Violet Chachki

Career

Dardo began performing in drag as Violet Chachki at age 19. The name "Violet" came from Jennifer Tilly's character in the film Bound, while "Chachki" is a variant of the Yiddish word tchotchke, meaning a decorative collectible or a beautiful young lady. Her first performance was at LeBuzz in Marietta, Georgia. Using a fake ID to perform locally, she won Miss New Faces at Friends on Ponce in Atlanta and was adopted as a drag daughter by Dax Exclamationpoint and Genre Monster.

She enrolled at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta for fashion design but dropped out to focus on drag. She became a regular cast member of The Other Show at Jungle in Atlanta, performing with Alaska Thunderfuck 5000, Amanda Lepore, and Lady Bunny. In 2013, she was photographed for "Legendary Children," a project on Atlanta's drag scene exhibited at Gallery 1526; two photos showing her genitals and gaff were covered after complaints, and the censorship controversy drew attention from Vice.

In 2014, she appeared on the cover of the single "Cosplay" by Captain Murphy (Flying Lotus) and in a commercial for it on Adult Swim. She was announced as a contestant on season seven of RuPaul's Drag Race in 2015 after an unsuccessful audition for season six, excelling in fashion and design challenges. She won the competition on June 1, 2015, receiving $100,000. She is known for burlesque and aerial work including silk and hoop.

In January 2017, she joined The Art of Teese, a neo-burlesque show headlined by Dita Von Teese. In November 2017, she became the first drag queen in a major lingerie ad campaign, for Bettie Page Lingerie. In January 2018, she walked for Moschino at Milan Fashion Week. In April 2019, she became the first international drag queen to perform in India.

Music

Violet Chachki's debut EP, Gagged, arrived on June 30, 2015, with its lead single "Bettie" dropping nearly a month earlier on June 2. A standalone burlesque track called "A Lot More Me" followed in May 2018.

In July 2021, she teamed up with pop singer Allie X for "Mistress Violet," a song written by Allie X and produced by Lecomte De Brégeot. Its music video, shot on analog film, channels the 1980s with themes of power play and BDSM, featuring Schiaparelli haute couture. Chachki had previously appeared in Allie X's 2016 video for "All The Rage."

Artistry

Violet Chachki's style is marked by an obsession with vintage glamour. She has been called the living embodiment of a 1950s female archetype and cites designers Christian Dior, Thierry Mugler, and John Galliano as inspirations, along with style icons Lady Miss Kier, Dovima, Dita Von Teese, and Raquel Welch.

Fetish fashion and art are staples in her aesthetic, with references to bondage and latex subcultures, John Willie's illustrations, dominatrix imagery, and Bettie Page. She told Design Scene in 2016 that drag itself feels like a fetish, involving discomfort and exhibitionism. She is known for tightly laced corsets.