Model: Lourdes
Photography: Kate McMahon
Styling & Words: Graham Peacock
Hair: Reece Marshall / Ponyboy 
Makeup: Maya Jaye
Assisted by: Spit Turner  & Mark Mckinlay

Lourdes has achieved something few others have: making a name for herself for being exactly who she is. Whether she’s performing on stage at Edinburgh Art Festival, creating music or hosting high-octane club spectacles with Ponyboy, Lourdes’s signature charm and humour make her a commander of attention.

Even against today’s paint-speckled floor and exposed-brick setting, Lourdes can make things glamorous. She’s no stranger to giving herself over to a creative vision, equally at home talking candidly on the much-loved podcast The Dolls Discuss and collaborating on large-scale creative projects.

More than just a key figure in Scotland’s creative scene, Lourdes is a passionate champion of her trans and queer community. While it sounds like good fun to have your face splashed across a billboard in Glasgow’s East End (Ponyboy X BUILDHOLLYWOOD, likewise shot by Kate McMahon) or to feature as the cover girl on an EP (‘but while i wait, i may as well party’ by Spent), visibility is also a tool. Lourdes is part of a cohort of queer talent on the rise in Scotland: partying in the face of a hostile world, holding out a hand to other performers rather than pulling the ladder up behind them.

After her shoot, we caught up with Lourdes for a game of 21 Questions. Her responses were as expected: funny, timely and deeply moving.

What was the last song you listened to?

What I should do is give you an incredibly niche, esoteric and obscure song that no one has heard of so that it reinforces the mysterious allure that I like to think of myself as having. Unfortunately I’m neither that nor can fake that so instead I shall tell you the truth. ‘Aquamarine’ by Addison Rae is currently going up the okaylourdes hot 100 chart and doing the reruns. Funny how someone can drop the song of the summer on the 24th of October. She’s everything I want to be when I’m 24. I love pop music and I love women who make pop music. People who over intellectualise everything bore me to death! Like, sorry if the song is good then it’s really not that deep.

What’s your favourite thing about Glasgow?

I have a lot of favourite things but I also have a lot of least favourite things. My favourite things include the memories that I have attached to so many places here, my friends, the ability to walk from the Southside to the West End in an hour. Glasgow is a city that’s ever changing and I like that about it. However it’s also a city that doesn’t offer that much room for growth currently. More creative bases need to be formed here. I want Glasgow to reach its full potential and it’s slowly getting there. I just worry that it’s not moving at the pace it needs to.

If you could co-host a party with any celebrity, who would it be?

Cher.

Who makes you laugh?

Myself mostly. People aren’t all that funny. Everyone’s sense of humour operates in different places and I think mine might be hard to reach. I’m often not laughing when people think they are being funny. But also my friends make me laugh. A lot. There’s so many times I think back or replay the memories I have with them and I feel myself almost crying with laughter. It’s good to surround yourself with positive people that encourage your potential and allow you to have fun. Negativity always makes its way out of your life but it’s hard sometimes to have to face the reality of finding out someone may not be who you expected. The key is to remember them as you please and not as it eventually pertained. Like, yes — we still laughed ourselves a set of abs that night and yes you are also a cunt. I love the physical act of laughing. It’s so nice to be vulnerable with people when you’re all creased over, tears in your eyes. I had one of those nights recently in a car at 4am with three people who are very special to me.

What movie should everyone see?

I think everyone should see every movie. Unfortunately there isn’t enough time in our lives to do that. However, I do think that people should aim to watch things that challenge their perception of the world, because if you aren’t expanding your outlook then your life is almost like a vacuum. Look outward to change the inward. And also learning new things is fun. I love movies that are really about nothing. Just people living and dealing with life. There’s beauty in the mundane. There’s so many movies that tell different stories that people should see and none are more important than the other. I always find myself going back to Sean Baker’s Tangerine. I want more movies about people who are never spotlighted.

Where would you get married?

I used to say I didn’t believe in marriage but lately I’ve been thinking more about it and I think it’s truly for me. Like the drama and theatre of it all — I simply must! I am still not sure if I believe in the sanctity of marriage itself but I also think you don’t have to believe entirely in something to do it. I think it’s a really beautiful thing to tell one person that you love them and want to spend the rest of your life with them. I want to see more transgender women getting married.

What are you reading?

I’m always reading something. I think reading is one of the greatest things you can do with your time. Similarly to movies, I think you should aim to read things that challenge your perception. I love books that deal with interpersonal relationships. Again beauty in the mundane. I’m currently reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt. It’s been on my shelf for literally 20 million billion thousand trillion years but recently it felt like the right time to pick it up. I’m also reading a book a dear friend of mine gifted me on my birthday this year called Lovebug by Daisy LaFarge. I’m already sad that I won’t be able to read every book that I want to so I try and be somewhat selective. I know what I like and so you probably won’t ever see me reading books about dragons or such things. I like my books heavy on reality.

How often should people post online?

As often as you want. Never forget the overarching fear of a digital footprint though. I’m currently trying to reshape mine from yeti to stiletto.

When do you get nervous?

Before talking to someone about how I feel. Whether it’s good or bad. Growing up I kept a lot of how I felt to myself so now I try to be more open with my emotions. I’m definitely a lot better at it than I used to be but there’s always that trepidation before telling someone how you feel in case they react badly. But truthfully, if that person is meant to be in my life then me telling them my feelings shouldn’t be scary. They can’t dictate or have an opinion on my feelings. Just because they don’t feel them doesn’t mean they aren’t real. They can, however, try to understand my feelings and I think that’s often where people slip up. I’m guilty of it myself. We all are. Like, we are all literally figuring things out and this is everyone’s first time living life. As cringe and as cliche as it is.

What’s your least favourite trait in others?

Lack of empathy. And stupidity. Not being able to apply context to situations. Also bad style.

What trend needs to come back?

Broken bones and train track braces. Having lipstick on your teeth.

What was your first job?

I worked as a customer service assistant at a toy store. I had the job for like two years and let me tell you, I wore that blue fleece like it was a uniform to be proud of. I remember being 16 or 17 years old working 42 hours a week whilst in my last year of school and also being somewhat mentally unwell and doing a thing called the ‘military diet’. I’m not going to elaborate on that part because I don’t condone mental illness in youths anymore. But I can tell you that at Christmas time all the checkout girlies had to get customers to fill out catalogue forms. A form that had their address, name, et-cetera on it so that the Christmas catalogue could be sent to their door. We were tasked to get, like, 10 on a shift or something and I literally remember being so lazy about it that I started writing my own home address and then the names of famous pop girls. Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Rihanna. Both their stage names and their government names. I got away with it for a good few weeks before someone caught on and was like ‘Huh?’ It was pretty genius actually and luckily I have a vast knowledge of pop stars who are women.

What are you most proud of?

I’m proud of everything I have accomplished so far and the journey I’ve been on to get here. Life hasn’t always been easy, especially in the mental side of things. In this case we are talking clinically mental. I think it’s a testament to my resilience that I am able to be who I am today and have morals and beliefs that I’m passionate about. I’m proud of my ability to continue to love with an open heart despite facing adversity and heartbreaks along the way. And I’m proud of my friendships that I’ve made. Life really isn’t easy, especially for certain marginalised people in today’s society. No one will ever be able to take who I am away from me and that’s something I hold close to my heart.

What’s the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into?

Everybody knows I’m a good girl, officer. No, I wouldn’t do a thing like that, that’s for sure. The house was already on fire, I swear I’m not a liar.

Who would play you?

In life? Men have played me more than I care to admit but none have lived to tell the tale. In regards to who would play me in the okaylourdes feature length film I would say Leslie Jordan in my early years and Jessica Lange in my current years. I would obviously love Chloë Sevigny to do it but I think she’s busy looking for a sublet in New York.

Who influences you?

Those who have came before me and those who will come after me. Life inspires me. My friends inspire me. Love inspires me. Trans women inspire me. Individuality inspires me. Being a child of the internet inspires me. Femininity inspires me. If you look hard enough there is inspiration in everything. Something that is inspiring to me isn’t going to be inspiring to someone else. I love that.

What should everyone stop doing?

Making life hard for others. Stop being silent on the issues that face transgender women in today’s society. Your allyship isn’t true until you’ve turned it into action. Unfortunately the voice of the marginalised community will never be enough to be heard so amplify that if you are able to. Use your voice for good if you are in a more privileged position. Everyone is okay to digest the spectacle and theatricality of trans women but please ask yourself: what have you done today to help us? And if you can’t formulate an answer, do better. Our rights and lives are in purgatory right now with the potentiality of having our existence ripped away from us. Do something before it’s too late. Unfortunately your thoughts and concerns mean nothing to a dead body.

When do you feel hottest?

When I’m in the oven baking at 180°C.

What’s the most underrated thing about you?

Everything about me is underrated. Maybe I would say my ability to romanticise anything. It’s both served me well and not so well… but alas some would call that the duality of women!

You’ve done a lot. What else do you want to do?

I’m getting the living room done soon. And hopefully I’ll be working on the kitchen after that. I’m slipping away for the best part of a year soon and when I return I hope no one has forgotten me and everyone loves what I’ve done with the place. I think my life has led to this point of feeling like a painter with all the paint in the world. I know the outcome is going to be beautiful but support is always needed to decorate. I know my life, whatever route it takes, will be full of love.

What’s something no one knows about you?

I miss everyone that’s ever been in my life and is now no longer in it. Friendships, relationship, summer flings, winter flings, whatever the name for whatever it was when certain people were in my life. I’m such a hopeless Cancer at heart that I can’t help but miss people everyday. Not all of them had a sad ending but the ones that do sting a little more. Ultimately that’s the path we were destined to take together. I think life programmes us all to act as if nothing phases us but unfortunately everything phases me. It’s very Oprah of me to be like, ‘I miss you, you are missed, I miss you’. I hold nothing but love for all these people in my heart and if life is written that we find ourselves back together so be it and if not that’s okay too. Hello, it’s the most famous woman you know on the iPad.