Although plenty of queens drop massive amounts to compete in the Olympics of drag, as multiple former contestants divulged during a Vice investigation into escalating costs, not everybody is willing to go broke for it. Kim Chi told Paper magazine that, after creating many of her “Drag Race” outfits herself, and thrifting for the requisite supplies, she reckons “it’s up to the queens to be resourceful and utilize their money well before going on the show.”
If queens have thousands of dollars to spare, more power to them, but as far as Kim’s concerned, it’s entirely up to each individual how they approach the process. She revealed, “You know how much I spent to prepare for season eight? $1,500.” The Season 8 finalist’s comments are in stark contrast to Aquaria, who spent at least $5,000 on her “Drag Race” wardrobe, per Vice, and Yvie Oddly, who dropped an eye-watering $14,000, much of which was tied up in loans.
Both competitors won their respective seasons, so clearly it was all worth it in the end (and they’ve surely more than recouped those costs since), but it’s worth noting Kim isn’t doing too badly either. Per Hollywood Life, she hosted a popular web-series alongside fellow fan fave Naomi Smalls, entitled “M.U.G.,” has appeared in several high-profile music videos, and even launched her own makeup line, Kim Chi Chic. Not too shabby — and she didn’t go into debt for it either.
