Hal Baddie Invites You To Her Hal Gala

April 29, 2022

Dripping in crystals and posing for the gods, Devin Halbal proves she’s meant to be a star, one that shines on her terms and not others. The 23-year-old cover girl and Tik Tok sensation, better known as Hal Baddie, permeates positivity through the screens of her 325,000 followers and counting. What started as daily check-ins with the dolls and documented rendezvous in countries like Turkey, quickly turned into a platform serving mantras that could be heard worldwide.

“Met Gala Behavior” and “Doll activity” have become more than a hashtag but an effort to create space for trans women of color while shifting attention on the dolls. As of late, Devin has voiced interest in creating her own event, “Hal Gala,” inspired by the first Monday in May yet centered on inclusivity and the influence the LGBTQ+ community has on fashion. Instead of waiting for an invitation from designers who remain invested in dressing white models for the Met Gala, Halbal is manifesting her own cultural phenomenon.

Text by: Michael Hall
Interview by: Michael Hall and Cassie Jekanoski
Photography by James Emmerman
Creative Direction and Styling by Gabriel Held
Makeup by Rommy Najor
Hair by William Scottblair
Set Design by Jacob Burstein
Fashion Assistance by Evan Tommy, Palace, Evan Dombkowski, and Madison Mitchell

Currently in New York, after months abroad and adjusting to the city’s antics, Hal Baddie wants to unite the international dolls, “I literally have dolls who follow me from all over the world. People are messaging me from London, from Italy trying to pop out,” she explains to office. Hal Gala would be more than a glamorous night with the girls; but a celebration of life, resilience, and fashion on bodies that were the originators of these trends. Hal Gala’s theme would be full camp, allowing the dolls, specifically, and the LGBTQ+ community to bathe in a culture they created.

But, with any newfound fame and widespread influence, the envious swoop like vultures, appropriating a vision that’s not theirs. Companies like Mejuri and FashionNova have co-opted Halbal’s notable phrases, attaching them to a white cis-gendered demographic while avoiding accountability. The contagiously enthusiastic and ultra-confident it-girl continues to dismiss negativity while existing within a reality of her own making. Whether sipping tea in Istanbul or being on her “met gala behavior” in Greece, Ms. selfie stick herself defies tired beauty standards and turns out looks while doing it.

Arriving at where she is now, the motivational speaker’s journey is marked by a series of uphill battles and profound realizations where self-love was mere survival, not a 10-step skincare routine. Traveling the globe and distancing herself from a past that at times haunted her, the beloved public figure came to terms with herself and the life she wanted. Stepping into her light and bringing thousands of supporters with her, Halbal envisions a future where Tik Tok is not her only means of self-expression but as a portal to other opportunities. As we know, Devin is known to be a dreamer, with the affirmation like “Starting January 2022, I really plan to innovate and elevate.” Some of her most coveted desires include hosting her own travel show where trans women of color are spotlighted and creating a coffee table book. Halbal’s journey has just begun, and she is taking all “Hal Baddies” with her.

In an exclusive interview, the office cover star open’s up, prompting many edits of spilled secrets and countless moments of laughter. Starting the morning off right, Hal Baddie strings together how she navigates stardom, what’s to come, and the extravagant Hal Gala that’s to be

Top by Eckhaus Latta, earrings by Area, c/o gabriel held vintage
top by saint sintra, skirt by interior, jil sander shoes and vintage earrings c/o gabriel held vintage

Some people consider me a poet. Some people consider me spoken word, and some people consider me performance art.

Michael Hall– Thank you for taking the time to sit down with us, this is major.

Devin Halbal– Thank you for interviewing me, period.

MH– What's your headspace been like as of late?

DH– Well that's the thing, I don't even know what the headspace is just because there's so much going on with the socials and stuff. I was trying to host Hal Gala for LGBT people and my followers, but a lot of people have been kind of giving me backlash about it, even though there's a lot of people who support it. There's a lot of backlash against it from other LGBT people in New York, but because they're like, ‘Well, you don't ever show up to like events in New York.’ But the thing about it is, I’m never in America, period. So I don't know that much about LGBT stuff in New York and my closest friends, they’re not really part of like LGBT nightlife. One of my closest friends is a hijabi cishet woman and my other closest friend is a college student in Philadelphia.

MH– You continue to inspire a generation through your Tik Tok’s, may it be about fashion, affirmations, or daily check-ins. Do you see yourself stepping away from the platform anytime soon?

DH– I definitely envisioned myself continuing to make TikTok videos for a while, maybe for like a few more years, I just don't know how long the platform is genuinely going to last. Just because I feel like there is such an overpopulation of people who are influencers. And so I definitely see myself wanting to make TikTok’s for a while, but right now I'm just taking a break. I'm realizing for the past few months, literally every single day, I was filming a TikTok, and I didn't really take time off. My friend challenged me to make one video every day, and you see how it goes. And you know, when you make those videos, you're giving people your energy. So right now, I'm just taking a break. I need to protect my energy, I need to protect my mental, but I definitely see myself making videos for a long time. But in terms of like longer-form content right now, I'm actually in the process, cross your fingers, everything happens. I'm speaking to a few people about a whole travel show, just to talk about fashion around the world, because we've never seen an educational programming led by a trans woman before. So I feel like I definitely want to delve into other types of media more long-form content.

MH– I know that you like writing and I feel like obviously, you are so articulate and have such a strong perspective and voice. Are we going to see a book release come out?

DH– Yeah, so right now I'm writing two different things. The first thing I'm writing is a little cute kind of poetry book. I don't know, some people consider me a poet. Some people consider me spoken word, and some people consider me performance art. So I definitely want to take some of my mantras, transcribe them, and put them into a book for people with new mantras, exclusive mantras just for the book. And it will be like a coffee table book. I'm not sure when that will be out, I'm thinking hopefully, by the end of like, 2022, maybe 2023 though. I don't want to rush anything and put anything out into the universe, just for, you know people to have something to say. If I'm going to put something out I want it to be really good. So stay tuned, within the next year for a book, I'm working on that. I just want to make sure that it's really cute and it just encapsulates my mood. So stay tuned for like a small little coffee book with sayings, ideas, and cute little visuals.

Another part of me is writing a memoir where I'm just writing essays, reflecting on my experiences with men, being a trans woman in this world, and experiencing trans-misogyny. I'm still wondering whether or not I want to publish that for everyone to see and read just because, you know, I want to keep certain things to myself. But I think it's really important to examine the ways in which trans women are treated, period. So I definitely want to write a book, or a memoir about love, romance, and my experiences navigating that as a trans woman. So we'll see if that will come out. That probably won't be out until I'm a grown 40-year-old. There's just too many interesting things, especially right now when I'm in my 20s. I just have such completely different experiences, from my friends who are cis women, like in terms of dating and the ways that I'm treated by my partner.

MH– Love that, and I'm super excited for both books. I would love to see a spoken word coffee table book, and please take your time on the other. I know it'll be a greatly impactful read. I feel like that's something that we all need for sure. I just want to want to touch on Hal Gala, I feel like that's been one of your ambitions as of late and I definitely want to see this come into fruition like.

DH– No, honestly, thank you.

MH– You're creating a safe space not just for LGBTQ+, but for the dolls especially and people that don't have to dress down to feel like they're passing, or feel like they're more comfortable. What do you envision for Hal Gala? Would there be a theme?

DH– So for Hal Gala, the theme would be camp. I want everyone to just be camp and you know, live out their wildest fashion fantasies. I feel like for me, in most of my videos, you see me wearing very plain things, like just a shirt or leggings and a scarf. Colorful scarves have been my way to express myself and that just goes back to not always feeling safe to be, you know, popped out, be girly, wear very feminine things just for my literal physical safety. So I just want it to be a safe space for dolls, period. I know there's hate, but there's also so many people who support it like you two. So, thank you so much.

I would want us to have a fashion show highlighting up-and-coming designers, specifically trans designers. Yes, other people are welcome to pop out and show off their looks in the actual event as a guest, but for the fashion show, I want to only highlight trans artists and designers. Maybe some musicians, anyone who's willing to play something, or sing something, and just vibes. That's the thing, too, because there's other trans events happening in New York City, but I literally have dolls who follow me from all over the world. People are messaging me from London, from Italy trying to pop out. So I think even though there are other LGBT events happening in New York City, why can't there be more? I have a reach that's completely different from the New York City circle.

I feel like fashion for me, especially going on social media, I was very scared talking about fashion, because I'm not very wealthy, right? Like, I never grew up wealthy. I feel like it's important that when we're speaking about fashion, and when we're having conversations about fashion, we're including all types of voices, not just people who can afford Gucci, Louis, and Prada… wait shit, LOL, that's a song.

I want it to be a space where anyone can live out their wildest fashion fantasies, regardless of their socio-economic status. That was also why the phrase “MetGala Behavior'' did so well. People were so inspired to see me, somebody who's outside of Western Europe wearing things that I think are fashion because I feel like when people think of fashion, they think of Western Europe. And I was out here in Turkey trying on beautiful Turkish dresses and saying, “I'm also as beautiful as these other women that society puts on a pedestal,” because society puts on a pedestal. And because they have money, and I think it was really empowering for people to see that. Let's actually just live our own fantasies. Why do we care about what these girls are wearing? They don't give a fuck what we’re wearing. So we need to go live. We need to live out our fantasies.

MH– Who are some of the go-to designers that you'd want to wear if you have any on mind?

DH– I'm honestly open to anything, I don't really know too much about designers. I mean, the designers that I love, or I spoke about a little bit on my channel, Guo Pei, the Chinese designer, Schiaparelli, because you know, it's giving just golden, really cute. I like Pucci because of the colorfulness of it all, and the patterns, but honestly, for Hal Gala, I would want it to be more underground designers. More trans designers, you know? People who would actually see value in my life, like actual value in me wearing their clothing.

MH– Fashion loves to co-opt culture and trends, They'd rather put that on a body that didn't create that or totally disregard the originators of that trend. Coming into the fashion it-girl you are today, who inspired that? Are there any North Stars, anybody that you looked up to that guided you to now? Or did it come naturally?

DH– I don't think I have really any specific role model or inspiration for how I express myself. I think also part of the reason why I became so obsessed with fashion was because I remember just like, as a kid, I would see these magazines. And I mean this was before I came out as trans, but I just always knew in the back of my mind that we didn’t see dolls. We don't see dolls anywhere, so I don't think I really have any specific inspirations or role models. I think also why my videos did well, too, is because of my fashion videos where I would try on dresses, I really didn't focus too much on the name brands of it all or the hype of it all. It was just me genuinely being inspired by dresses that had no name brand that was literally made in the middle of Turkey. I don't feel like any of the white girls who are fashion icons represent me.

MH– So I know you want to kind of explore fashion design. What does that look like?

DH- A lot of the girls are asking me for merch and I feel like a way for me to express myself in terms of fashion would definitely try to explore making scarves. I don't really have that much money right now, like as you know, with TikTok you never really know when the next paycheck is. The whole kind of story about why I left New York, you know? I mean, I'm better in terms of my family now, but basically, I would want to, you know, just design scarves for people and I feel like that would be a way for me to explore myself in terms of designing something. What would my shawls look like? What would make a scarf a signature HalBaddie scarf?

I also definitely want to create earrings. I have a really big earring collection. And maybe one day I'll actually like show that collection to my YouTube or something or TikTok. Although, I should do that. That's a good idea. So yeah, I definitely want to design jewelry too. But that type of stuff is actually very hard. Especially designing the jewelry when you're always on the go. Like I'm not even supposed to be in New York, right? No, but the scarves you can design on an app or I can just sketch it out, and then you could send it to people to make so that I'm less nervous about that.

MH– Amazing.

DH– I don't think I could ever make dresses. I just don't have the training for that. I mean, I could totally see myself maybe sketching something, or like, you know, but I don't think I could ever actually make a dress from scratch. I don't think I ever would have the time or patience for that. Because I'm patient, but I'm not that patient. Which is why I like TikTok.

MH– Would you collaborate with a designer?

DH– I mean, we shall see. I'm gonna wait for someone to reach out to me. There's a few designers who follow me, but I'm gonna wait for them if they want to collaborate with me. I don't want to reach out to anyone because also I'm like, yeah, if somebody wants to work with me, they'll let me know, period. I'm not giving anyone free clout at this point. Because the way that my whole following, when I tell you, they literally swear by anything I say. If I say any designer's name, they're gonna buy that shit. My penguin bag, you know, I don't know if you remember my Innovate and Elevate video?

MH– Yes, of course.

DH– That penguin bag is literally to this day sold out on Amazon. I wanted to buy it just in case because I'm like this penguin bag is special to me. Just in case I ever lose it, I always want to have it because this penguin bag reminds me of my TikTok era, and it's still sold out.

Top amber w smith, skirt saint sintra, shoes Sergio Rossi c/o gabriel held vintage Breastplate by Seks, skirt by proenza schouler, both c/o gabriel held vintage

MH– Yes, yes about positivity. How do you navigate this newfound fame?

DH– I have no idea. Like, I still am navigating it. I feel like it didn't really hit me until I got to New York. I haven't really been in New York for the past two years, because I wasn’t really close to my family. So, that's the thing, when I was in these countries, I spend most of my days alone. I don't think people realize that I spend most of my days alone and spend most of my time alone. So it's just really overwhelming to come back to New York and have so many people feel entitled to me and my time, almost. And that's something I've never really experienced before in my life. It's not that I don't want to meet up with people who support me, but it's like, damn, I can't meet up with 50 people in one day. I've been talking to my friends a lot. I feel like I should look into getting a therapist. Just because it is kind of overwhelming. I don't feel safe that much anymore, like walking alone in public. And walking is something that I love to do. Like, I don't know, if you see my videos, I love walking and stuff. All my videos, I'm outside. So, you know, I'm just trying to navigate that and I'm gonna try to get a therapist and speak about it because it's still overwhelming. I don't really know who genuinely wants to get to know me and like, genuinely wants to be my friend or like, wants to meet up with me just to film videos with me, take selfies with me, you know? Now everybody wants to be bestie and I'm like, when did this come through?

MH– It's just like clout chasers, honestly.

DH– For anyone who wants to gain clout, go out there and be iconic. Don't try to leech off of anyone's creativity and their platform. You can't get clout off of being an accessory, that never works.

MH– Preach! How do you like to decompress?

DH– Honestly, I don't know. Like these days I love a good Thai lunch special. So being in New York has been good for me. I know food shouldn't be a great way to cope, but for me, food brings me so much comfort and I don't really eat, like, you know, too much to the point where I'm like overflowing. I just eat. So I like a Thai lunch special. For me, I like listening to music. I don't watch TV. I don't really read books, I don't watch TV. But I write my own shit. And that's the thing I think people expect me to like to read a lot. I don't really read that much. I try to live in my own little fantasy world where I'm the only one coming up with ideas when you start painting. So I feel like how I decompress is not by trying to isolate myself from the outside world, but just kind of live in my own fantasy land where I'm not paying attention to all the chaos. Because once you start reading the news, once you start reading all this bullshit, you start feeling fucked up.

Also, I like to walk. I like to walk, I like to run. I like to walk more though, I used to run a lot more. I stopped like during the pandemic. I used to run every day, like a long run every single day. And then during quarantine, I was like, I'm over it. Maybe I might do a TikTok today where I go back to my running days. I don't know, I be walking. And you can tell from my videos. Everyone's like, “Girl, where are you going?” I can't sit down. When I was in Turkey, I was walking for miles.

Cassie Jekanoski– Kind of going back on the topic of your mental health and how you decompress. And like for me, if I am having a bad day I'll go to your TikTok for that extra quick confidence boost. Have you always had this inner confidence? What point was it where you got to where you're at now?

DH– Well, that's the thing. Like, I mean, I've heard it all, you know what I'm saying. I've been kicked in the face, called this and that. From my family, I've been called all types of stuff. I just feel like it came to a point where I didn't really care anymore about what other people thought about me. And so I was like, I'm gonna live my life, people can make fun of me and people can shit on me. But the confidence just needs to come from within. You need to know that nobody can tell you anyway. So I think it was around 18 or 19 when I started to really realize who I am and just not care anymore. I physically couldn't care what other people thought about me. It was either that or just live a lie. And I think I got so caught up and just realized that it was either I don't live my life now and I regret my whole entire existence when I'm old as hell. This is your life sweetheart.

It was also when I started going to my doctor's office and just talking about hormones. My doctor Johanna, I'll say her name. Johanna has been a good way for me to hear. Then my friends really inspire me to be confident. When I went to school and the security guard was this Bangladeshi guy, he always told me whenever I was wearing my earrings, “You’re slaying sis, like period!” Those people definitely played a big role in my life and how I feel beautiful, and they just remind me to feel beautiful every day. And so, yes, it does come on from within, but it also is just the support system. I don't talk to these people every day. But their love and their kindness will always stay with me forever. I keep them in the back of my mind forever. Period.

CJ– No, but those words of affirmation are totally helpful, especially when you're still figuring out who you are as a person and the life that you want to continue living. Okay, so on a lighter note, Miss. Jetsetter flying first class across the world, where are you off to next?

DH– Well, that's it, I have no clue like I’m always wanting to be popped out this summer. But that's the thing, I'm still at a point where I don't think I'm at a point where I've made money from TikTok where I think I could afford to live in New York City full time. However, I like nature. I like being tropical, so I don't know. I feel like in terms of safety she is safe in Europe. Just because I'm a doll and people be forgetting that. I can't just pop out and go to Egypt on a Tuesday. I definitely want to go to Italy. I definitely want to go to the Maldives. But I have to remember in the back of my mind, “You're a doll.” But that's the thing, I'm gonna doll, right? The girls aren't safe, but the girls stay safe. Because you know, she's a special kind of doll

Dress by Kelsey Randall, Choker by creepy yeha, shoes by pleaser, earrings & ring vintage c/o gabriel held vintage

CJ– Comments on your TikTok were like, somebody needs to tell President Biden to give you your own private security.

DH– No, literally. That's the thing I needed. Actually. Let's put this into the article, please. I need safety. I need security at all times, period. No, I’ll literally do anything for my safety. People don't realize that. Like I mean, I got kicked in the face in New York out of all places which is the craziest thing. I was in Turkey and nothing really violent happened to me. I mean, the men be transphobic but I've never had my share of physical violence. But, yeah, I need a service. I need some secret service. I just feel like that would help me feel more confident and comfortable filming in public. Because people don't realize I don't think you guys understand. You guys don't see the behind-the-scenes of filming these TikToks. People will stare at me. People will be crowding around me. It's giving paparazzi behavior.

CJ– Let's say someone wakes up one day and wants to exude that goddess aura, the Shundori antics, the doll-like behavior all wrapped into one. How would they do that? What are the rules of the HalBaddie manifesto?

DH– You gotta wake up, you have to feel yourself. You gotta look in the mirror and just say “Good morning, I'm a pretty. I'm pretty, I'm pretty, I'm pretty.” Wake up and know your worth. I'm at a point where it's like, I know who I am. And I love myself. And if everyone else can get back, that's fine. I'm gonna love myself. You just got to channel it, you have to just remember that you're that girl. It sounds corny, but you just got to wake up and know it and remember your worth, and know that you're deserving and capable of so much and everything that you want in this lifetime. And I think that's really radical, because I feel like for women, just in general, women are, you know, told to not really express themselves or just be quiet. I mean, it depends, right? But I feel like a lot of women have certain reservations about how they express themselves because they don't want to come off too crazy. There are people who are out saying that me saying Met Gala behavior and being upset that no designers wanted to dress me as entitlement. I'm like, “Okay, well, then I guess you can call me entitled because I know my worth.” No, sweetheart, I know I'm deserving boots. And that's where we're gonna keep it.

CJ– Especially with your confidence and where you're at now. How can anybody expect you to not know your worth and to not stick up for yourself when people are asking you different things?

DH– Right.

CJ– Now take a second and picture this. It's five years into the future and your wildest dreams have come true. Can you imagine what this life looks like? And what are those hopes and dreams?

DH– Yes, let me take a second and close my eyes. Okay, so basically five years from now, I definitely see myself having a show. I want to have a show where I travel to so many places around the world and show people non-elitist fashion and just really cool and up-and-coming designers from all over the world. That's number one. I want the show to be the first of its kind– an educational, travel program reality show, right? That's number one, a reality show, documentary. I don't know what you want to call it.

The second one hopefully, you know, honestly, maybe a boyfriend or something, the girl is bored. Like I'm tired of these feelings, maybe just a cute little relationship. You know what I'm saying, somebody who isn't afraid to be with me publicly. Let's put that in the interview. Definitely, before the boyfriend, you know, get a little house someplace cute. A little haven for me where I can permanently live. Period. I want to get to a point where I'm financially stable enough to never have to worry about rent ever again. That was a big part of the reason why I left New York. Right? So I want to get to a point where I have a cute little house, a cute little farm, or whatever. Live near nature, maybe a little horse, a pony or a puppy, just like an animal and a cute house, period, near the beach. That's what I want. In someplace very low-key. That's the second goal. The third would be a boyfriend because the girl gets bored.

CJ– Well why don't we create a show where it's kind of like the Bachelorette? Where we find you a boyfriend and you have all your different suitors and then you pick?

DH– That would be iconic, boo. That would be really iconic. Let's pitch it. Maybe a TikTok, you know, or like a Snapchat series. Because we've never seen that ever, like a Bachelorette kind of thing centering a trans woman of color.

CJ– Let's just call some people and get that happening.

DH– Wait, actually, I think that's really iconic. People would love to see that. Okay, I want to be real with you. People think that I flirt a lot, but I don't think I'm flirty, this is the way I talk. But I think people will live for the show because I would tune in, I would watch it. What is the show called?

CJ– The Bachelorette.

DH– The Bachelorette it is.

CJ– This is my one final question. How does it feel to be a digital cover doll?

DH- I'm excited and I'm very thankful, so thank you at office for making this happen. I'm very happy that this is my first digital cover and yeah just more covers to come. I'm just thankful and very happy. I have a cover to my name. And I hopefully think this will inspire other people to be on their cover girl behavior.

To further fulfill the fruition of Devin's Hal Gala dreams you can donate to her GoFundMe, here.

Culture

Mowalola x Miss Sixty Launch with H. Lorenzo

I swing my legs over the ropes that guard the VIP entrance. Always over (I’m 5’10), never under. I’m late to the H. Lorenzo x Mowalola event, and the line is wrapped around the block. I don’t want to be an asshole, but I hate waiting in lines; it just ruins everything.

“Hey, my friend is DJing right now. My name should be down,” I say.

The youngish security guard looks me up and down. I have made an adventurous choice for this type of crowd. Neon pink hoodie, bright orange vest, my Raimundo jeans, and Jeremy Scott animal print sneakers. I let him take me in and look over his shoulder. Hmmm… I will be swathed in darkness when he lets me in. Dark night, dark clothes, dark makeup, furs, hoods, leather accessories, and sunglasses. I don’t recognize anyone, but it’s hard to tell who anyone is because I can’t see after 8 pm without my glasses. Night blindness. I can still catch a vibe though.

“She’s in the bathroom,” Mr. Guard says, interrupting my squinting.

“Who?,” I ask.

“The woman in charge of the list.”

That’s a drag. I want to dance. Lately, I am going out in the name of music.

“So…can I go in?” I ask.

“Just wait for her to get back.”

That sounded fine. I wait. The outdoor smoking area is packed. I imagine the inside to be a mirror of this, hopefully with people dancing instead of blowing smoke in each other’s eyes.

“You got instagram?” The guard asks me after about ten minutes of flirting.

“Can I go in?” I said.

He laughs. He lets me in the event without a wristband.

Inside, I understand why the other guard was gone for so long. I made a mental note to not drink too much liquid, the bathroom line is almost as long as the line outside. The party is popping, far from a flop.

I push through the crowd solo, following the speakers to the DJ booth. The immersive visuals provided me with enough light to make out Mowalola in a gold bikini and her low rise denim. My pulse races like the horse printed on the front of her coochie. That’s the point of the collection, obviously.

My hips swing around before I head towards the open bar. I smile to myself, noting that it’s a mezcal forward menu. I see a drink that disgusts me so I order it without hesitation. It’s a mezcal coffee concoction. My heart ’s ran through already, why not go all in? I head back to dance when I hear Shigecki’s set start. I’m jumping around, sweating, and when I pause for a beat I let out a yelp. There are strippers working poles opposite and behind the DJ booth. Good. Events should be sexy.

I end the night smoking my friend’s Korean strawberry cigarettes taking in the air of cool- when a man comes up to me wild-eyed exclaiming that we look just like one another. I look at him- no, not at all. I turn slowly, remembering what I should be doing: listening to DJ G2G’s set. Back inside, she is playing reggaeton type beats with lasers beaming out of her headphones (I want these). A rave in it of herself.

Too bad all the events end at 2 am in LA.

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Vans Pipe Masters 2024

On the first night, Steve Van Doren and the Vans team hosted the heat draw for the competitors at a casual backyard barbecue. The son of Vans’ co-founder Paul Van Doren, Steve has worked in the family business for decades, and is now known as the Ambassador of Fun. Wearing a Hawaiian shirt and a cowboy hat made out of old shoes, he was definitely dressed for the part. The surfers, along with family and friends gathered in a relaxed setting as 40 men’s and 20 women’s names were drawn from a shoebox. The competition would run in 3 rounds, the top 4 men and 4 women with the highest scores moving onto the finals. When asked about their strategies, most gave answers along the lines of “get waves.” Refreshingly simple.

After waiting a few days for favorable conditions, the first day of competition kicked off with Women’s Round 1. It was finally time to see Pipeline in action. Banzai Pipeline is known as one of the most dangerous places to surf due to the powerful waves breaking over shallow and sharp reefs. With the potential to crash into the rocky edges or have leashes caught in caves, it takes a ton of skill–-and even more courage–to surf here. No stranger to these risks, the first heat included favorites Caity Simmers and “Queen of Pipeline” Moana Jones Wong, who showed off exactly why they’d been successful here in the past. Midway through the heats, Mother Nature decided to throw in another element as a light drizzle turned into a proper downpour. Rain or shine, the athletes went out unfazed, focused on getting their first points on the board.

After another short day’s break, the competition continued with the women’s second round and the men’s first. The beach was filled with spectators, locals and tourists alike, as the competition was free for all to attend. While fans rooted equally for the women and men, the most popular were the local Hawaiian athletes, which made up about half the competition. The women started off the day again, hyping up the crowd with incredible rides. One ride by Bettylou Sakura Johnson earned the first Bag of Cash of the day– a cash prize (of undisclosed amount) awarded in a brown paper bag to any surfer that pulls off a wow moment, excites the crowd, and pulls off something spectacular regardless of what the conditions might look like.

Winds picked up as the men’s competition began and two strategies quickly emerged: an aggressive approach, targeting any decent waves to build small scores; and a patient approach, waiting for the perfect wave to chase a high single score. Even the waves that were unrideable were a spectacle in itself. The sheer size, illustrated by the length of surfboards riding up and over, and the following crash of white water spray was hypnotizing. Then imagining having to experience it out on the water, duck diving under or being lifted over, brought a renewed respect for the surfers.

After watching these early rounds, it was time for office to head back to the cold. With the competition officially spanning from December 8-20, it seemed the forecast was gearing up for some massive waves— and it didn’t disappoint. Following from afar through Vans’ Instagram and live updates, we saw the full extent of what it means to surf at Pipeline. After a series of electrifying and daring surfs, the 2024 winners were crowned: Erin Brooks and Nathan Florence.

The thrill of watching top athletes compete at the highest level of their sport, even remotely, never fails to inspire. Few sports surrender so completely to the forces of nature as surfing does. And at its core, surfing is all about having a deep respect for the ocean—its unpredictable whims, its immense power, and its ever-changing moods.

Culture

The Cost of Queendom

December 17, 2024

One summer afternoon in New York, a few days after their New York premiere of the acclaimed documentary Queendom, office met up with documentary filmmaker Agniia Galdanova and producer Igor Myakotin at a tattoo parlor on the west side of Manhattan. While Agniia received a tattoo of the portmanteau “DOCU CUNT” across her fists, she — unfazed by the needle on her knuckles — answered our questions alongside Igor about the making of the stirring story that has traveled around the world.

One of the opening scenes of Queendom depicts a ritual many of us are all too familiar with in the 21st century. Jenna Marvin, the documentary film’s central subject, takes her friend along with her to take photos for Instagram. When she finds a suitable backdrop, she poses, poses, poses, and then reviews the photos. Dissatisfied, she gives her notes, and then returns to pose, pose, pose again.

By Brook Aster
Photos by Liv Solomon

The ritual may be familiar, but nothing else about the scene — from its setting to its stakes — is ordinary. The backdrop behind Jenna is a sweeping expanse of ice and snow in a small Russian port town called Magadan. Jenna is dressed in drag, but not drag of the Rupaul’s Drag Race variety; her drag has been referred to as “creature drag.” Her signature white face paint, platform heels and surrealist costumes, with their exaggerated sculptural proportions and use of duct tape and repurposed items, catches the ire of her neighbors and the love of online admirers alike. Jenna eventually accrued a following on social media for her public and technically illegal drag performances, which often involved little more than her walking or being in public spaces but nevertheless were often met with abuse and threats of imprisonment.

But when Agniia first encountered Jenna, she hadn’t yet reached the level of virality that would eventually come in the years to follow. The filmmaker was researching different drag performers in Russia for her sophomore project, which she thought would be a docuseries, when she heard from a friend about a young drag queen from Magadan. “I was like, this is impossible. I have to meet this person,” Agniia remembers. “And I could not actually go meet her because I was in Moscow and she was in Saint Petersburg, so I sent a friend of mine with whom I’d been studying with in film school, and she went and filmed the sample.” The simple video, showing Jenna and her friend getting dressed up for a party, struck something in Agniia. The drag was an earlier, more prototypical version of the style Jenna is now known for; less duct tape and ornamentation, but still that signature striking makeup. “Something sparked. I knew I just had to stick to this feeling,” Agniia says. She decided to turn the docuseries into a documentary solely focused on Jenna.

Around that time, the entire world came to a grinding halt: the onset of COVID-19 pandemic had just led to lockdowns around the globe. With only a couple thousand followers on social media at that point in time, Jenna had tried to branch out and connect with other drag artists in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, but faced rejection; her drag was extremely unconventional, and not even other drag artists quite understood it. “I think we found each other at the right moment, because nobody knew what to do, how to cope with all this,” Agniia says. “Jenna was saying that she was lost, and she also didn't know how to develop her art next.”

Unlike some of the other artists Agniia had initially researched, Jenna didn’t need much convincing to allow the camera into her life. “[Especially] after COVID came, there wasn't really [any] drag in my life,” Jenna recounts when I speak to her later over Zoom. “I realized that what drag is for me is not just a costume, a dress, something that you leave, that you take off and then in the dead of the night you put back on. Later, I understood that this is who I am, that I am art and I am drag, and that this is way bigger and more important than just clothing or costume.”

[LEFT TO RIGHT: Agniia Galdanova, Jenna Marvin, Igor Myakotin]

When it came time to move into production stages, Agniia sent a clip to Igor, who had been referred to her by a past colleague. When Igor saw the footage, he was similarly struck by Jenna — and even more struck to find out she shared his small hometown of Magadan. “It was just so fateful to know that I also come from this town, and I've never seen it through this cinematic lens, through the vision that Agniia has,” he says. “I was mesmerized by the footage, mesmerized by Jenna. I thought to myself, I have to do everything I can [for us] to work together, whatever the collaboration is gonna be.”

The two followed Jenna for over three years; Agniia first relocated to St. Petersburg, where Jenna had taken up residence after leaving her grandparents’ home in Magadan, and later Jenna moved in with Agniia in her home in Moscow. All the while, Igor and his team worked remotely from the United States to meet Agniia’s production needs. Inevitably, with all their time spent together, Agniia and Jenna became close.

“There is an unspoken rule in documentary filmmaking that you have to keep this line, and you can’t overcome certain boundaries,” Agniia explains. “In my first film, it was not an easy subject [to do this with] as well. I was following a family for seven months, and [we became] close, but I always was trying to keep my distance, and was constantly thinking about it. How much should I say? How much should I give?” But as she got to know Jenna, it became clear that this time, that distance wouldn’t be possible. “With Jenna almost from the very beginning, I was like, fuck it. That’s not going to work with this one. I'm going to break this rule 100%. I never regretted it, because that's actually what built up the trust that is there.”

As Jenna's public performances continued and began to garner more public attention, her online audience multiplied. Among her virtual admirers was French fashion maven Michèle Lamy, who would eventually sign onto Queendom as an executive producer. Lamy's discovery of Jenna led to an invitation to walk in the Rick Owens show in Paris — her first time modeling, and her first time leaving Russia in her life. Of course, Agniia and her camera followed. But most of their excursions were not so glamorous; many of Jenna's performances shown in the documentary were undertaken at a real risk to her physical safety, and by extension, to the safety of Agniia. But neither of them were daunted.

I remember who I am. And this is what carries me through this life.

After all, Jenna was used to both taking risks and documenting them well before she was the subject of a film; she and her friends long filmed the often impassioned, sometimes violent reactions of strangers and policemen to their mere existence in public spaces in drag. And after a protest performance in which she wrapped herself in the Russian flag, Jenna was kicked out of beauty school, her last attempt at a practical route before pursuing her drag as a full time venture.

The only time Agniia tried to dissuade her was on Paratrooper’s Day, a Russian military holiday often characterized by the drunk soldiers roaming the streets. The risk for violence was especially high. “On Paratroopers Day, people say you can't come out in skinny jeans or with nail polish,” Jenna describes. “[I think] you should do the opposite. You should really make a statement and come out wearing what you want to wear. I think that clothes, what we wear, is really at some point beyond our psyche, our mind, our understanding. It is as if it's a certain kind of spice that is enticing you and you follow the scent of that spice and you don't see anything else except that scent and you follow it. That's how I see it.”

“I was like, ‘girl, maybe we should not do that,’” Agniia says. “Igor was stressing out and she told us, ‘well, you don't need to follow me. I'm gonna go and do it. I don't care if you're coming or not.’” In the end, Jenna ventured out for her performance anyway, protesting the then-recent invasion of Ukraine. Agniia followed. Not shown in the film is that the two were arrested, and managed to talk the police out of their arrest.

Not too long after, she would have to leave Russia again, this time moving for Paris for good; the film follows her struggles to get a visa in time to leave the country after the onset of the war. “It's already been three years that I've been in France, and it is important for me to understand and remember who I am, and to remember that pain, those moments when we were back in Russia doing drag, fighting with the police and law enforcement,” Jenna says. “It is important that this resistance continues and that those voices are not being silenced. Yes, here there’s much more freedom, there are pride parades and queer people can get married, but this is an illusion because there are also places where you cannot get married and you cannot enjoy the same freedoms. I cling to who I am, who I was from the very beginning. I remember who I am. And this is what carries me through this life.”

“Meeting Jenna gave me hope for the future of the country, because governments come and go, people in power come and go, but the generations change at the same time,” Igor says. “So it warms my heart to see that someone like her came from somewhere like that. If I saw her back then at a similar age, it would be even more personal. I think I would’ve accepted myself as gay quicker, and I wouldn't be nervous or closed and not open to the world or myself… Working with this project also meant that we were amplifying the voices of many, many people who couldn't speak like Jenna could.”

For Agniia, the honor of telling Jenna's story is only paralleled by the honor of having her in her life. “We found each other,” Agniia says. “And what I learned from Jenna is so precious; about life, about art, about surviving. And I appreciate it a lot. This film grew so much larger than just a documentary, because I have a family now, a working family.”

Queendom is now available to stream on Apple TV.