Laganja Estranja may have been one of the more controversial queens on this season of RuPaul's Drag Race, but she's definitely not want to be forgotten, okcurrr! Love her or hate her, you can't deny that Laganja is one fierce multi-talented queen! Although her run on Drag Race ended prematurely, that hasn't stopped this queen's momentum. She's sashayed away and stomped it out right into the international spotlight, as it was recently announced that she'll be working the catwalk this summer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at the World Cup. We recently got the chance to sit down and chat with Laganja about this exciting new event, her new single, the House of Edwards, and more!
Photo: Austin Young Drag Official: Hi Laganja! How are you today?
Laganja Estranja: Hello, hello! I'm doing great! How are you?
D.O.: Very well! Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat with us! Let's dive right into it. First of all, how has life been since RuPaul's Drag Race?
Laganja: It's been completely insane. I'm literally just booking every single gig to every hour of the day. My morning today was: I woke up from my last night at Mickey's, I had a meeting this morning, then I had to run over to record the song, and now I'm running back to my house to get ready for tonight, and I'm leaving tomorrow for a flight at 6 am. So it's just been nonstop, totally crazy. I mean, it's been amazing, and I'm very thankful for it, but it definitely is exhausting and a lot of work. I choose to book myself like this, so it's all just kind of becoming a learning process for me. It's one of those things where I'm an over-worker and over-achiever, and sometimes in real life you have to learn to say no. You just can't possibly do every project that gets thrown at you.
Laganja Estranja: Hello, hello! I'm doing great! How are you?
D.O.: Very well! Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat with us! Let's dive right into it. First of all, how has life been since RuPaul's Drag Race?
Laganja: It's been completely insane. I'm literally just booking every single gig to every hour of the day. My morning today was: I woke up from my last night at Mickey's, I had a meeting this morning, then I had to run over to record the song, and now I'm running back to my house to get ready for tonight, and I'm leaving tomorrow for a flight at 6 am. So it's just been nonstop, totally crazy. I mean, it's been amazing, and I'm very thankful for it, but it definitely is exhausting and a lot of work. I choose to book myself like this, so it's all just kind of becoming a learning process for me. It's one of those things where I'm an over-worker and over-achiever, and sometimes in real life you have to learn to say no. You just can't possibly do every project that gets thrown at you.
D.O.: Yes, for sure! May I ask what song you were recording?
Laganja: Yeah, I'm recording my new song 'Legs!' It's featuring Ashleen, who wrote the song, and Rye Rye who I actually shouted out to on my Meet The Queens video. She recorded a portion of the song as well. She's got that sort of underground hip hop following, and is an artist I've always wanted to work with as well. I'm really excited! Today we were laying down my tracks, and it went really well! The engineering takes a lot of time, so we're hoping to have the song released soon. It's gotta go get mixed and mastered and all that other stuff, so we don't have a date yet - but it's coming soon!
Laganja: Yeah, I'm recording my new song 'Legs!' It's featuring Ashleen, who wrote the song, and Rye Rye who I actually shouted out to on my Meet The Queens video. She recorded a portion of the song as well. She's got that sort of underground hip hop following, and is an artist I've always wanted to work with as well. I'm really excited! Today we were laying down my tracks, and it went really well! The engineering takes a lot of time, so we're hoping to have the song released soon. It's gotta go get mixed and mastered and all that other stuff, so we don't have a date yet - but it's coming soon!
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D.O. Wonderful! We're definitely looking forward to that! So, we hear you're doing a fashion show in Brazil with the World Cup. Can you tell us a little about that?
Laganja: Yes! So, along with the San Francisco company Mélange and in partnership with the Rio de Janeiro City Hall, we're going to be doing a fashion show as part of the World Cup festivities. There are some special people who will be coming along, like the local San Francisco designer Tuan Tran, and he's going to bring his amazing clothes that are made out of telephone wire, which is just really, really cool and unique. They also have a Caribbean celebrity designer who designs under the name of Targina Garcia. So there will be about four or five of us who are traveling there to put on the show, and then everyone else will be local.
It should be a really amazing event about diversity, celebrating fashion, international travel, international bonds. Apparently Mélange has been planning to go for a couple of years now, so I'm super excited to be part of the group. I was fortunate enough to meet the head of the company at Mickey's on my night 'Hard Work' which is every Thursday, and we basically just formed a relationship and all of a sudden the next thing you know I'm going to Brazil, so it's just been amazing! It's something I've always dreamed of. Even before I went on RuPaul's Drag Race, I had a lot of Brazilian fans, and I think that's because the language of dance in universal, so I think through my YouTube videos the Brazilians were just really appreciating my work as a dancer. I'm just so excited to go and give back to them, and to be a part of Latino fashion. It's really what I would like to go into - fashion and hip hop. You know, I loved [Drag Race], but I'm not really an actor, that's not really my gig, I'm not very good a hosting on a red carpet because I'd probably say something inappropriate, but give me some hip hop music and a camera flash and I'm good to go, gurl!
Laganja: Yes! So, along with the San Francisco company Mélange and in partnership with the Rio de Janeiro City Hall, we're going to be doing a fashion show as part of the World Cup festivities. There are some special people who will be coming along, like the local San Francisco designer Tuan Tran, and he's going to bring his amazing clothes that are made out of telephone wire, which is just really, really cool and unique. They also have a Caribbean celebrity designer who designs under the name of Targina Garcia. So there will be about four or five of us who are traveling there to put on the show, and then everyone else will be local.
It should be a really amazing event about diversity, celebrating fashion, international travel, international bonds. Apparently Mélange has been planning to go for a couple of years now, so I'm super excited to be part of the group. I was fortunate enough to meet the head of the company at Mickey's on my night 'Hard Work' which is every Thursday, and we basically just formed a relationship and all of a sudden the next thing you know I'm going to Brazil, so it's just been amazing! It's something I've always dreamed of. Even before I went on RuPaul's Drag Race, I had a lot of Brazilian fans, and I think that's because the language of dance in universal, so I think through my YouTube videos the Brazilians were just really appreciating my work as a dancer. I'm just so excited to go and give back to them, and to be a part of Latino fashion. It's really what I would like to go into - fashion and hip hop. You know, I loved [Drag Race], but I'm not really an actor, that's not really my gig, I'm not very good a hosting on a red carpet because I'd probably say something inappropriate, but give me some hip hop music and a camera flash and I'm good to go, gurl!
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Photo: Jose A Guzman Colon D.O.: Wonderful! So, are you going to be modeling in the show or are you playing other roles with it?
Laganja: Yes, I'll be doing several things. There's a lot of VIP lunches and meetings with other designers that I'll be making appearances at, and on the 6th is the final show (for tickets). But I'll also be participating in some exchanges of designs - like, there's going to be a jewelry exchange, and I'm going to go. I think it's kind of set up like a market - I'm not really sure how it works, but I guess I'll find out. But yeah, there will be other events scheduled throughout the week, but the main event is the Mélange Fashion Show on June 6th.
D.O. Sounds fun! So, speaking of jewelry, I know from your website that you design accessories and jewelry. Are those going to be featured on the runway?
Laganja: Actually, we've been talking about that and whether I should also bring some pieces to sell. It hasn't been finalized yet, so I can't guarantee, but I'll definitely be wearing my jewelry while I'm there. So, it's going to be a really great thing! I'm excited to bring some American fashion to Brazil, and I'm hoping to bring back some Brazilian fashion here.
D.O. Lovely! Are any of the other members of The House Of Edwards making appearances at the show, or are you representing by yourself?
Laganja: I will be representing myself on this lovely trip. I believe the House of Edwards - we're working right now in San Francisco, but nobody has officially said they will bring all three of us, so we're waiting for that day. But definitely House of Edwards has things in the works. I think we could be the next DWV, I think we could be a dancing sensation. Everybody's just so busy and it's one of those dreams that is really going to take people sitting down and figuring out schedules and hopefully it will happen soon. I know that there is a LOT in store for House of Edwards, and this is only the beginning for us.
D.O. Very exciting! Thank you so much for taking the time to sit down and chat with us!
Laganja: Great! Thank you so much!
Laganja: Yes, I'll be doing several things. There's a lot of VIP lunches and meetings with other designers that I'll be making appearances at, and on the 6th is the final show (for tickets). But I'll also be participating in some exchanges of designs - like, there's going to be a jewelry exchange, and I'm going to go. I think it's kind of set up like a market - I'm not really sure how it works, but I guess I'll find out. But yeah, there will be other events scheduled throughout the week, but the main event is the Mélange Fashion Show on June 6th.
D.O. Sounds fun! So, speaking of jewelry, I know from your website that you design accessories and jewelry. Are those going to be featured on the runway?
Laganja: Actually, we've been talking about that and whether I should also bring some pieces to sell. It hasn't been finalized yet, so I can't guarantee, but I'll definitely be wearing my jewelry while I'm there. So, it's going to be a really great thing! I'm excited to bring some American fashion to Brazil, and I'm hoping to bring back some Brazilian fashion here.
D.O. Lovely! Are any of the other members of The House Of Edwards making appearances at the show, or are you representing by yourself?
Laganja: I will be representing myself on this lovely trip. I believe the House of Edwards - we're working right now in San Francisco, but nobody has officially said they will bring all three of us, so we're waiting for that day. But definitely House of Edwards has things in the works. I think we could be the next DWV, I think we could be a dancing sensation. Everybody's just so busy and it's one of those dreams that is really going to take people sitting down and figuring out schedules and hopefully it will happen soon. I know that there is a LOT in store for House of Edwards, and this is only the beginning for us.
D.O. Very exciting! Thank you so much for taking the time to sit down and chat with us!
Laganja: Great! Thank you so much!
It was such a pleasure to chat with this multi-talented queen, and we look forward to seeing some sickening photos from the Brazilian runway. Trust.. You'll be gagging at all the stunning new fashion Laganja and her fellow Mélange models will be wearing.
