A Knockout Conversation with Gottmik & Violet Chachki
A Knockout Conversation with Gottmik & Violet Chachki
Written by Ferrell Dixon and Karma Eclectic
Photography by: Callum Walker Hutchinson
They appear the way legends do — not with an entrance, but with an atmosphere shift. Cheekbones like architecture, lashes like weapons, and an aura that announces the art before the artists speak. The Knockout Tour isn’t just a drag spectacle; it’s a thesis dressed in latex and light. Together, Violet Chachki and Gottmik are touring the world as if it were one long runway — reimagining glamour as resistance, friendship as collaboration, and beauty as a form of protest art.
“Strength,” Violet says simply, like a spell. “We really wanted to show a strong visual for queer people right now. It’s a very tumultuous time politically and socially, so we wanted to show something powerful.”
Gottmik nods — equal parts paint and purpose. “We’ve been building to this for years,” she says. “We always wanted to merge our worlds — Violet’s glamour, my rock, both of us pushing the edge of what drag can look like. And when we thought about strength, a boxing theme just fit. You can see both of us — in rounds, in conversation — but it’s all love in the end.”
The show’s aesthetic — Mugler meets Mortal Kombat — didn’t emerge by accident. It’s the natural extension of two artists who treat visual language as holy ground. “We wanted to speak to the moment,” Gottmik continues. “We’re traveling to cities that don’t always get shows like this. Especially as a trans artist, I know what it means to see someone like me up there. I grew up in Phoenix — the first drag theater show I saw changed my life. Now we get to do that for other kids.”
That mix of scale and intimacy defines the tour. Violet’s solo number is a meditation in precision and danger. “It’s an aerial burlesque piece,” she explains. “I’m doing a strip tease in the air. There’s costuming, choreography, timing — and safety. It’s a lot to juggle while dangling in the air, but when I nail it, it’s pure grace.”
Gottmik approaches makeup with the same sense of performance art. “I always say makeup is my language,” she laughs. “Every night I ask, What am I saying with this look? That’s what keeps me inspired.”
Together, they’ve pushed drag into spaces that once held their doors shut. Both have fronted major fashion campaigns — and they’ve done it with the clarity of people who understand their power.
“It’s wild,” Gottmik says, remembering a recent Gaultier campaign shot overnight in a Budapest train station. “I had this pinch-me moment. Like — who gets to be in a Gaultier ad with your best friend, in archive couture? But also… you have to trust your gut. Some brands want the look, not the person. You learn to know the difference.”
For Violet, the wrestling match between beauty and business is a daily negotiation. “Every day’s a windy road,” she says. “What started as therapy turned into a full-blown business. It’s tricky. I’m still navigating it.”
And yet, they remain committed to pushing drag forward — structurally, artistically, generationally.
“Drag is mainstream in a way it wasn’t ten years ago,” Gottmik says. “People are self-producing theatre tours, doing Broadway, acting. It’s wild to witness. And it’s inspiring because we’re building something that will last.”
Violet adds, “For me, what inspires me is the young people who come to the show. At the end, when we do a signing, I see their faces and realize — this is going to be a core memory for them. That’s what makes all of this feel bigger than a job.”
So what’s the moment right before they step on stage? Panic? Prayer? Pure delusion?
They exchange a look that only long-time collaborators can share — equal parts chaos and communion.
“All of it,” they say, laughing in sync.
Mark it: The Knockout Tour stops here, November 19 at The Vanguard, 222 N Main St — doors at 7PM, show at 8PM. Find the official event details on Vanguard’s website, and tap into ASLUT’s Instagram to enter the ticket giveaway and claim your seat at the showdown.