What are you at? Goin' drag

"My drag persona is really about, not necessarily changing who I am on the inside, more so changing who I am on the outside."

Jade Nohels sits in front of the mirror, and slowly transforms into a different person. A more glamorous person. A person of a different gender.

Fashionista Jones.

"I am a gay male who does drag and female impersonation, female illusion, whatever you want to call it, for entertainment purposes." he said.

"At the end of the day, you have to give what the audience wants. They're paying their five, ten dollars, and they're there to get a show. And that's what they're going to get."

Goin' drag

Nohels has been performing in drag shows as Fashionista Jones for about 10 years. The St. John's resident and fashion designer has donned his drag persona at Casino Nova Scotia, local clubs for charity shows, and many stages in between.

Nohels said the key to doing drag successfully is being meticulous about the look and the performance.

"The performance, in my professional opinion, makes it or breaks it." he said.

"I've seen people who have looked so gorgeous, beautiful, stunning, modelesque. And when they hit the stage, it's a completely different story."

Turkey carver and foam cushions

The transformation from Jade Nohels to Fashionista Jones doesn't happen quickly (to see it all, watch the video above).

Nohels said if he has a show in the evening, he starts getting ready in the morning.

"It's definitely something that has to be prepped well in advance," he said. "I'll actually sit in the tub with a mirror, make sure I get a really good shave...After that, normally I'll dedicate a good two hours towards makeup, in total."

Once he has his face on, Nohels turns to choosing the right wardrobe, wig and jewelry. To give his hips and derriere a more feminine shape, Nohels gets an assist from a homemade prosthetic.

"Pretty much, I have half of a couch on my body right now." he said.

"Sometimes a good old turkey carver and some foam cushions can do a world of wonder."

When the transformation is complete, Nohels disappears into Fashionista Jones. He moves differently, with a different look in his eye.

It takes hours to make it happen, but Nohels said the effort is all worth it when he steps into the club, purse first, and people see a glamorous woman standing in front of them.

"I've met people as Jade that I've met in drag and they don't even know the difference," he said.

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