Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Armed With Style and a Message, Symone Earned Her ‘Drag Race’ Win

Armed With Style and a Message, Symone Earned Her ‘Drag Race’ Win

As for what’s next? She says, “I want to rule the world!”

She’s a winner, baby! On Friday night, drag superstar Symone-also known as the “Ebony Enchantress”-was crowned the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 13. In the finale, Symone showed down against her fierce competitors Gottmik, Rosé, and Kandy Muse by lip-synching for her life to the smash hits of Britney Spears-an iconic curtain call if there ever was one. Over the phone from L.A., Symone tells Vogue she’s still riding the high from her win on the show. “I’ve been celebrating with my friends, having a little bit of drink,” Symone says. “I’m not going to lie to y’all-I’ve been waking up to strange food in my bed, honey!”

Symone certainly earned her crown this season. Thanks to her charm, high fashion runway ensembles, and her ability to use her drag as a means to empower and educate about Black culture, she consistently stood out from the pack. “I love communicating through clothes,” says Symone. “I’ve always loved fashion, especially in Black culture, so I love molding those things together and really finding my own voice through it.” Her major inspirations, both on and off Drag Race, have always been the Black superstars who are unapologetic in their approaches to sexuality and femininity-Rihanna, Lil’ Kim, Grace Jones, and Naomi Campbell being just a few. “You put all of these people together, and you kind of get me fashion-wise,” says Symone. “I want to be the Naomi Campbell of drag, darling.”



In the series grand finale, Symone certainly brought out stellar fashion looks that would make Naomi herself proud. “I wanted to be big, bold, and in your face,” says Symone. One of the highlights was her ethereal white gown by Michelle Hébert, which she paired with golden armor by Michael Schmidt and sculptural, Medusa-like hair. “That was the Ebony Enchantress-a Black goddess coming down to earth,” says Symone. “I played with fragility and hardness, to show the strength that Black women portray.” Her black-and-white bandana dress by Marco Marco, which was inspired by Marie Antoinette, also turned heads; it was an homage to her native Arkansas (she called it “very queen of the South, coming to reclaim her time and her lands”).

She cemented her status as a top-tier fashion queen early in the season. For the trains challenge in episode four, for instance, she came out with a blue do-rag designed by Marko Monroe that had a dramatic long train. One of Symone’s favorite moments of the whole series, the dress was inspired by lace do-rags Rihanna once showed during her Fenty x Puma show. “[Do-rags] remind me of home and my family,” Symone says. “I knew everyone was going to do the traditional train, and I didn’t want to do that.” She often wore looks on the show that spoke to the cultural and political climate, including an ensemble that referenced the Black Lives Matter movement, complete with a headpiece reading, “Say Their Names.” Each look Symone showed, while beautiful, always had a larger purpose and a bigger story to tell.



But any story of Symone’s drag would be remiss if it didn’t mention her sculptural hairstyles. “Your hair is your crown,” she says. “It’s another way of communicating the look-for me, it’s head to toe, always.” A perfect example of this was her look for the beaded challenge in episode seven, where stylist (and former Drag Race queen) Gigi Goode spelled out her name in beads on her braids. “It was inspired by African beading,” says Symone of the look. “We did some math for that hair, fun fact. We did it on grid paper, figured out how many beads and colors we needed.” She even paid homage to the show’s host by wearing shapely, geometric hair-done by Malcolm Marquez-that Mother Ru wore in her Back to My Roots video. Symone says, “It’s one of my favorite videos, and the hair in that video? I mean, come on!”



Reflecting on all of these incredible moments, Symone says the experience has made her realize her potential as a true master of drag. “I don’t think I fully understood what I was capable of [before the show],” says Symone. “I keep going back to being 16 years old and watching the show, and to now be a part of that legacy is insane. I grew up watching the show and looking up to these queens. Rewatching [my] episodes, I’m like, ‘I fucking did that.’” As for what she wants to tackle next? “I want to take on everything-I want to see the fans, I want to go on tour, I want to act,” says Symone. “I want to rule the world!”


AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×