Any in-the-know club-going Ottawa gay knows the name Ms Jade London. Now the entire nation knows this beauty’s fierceness, too, as London emerged victorious as Canada’s Next Drag Superstar in June.
The pint-sized princess was crowned Ottawa’s Next Drag Superstar in February, then went on to the national competition in Winnipeg and wowed the judges to take the title.
“It was an absolute rush,” London says. “That whole trip to Winnipeg was an achievement in itself for me personally.”
Ottawa-born and -raised, London got her start in drag in 2008 and credits Toronto queen Robyn DeCradle with inspiring her to pursue a life in the bright lights.
“She was like my sister at the time. She definitely helped me get out and into the community.”
It’s been four years since London broke through the taffeta ceiling, and she now has her own online store, which sells clothing bearing her name.
“I’ve always wanted to do clothes,” she says. “I love fashion, and I’ve always wanted to see my own clothes on somebody. I remember designing my first T-shirt, and ever since then it pushed me a little further than just your typical drag queen at a club.”
London just wrapped her first music-video shoot and hopes to record a full-length album in the future. She says the shoot for her first single didn’t exactly go as planned, saying that things seldom do for a queen.
“The weather was not the nicest; it was pouring rain, so we were stuck under a bridge for a good 45 minutes until the rain kind of calmed down,” she says. “Then we had to reshoot everything when the sun came out. It was so hot and sweaty with all the hair and makeup. But everyone was really good in the video, and we had a lot of fun.”
Looking ahead, London will compete in the Miss Ottawa World competition Sept 16, and although she is a seasoned titleholder she admits she is apprehensive.
“It’s going to be pretty big because I’m competing against a wide variety of competitors: some I’ve never performed with, some I’ve never competed against and some who are very new. So it’s going to be a type of competition that I haven’t done in a long time.”
London will be making several appearances at Capital Pride, including demonstrating makeup techniques for children and manning the OUTtv booth with RuPaul’s Drag Race veteran Shangela.
“Watch out for me,” she says with a wink.
London will perform at Cirque Bizarre and Club Edge on Sat, Aug 25. You can also catch her at a children’s makeup demo and the OUTtv booth at Marion Dewar Plaza, Sun, Aug 26.
For more on London, visit the Canada’s Next Drag Superstar Facebook page for links to her management and online store, or follow her on Twitter @missjadelondon.
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