed the performer to play around with aesthetic, adapting cringe-inducing beauty concepts into dynamic fashion images. Her personal stand-out being our faux-Chanel toaster bag, complete with mouldy bread accessories. Outside of the shoot, Shea considers her favourite bad taste beauty moments, and puts forward an endorsement of unusual colour combinations. Blue eyeshadows, pattern clashing, highlighter green paired with deep browns, using every colour in the crayon box. Having faith in your bad taste, as one might put it. “It's funny because my drag is not as eclectic, I tend to do a little bit more like monochromatic colour palettes but in my day-to-day I love to do some clashing colours.” They detail, “In season 9 my boy clothes were thrifted, but by All Stars 5 I started styling a boy package to bring to the Werk Room. It helps to communicate more of your personality to the viewer.”
Shea’s newest venture is acting, with a debut into the most successful franchise of all time, Marvel. After her proficient performances in Drag Race acting challenges, including working with Zola director Janicza Bravo, adding professional actor to her performance repertoire is a natural next step, but one that was always on the agenda.
“There were so many queer people in rural areas, like me, that looked at this opportunity, saw this world of queer people in New York City, being successful, owning their queerness.”
Acting had been a dream that had long since been sidelined for drag, but Shea’s love for performance was rekindled, ironically, by her Drag Race stints.“I forgot how much I really loved theatre before doing drag. It had been a while so I feel like it really ignited this desire to act.” She confides, also mentioning that she was close to being cast for American Queer As Folk reboot, which ran for one season. To be honest, more than any remake, I personally am longing for a fully realised series of Teets and Asky, the campy buddy-cop fashion-police comedy pitched by Shea and Sasha Velour on Season 9.
Having conceptualised the 70s comedy short with her season cast mate Velour as part of a maxi challenge on the show, it adds up that Shea has a predilection for the retro cinema of her parents’ youth. Blaxploitation star Pam Grier is a perennial favourite, as is the 1974 film Truck Turner, particularly the star turn from icon Nichelle Nichols as Dorinda. Shea talks warmly about one of the 20th century’s greatest actresses Cicely Tyson, who died in the last year, as did Nichols, and about the almost-guilty pleasure of Diana Ross in Mahogany.
“I really do love some good throwback films. It's influential because my parents are boomers, they grew up watching these films.” She continues, “I love them especially because it gives me context who they were when they were younger.”
As a multi-faceted creative (as any winner of Drag Race has to be), it comes as no surprise that Couleé refuses to stick to one output at any given time. In 2023, she’s taking it further than ever before. Alongside the acting, continual work in fashion and ongoing music career, Couleé is also diving further into the world of podcasting - launching the fashion-centric weekly show It’s Giving Fashion on January 26.
Previously, Shea was the host for the incredible Wanna Be On Top? podcast for the MOM Network (run by drag legends Alaska Thunderfuck and Willam Belli). The show was a lookback on America’s Next Top Model, some of the most iconic television shows of the 00s and 10s. She explains about how the modelling competition was more than a reality show, with enjoyable tantrums and breakdowns akin to Drag Race: “There were so many queer people in rural areas, like me, that looked at this opportunity, saw this world of queer people in New York City, being successful, owning their queerness.”
These weren’t just token gays doing pop ups as witty friends or comedy foils, they were in positions of authority, they were photographers, creative directors, runway coaches. The impact of seeing someone like Miss J Alexander, a queer, dark skinned black person fully embracing their femininity being presented as someone to be revered, had an infinitely profound impact on a younger Shea Couleé. “I think setting that precedent really did help to create this space for queer creators to come in and start to be part of TV and reality TV culture.” She notes. It is not a coincidence that the early years of Drag Race were almost a direct parody of Top Model, and in fact shared a lot of the same production staff, including Raja.
For our last few moments on the phone, Shea tells me about her new album, an 8 track LP that she describes as nostalgic 90s RnB, referencing and borrowing from the dance music they grew up listening to. Always reverent, all of Shea’s outputs always make a point of paying homage to the Black creatives that came before her. The single Your Name is a good taste of the rest of the album: Danceable rap with velvet vocals that she can’t wait for us to hear.
When she leaves LA, Shea will be opening for Betty Who on her US tour and is palpably excited to be performing the tracks to her fans in this way for the first time. “It'll be my first time taking my music on tour and performing it in front of audiences. I'm really excited to get into that, I’ve been training hard.” Vocal lessons and choreo rehearsals abound, it isn’t long until the star hops on a bus and travels around America with a pop legend for 22 packed out shows. A non stop performer, this will be quickly followed up by Shea’s own international tour, The Lipstick Ball.
Shea promises us an elaborate show; The Lipstick Ball is a full exploration of the new album complete with exciting visuals inspired by films like Kill Bill and Truck Turner. She impresses, “It's gonna be gritty, it's gonna be fun. It's gonna be dancey. Interactive, energetic, I cannot wait to bring it out.” The Lipstick Ball promises an immersive experience with a house music soundtrack and Shea’s new manifesto of empowerment.
“It's gonna be gritty, it's gonna be fun. It's gonna be dancey. Interactive, energetic, I cannot wait to bring it out.”
Ms Couleé will be in Europe with The Lipstick Ball in Spring, and will be making a highly anticipated return to the UK, somewhere she hasn’t been since before the pandemic. We can’t wait to finally get a chance to see this fashion sensation in the flesh, the beauty that needs to be seen to be believed, the mother we’ve been waiting for, a true icon of our times. Ladies, gentlemen, and those of you clever enough to have transcended the gender binary, we present to you… the year Shea Coulée takes over the world!
Words: Misha MN | Photography: Maya Fuhr | Assistant: Amma Appiagyei | Stylist: Michy Foster | Assistant: Cat Clark | Hair: Rachel Lita | Make Up: Scott Osbourne Jr | Nails: Brittany Moore | Creative Director: Isaac Aaron | Assistant: Karla Garcia | Retouching: Dan Polyak
Special thanks to Drip Dome @dripdome and Sarah Coakley @coakleypr
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