We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessie Edelstein and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessie, why did you pursue a creative career?
I pursued a career in art because I realized I needed to follow my natural abilities instead of repressing them. Growing up in a small, suburban town on Long Island, I was discouraged to be creative and to do anything that was considered “outside the mold.” I was always bullied by my classmates for being weird and constantly berated by teachers for doodling during class. Over time, I worked really hard to make myself “fit in” amongst my peers and stopped drawing completely. It wasn’t until I was 17 when I realized I was forcing myself to be something I was not that I began taking art classes outside of school. This was a really pivotal moment in my life and led to me studying visual art at college where I really was able to explore my interests and develop my natural talents.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I first discovered drag through Rupaul’s Drag Race when I was 18 and was immediately obsessed. I felt like it encapsulated all my interests (art, fashion, beauty, performance, and comedy) and I really saw myself reflected in all the queens on the show. I’ve also always been drawn to faces and when I got my first sketchbook at 18, I began drawing the same face over and over and didn’t know why. The face always had the same features including overdrawn lips, thin eyebrows, and gapped front teeth. I began developing my own drag character/persona “Virgo Couture” when I was 19. The look that I developed for her combined the face from my sketchbooks with my classical drawing/painting training which created something very different from typical drag looks. I began performing and going out as “Virgo Couture” the following year. And although I’m gay, because I’m a cis woman I felt very alienated from drag culture. I always felt like I had to work twice as hard in order to be accepted in drag scenes, even ones that deemed themselves to be more alternative or inclusive. Because of this, I began hosting my own DIY drag shows my senior year of college where I could book myself and other queer performers who were more DIY and experimental. Boosting queer voices, especially marginalized ones, is something I’m extremely passionate about and is something I want to continue doing with Unlimited, the queer event series that I’m currently organizing with my friend/collaborator cancercrush. In 2020, I retired Virgo and began developing the Jessie.Mp3 project. I still pull looks and draw on the same face, but now I’m no longer hiding behind a persona and can fully take ownership of my creativity. Jessie.Mp3 isn’t a persona, it’s the name of my original music project. I’m continuously developing new songs/performance concepts for the project.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I moved to LA in January 2021 so I’m still exploring the city myself, but I’d definitely want to show them all the beautiful nature spots in the area. I love the beach, my faves are Malibu and Manhattan Beach, so I’d definitely take someone there. I also love Barnsdall Art Park in East Hollywood just to sit and hang and see a really nice view of the city and Griffith Park is really nice for hiking. In terms of food, I love Figaro Bistro in Los Feliz. They have a really good brunch menu and also have the best cappuccino I’ve had outside of Europe. I would also take them to my favorite taco truck in Downtown which is called Crazy Taco, their shrimp tacos and chicken burritos are truly top tier. I’d also have to take them to the Silverlake Flea Market for shopping. My favorite booth is Unseen Clothes which is run by my friend Ava, she has amazing taste and always has the nichest pieces for sale which I love. Then in terms of going out, my favorite spot is 4100 in Silverlake. I’m pretty introverted and a homebody but I love 4100 since it’s very chill and I always have such a nice time when I go there with my friends.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My friends mean the world to me so I would want to dedicate my shoutout to them. I truly value the support, kindness, and inspiration that they’ve provided me over the years. My friends have also been extremely supportive of my creative work. I’m so grateful to be able to turn to them for advice and collaboration when it comes to things like music videos, performances, and other creative projects. Their encouragement and willingness to help me bring my creative visions to life is something I really appreciate. I love them all so much.

Website: jessieedelstein.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessi3.mp3/

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessie.mp3?lang=en

Image Credits
First image is shot by Lucy London McDonald

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