17c起草社区

SAVE a fateful piece for Gretchen Wieners, Miss Aysha Buffet graciously cracked the winner鈥檚 crown she鈥檇 only moments before received.

If this scenario sounds like your vague memories of 2004鈥檚 hit Mean Girls, that鈥檚 exactly what she was going for.

鈥淎ysha doesn鈥檛 give a shit,鈥� she said gaudily as she sipped celebratory champagne.

鈥淚鈥檓 happy to have won, but I can鈥檛 go without acknowledging the fierce effort all the other queens put in.鈥�

Aysha Buffet, is a self-taught one-year-old drag queen of Filipino descent from Melbourne鈥檚 suburbs. Her name stems from the simple fact she鈥檚 Asian and loves food 鈥� easy to overlook after she won the national Dragnation contest at the GH Hotel in Melbourne recently.

Eight drag queens competed for the title of essentially Australia鈥檚 next drag superstar. As anyone would expect, the proceedings were dramatic.

It鈥檚 a camp affair with all the hallmarks of RuPaul鈥檚 Drag Race, serving as a platform for healthy competition for all levels of aspiring professional drag queens. One of which Aysha can now proudly consider herself.

The alter ego of Melbourne stylist Iyan Difuntorum, Aysha Buffet was born of his need to outwardly express his femininity.

鈥淎ysha was created because I love styling, and after I saw my first ever drag performance by veteran Paris Dragqueen I fell in love with drag,鈥� Iyan said.

鈥淎ysha is a model I made to play with the style I love for women, which is feminine with a masculine edge. She鈥檚 a creatively and personally expressive art form of my own devices.鈥�

Aysha鈥檚 philosophy behind her unexpected win is simple: be confident, inspired, and determined 鈥� things she lives by and encourages for her drag peers.

鈥淚t didn鈥檛 feel real and I was kind of speechless when I was announced,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 felt compelled to congratulate the other girls because I know how hard some of them had worked and how much they鈥檇 put in their all to get this far. It wasn鈥檛 easy.鈥�

However, winning a competition like this, is just the tip of the iceberg for Aysha. Having now taken the crown, she embarks on an eight-week tour of Australia, showcasing the best of what she鈥檚 got in a one-woman show.

鈥淚鈥檝e never done anything like this before, but I鈥檓 excited for the chance to show the country what I can do,鈥� she said.

Her shows gather their influence from artists, music, other queens and her own sense of creative flair.

Whether it鈥檚 lip-syncing to the tune of Chinese pop music, to belting out a rendition from an original diva, Aysha鈥檚 performances never miss a beat. They are energetic and reminiscent of the camp way forward paved by the likes of The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert.

鈥淚 make my own clothes and acts because they鈥檙e my style. There are queens out there who hate what I do, but it鈥檚 important to have and love your own thing, because you want to showcase the good in your drag persona and character, not someone else鈥檚,鈥� Aysha said.

With future plans that involve a lot more performances, she will be busy.

鈥淲e鈥檙e more than just boys in dresses in the club, after all, wearing wigs and fakes lashes 鈥� we are a lot more talented than that,鈥� she said.

鈥淲ell, some of us are, anyway.鈥�

Aysha Buffet鈥檚 tour commences April 1 in Perth at Rigby鈥檚 Bar & Grill and runs for eight weeks. Details: or follow Aysha on Instagram:

James Banham is the editor of THE F, a lifestyle and fashion website. Visit . You can also follow him on聽 and .

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