Rude!
Fan favourite of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season 2, Asttina Mandella was robbed in the sewing competition of the series, becoming the third contestant to sashay away, leaving viewers gagging for more. Now a proud icon for the black and queer community, Asttina shows off her multi-talented skills as a dancer, model and drag queen for ZERO NINE’s Pride issue; talking style, Drag Race and ASOS.
Interview Sufiyeh Hadian Photography Christian Trippe Photography assistant Olivia Scott
First of all, how does it feel to be a black queer icon?
Well, it's actually really scary. I don't see myself as a black icon. It's funny ‘cause obviously in the show, I mentioned that I never really had anyone to look up to, except Naomi Campbell and my mum. So now that I am a black icon for thousands and thousands of black queer gay kids, it's a bit weird. It's a lot of pressure, but it's also an honour and a blessing. It's something that I will hold truly, and will always try to do my best, and to give the best advice and just make someone feel accepted. If I can help one person, I've done my job.
How would you describe your style?
If Melanie C, Naomi Campbell and a senior bank teller had a baby, that would be me. Yeah, it's weird it's expressing in a million ways; there's not one thing, we are all a million things. So, some days I feel really queer, some days I want to wear all black, sometimes I just feel super fabulous and sometimes I just want to wear a suit and a hat. It always changes, everything depends on the mood, the feeling, the day. All these different things, but that's what allows you to become a fabulous queer icon.
“If Melanie C, Naomi Campbell and a senior bank teller had a baby, that would be me.”
What first interested you in drag and do you have like a drag journey to tell us?
Oh, so in the beginning I hated drag. I hated it, I thought it was like a cop out. I used to think it was like ‘oh, I've failed as a performer’ so I'm gonna put on makeup and change who I am. It wasn't until I found Sink The Pink and Raven Mandella, my drag mother, that I was like, ‘Oh, this isn't like a cop out it's a whole world and a lifestyle.’ Because I came from a dance background; working from 8 in the morning at the bar all day till 6pm – it’s not exactly a straight world, but it’s so different to the gay, queer world. So, when I found drag I was like, ‘Oh my god, they're just living their lives and being all colourful.’ I found it interesting and ended up being a dancer for Sink the Pink and Raven.
From there, I found my queerness, I found my gayness, I found my trueness. I found who I am. I found more meaning of life than what I expected and knew about. So then when it came to the next journey of my life, I was questioning where does this go? I didn’t really want to be a dancer anymore, but I am a dancer, and I always will be. But there's this whole other, more real, world out there, which is the queer gay world that we live in. That's the true world. I was questioning how to combine my history with that world. That’s where drag just became the tool really, I got to express myself and who I am, express my artistry, express my dance, express what I am, and educate myself. That's the biggest thing I did, was to educate myself on so many things. I'm still learning to this day; I'm still not used to calling people by different pronouns. So, the whole drag journey is always about education and learning about who you are, and who other people are.
“There's this whole other, more real, world out there, which is the queer gay world that we live in. That's the true world.”
How old were you when you started doing drag?
23 or 24, so not long at all. Non-professionally, probably when I was 10 to be honest, without realising. I was always putting on my mum’s heels and walking around the house.
Do you have a very supportive family with your drag?
I'm very blessed and very supported, and I didn't think they would be. They've been supportive of my dance since I was young. But then when the drag, queer world came into play, (and I come from a Jamaican, Christian household), so It's a bit more than that. They're fine with me being gay, but now I'm bringing this whole ‘bright colours and sequins and glitter’ into it, they’re like ‘ok, that’s enough, babe.’ But I do feel so supported, so accepted and I couldn't be any prouder to be part of their family.
Who are your ultimate queer icons?
Apart from Asttina Mandella? Do you know what, I think everyone I know is an icon in some way to me. Because I'm so inspired by everything, and there's people I look up to for just being who they are. There are people I look up to for their art form, people I want to talk to for their passion and their confidence. My best friend Jordan, for example, when we first met, he was just this overconfident bitch (still is). But I was really shy, so when we first met, I was so inspired by someone who is true to who they are. And he's northern, so you know what they’re like. I was inspired by his aura, and it helped me to become more confident in myself.
“I think everyone I know is an icon in some way to me. Because I'm so inspired by everything, and there's people I look up to for just being who they are.”
Raven’s another one, she's my drag mum, so I'm inspired by her with everything, and who she is. Her power of saying ‘I can never be broken down by what the world's gonna throw at me.’ So I guess my ultimate icons are just my friends and family around me.
How do you usually celebrate Pride?
Well, I used to go to Pride, now I work it most of the time. But I celebrate Pride every day. It's not one day or one weekend, it's an everyday thing; being able to walk out the house and celebrate Pride. Go to bed, you celebrate Pride. Every day you celebrate Pride. But as long as I'm out with everyone and we're just being ourselves authentically, living our true lives, just being with the people who love it will really support you with positive energy. That's how I like to celebrate Pride.
What do you love most about what you do?
It's not a chore. It's not a job. I wake up and I want to do it, it's a part of my biology that says, well, we wake up and go for food, the same when we walk, the same when we blink, the same when we talk; it's just all biology. So, this is all natural to me, and it's the thing I love to do – I get to express myself in the best way possible. I'm my own manager, I get to do whatever I want to do, I get to meet millions of people in different cultures, I get to just express and educate and learn so much about the true world, in a fabulous way and I get to give back. That's the main thing for me, the past year and a half, I've been able to just give back, without even knowing, I've just been able to give power and love and support and growth and acceptance for one person who's just like; ‘you got me through the hardest thing of my life.’ And all I did was just go on stage, so I love what I do.
Speaking of Drag Race, is there anything you would have done differently?
Not done it in a pandemic. Apart from that, nothing really. I think everything happens for a reason; the universe knows what it's doing. So, you just have to live every moment. And just do your best to put 150,000% into it. But no, I wouldn't do anything differently. Maybe I would’ve worn more ASOS.
“We don't define drag.
Drag is as an art form.”
What defines your drag?
Okay, well, first of all, we don't define drag. Drag is as an art form. But I guess if I were to say something, I’d say it’s taken from the many things that inspire me or I'm influenced by, so a lot of game cultures, fighting games, I get really inspired by. Been inspired by the ‘80s and the ‘70s, because of the music in those eras. I can see different styles like gothic style, or punk styles and glamour styles, all the different bits and bobs that make something into something else, I just like to take elements of each and then just fuse it be me really.
So sometimes it's super, super glamorous, like the Naomi look I debuted on Drag Race, I just loved that dress and came up with the whole idea. Sometimes it's a colour scheme, it changes all the time. I just like taking different elements and little bits and bobs to make it my own.
About Asttina
Asttina was born and raised in East London and trained as a dancer in ballet, tap dance, jazz, voguing, hip-hop dance, waacking and street dance before becoming a drag queen. Asttina previously performed as a backup dancer alongside performers such as: Hercules & Love Affair, The Pussycat Dolls, Little Mix and Kanye West. Her drag name derives from a hybrid of her birth name, Aston, with Tina Turner and Nelson Mandela.
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