Since RuPaul first collaborated with MAC Cosmetics in 1994, the two names have gone hand in hand.
The Viva Glam campaign hoped to raise money to fight against HIV and AIDS, by donating every penny from the collection to the MAC AIDS Fund. Before long, the campaign was globally known and features different celebrities for their Viva Glam collections to this day.
Still representing the MAC brand, RuPaul opened the MAC counter in House of Fraser alongside some fashion models in September 1997. The world's most famous drag queen headed down to Buchanan Street to cut the ribbon on the new outlet, as MAC began to pop up in department stores up and down the country.
READ MORE - Drag Race UK tour comes to Glasgow in 2022
Celebs such as Sia, Elton John, Christina Aguilera and Lady Gaga have all featured as the spokesperson for the Viva Glam campaign since the 90s. RuPaul even returned to bring back her original collection with the makeup brand in 2013, with the same shades of lipstick and lipglass.
She originally became the spokesperson for MAC after becoming known as the Supermodel of the World, which is also the name of her debut album from 1993. When the album proved a success with gay audiences, the choice to use RuPaul for the Viva Glam campaign made complete sense.
There’s no evidence that she fell in love with Glasgow when visiting House of Fraser (but then again how could she not), but in 2021 it was clear that RuPaul felt strongly about one of our own.
Lawrence Chaney, who has been working in the drag scene of Glasgow since 2014, competed on the competition reality show RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
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After the first few episodes aired, it was clear that the host was besotted with Lawrence’s sense of humour, talent and outfits - but mainly her accent. The Helensburgh-born queen eventually grabbed the crown, and has since toured the globe as well as featuring in British Vogue, and releasing her own memoir.
Since creating the reality show, RuPaul has helped boost the careers of 34 drag queens in the UK alone - as well as franchises in America (where the show began), Spain, Italy, Canada, Australia, Thailand and Holland. One of the queens who has enjoyed a lot of international success is Trixie Mattel, who recently came to Glasgow and horrified locals.
In an Instagram post, the RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars winner uploaded footage of her boiling a can of Irn Bru in a hotel kettle before drinking it. She wrote alongside the post: “Scotland I’ve chosen violence. (I have laryngitis and I’m desperate.)”
Rightfully so, the comments section of her post was filled with Scots who were outraged. Lawrence Chaney wrote: “Not this.”
A fan commented: “I’m phoning the police.”
Today (May 20), RuPaul fans are enjoying another premiere as All Stars 7: All Winners is released. In this revolutionary season, only winners of past seasons are returning to compete to be the Queen of all Queens.
You can watch the episodes as they come out every Friday on WOW Presents Plus.
