Reclaiming the DIY with Evelyn Evermoore

Evelyn Evermoore has been a drag performer for around three years now. They have described their drag persona as a “dumb broad,” and their style blends beauty and comedy. This perfect balance has created Evelyn Evermoore. They have been known to make their own costumes for their performances and also craft looks for other drag stars including Yvie Oddly.

Evermoore isn’t a stranger to being on stage. They have hosted various events across Denver in queer spaces such as Hamburger Mary’s. They have also hosted the 2019 Power Gala wearing a circus-themed ensemble. Evermoore did not disappoint both visually and for the sake of entertainment. They work as a full time drag performer, but if you are envious of their sewing skills, they also offer sewing lessons.

Being in the drag scene for some time now, Evermoore has stayed true to the roots of self creation, stating their costumes are all made from scratch. We chatted with them to get more insight into the past, present, and future of drag and how DIY costuming plays a major part.

What have you been up to lately, and what are you currently working on?

The last project I did was creating a costume for Yvie Oddly’s Drag Race Vegas live which was super exciting. Other things I’ve been focusing on have just been trying to find the right coupon at JOANN to get that new fabric. I’m trying to be smarter about the costumes that I’m creating now.

In what way do you think the looks that you create are inspired by the history of trans and POC performers?
I’ve always looked to the trans queens for inspiration because they’re usually the best entertainers. Their costumes and the way they perform has always inspired me. When it comes to my costumes, I try to pay homage to whatever I’m feeling in the moment. However, a lot of my costumes are homage to the original style of drag. I like anything classic drag if it has lots of sequins or anything with fringe.

What would you say is your process when you sit down to conceptualize a look, sketch it out, and then actually create it?
It really depends on the look. On certain creations, I’m like, ‘Oh that’s on sale,’ and I buy it and make it. I spend a lot of time on Pinterest looking up ideas and searching keywords for the look and putting them in a big fashion board. Then, usually, I take a hot nap and let things kind of soak and settle in. By the end of it, I like to sketch something out and just start cutting. I don’t use any store-bought patterns. I make all my own patterns. There are very few things that I own that I bought.

Related article: Ditzy, Sexy, Cool- Denver’s Drag Sensation Evelyn Evermoore

Do you ever make everyday clothes for yourself?
I have a dream to wear a suit every day. That was the dream since high school, and I still want to do it. I started making custom suits for myself just to wear every once in a while.

Have you been kind of doing a lot of nonbinary looks and king looks, too?
I’m nonbinary myself, and my drag is very much high femme. My show Bite at Pride & Swagger is on second Fridays where I’ll do a little bit more of that. It’s a club kind, avant-garde type of drag show.

Where do you see the future of costuming going?  What do you think things are going to look like in the future?
I’m really excited for people to start sewing more. There were a lot of trans women and people who would sew their own costumes because that was the only resource they had to get these fabulous items. Now, we have sites where people can buy fast-fashion clothes and not have any personal commitment. I think the future of drag fashion is people learning to sew again and creating their own, custom looks inspired by their own imaginations.

Do you feel like that’ll also make things more accessible for folks who maybe don’t have  big budgets to get crazy looks?
Absolutely! Most of my costumes cost me 50 bucks for full, sequined costumes. JOANN’s coupons cuts that budget down to next to nothing. If you’re smart, they take competitor coupons, so you can really stack some things, get some cheap fabric, and make a couture look.

Is there anything else coming up that you  want to announce?
I’m working on a sober circuit party. Nothing is concrete on it, but I want one event every weekend at rotating venues.This will be an opportunity to have a safe space every weekend for sober people.

Does ‘sober event’ mean no drinking at all, or just sober options?
Sober adjacent might be better, especially for Triangle and Tracks. For other venues, (non-alcoholic beverage company) Groovey will sponsor them. I want to work with other non-alcoholic options and have them there. I’m going to put a lot of pressure on these spaces to create a sober menu for that night, if not regularly.

What kind of impact do you hope to have on the community if you do those parties long term?
I’ve been making  posts on Facebook for No Drink November and Dry January, and I’ve had so many people reach out that they didn’t realize the level that alcohol had ingrained itself into the lifestyle of queer people. Our only safe spaces aren’t just bars.

When you are a member of a traumatized community, I think that can often lead to alcoholism. Creating spaces that normalize sobriety should be important. Saying, ‘Hey, this is an option; you don’t have to drink every night,” and creating a space where bars start having non-alcoholic menu options would be beneficial. People can still spend money in queer spaces and not get sloshed every week.

Photos by Stu Osborne