Remembering James Lee Williams: a celebration of The Vivienne's most memorable looks
British drag queen James Lee Williams, better known as The Vivienne, has passed away.
They were 32. While it is still unclear what caused their death, their passing was announced through a statement.
“It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved James Lee Williams- The Vivienne, has passed this weekend,” read the statement.
“James was an incredibly loved, warm-hearted and amazing person. Their family are heartbroken at the loss of their son, brother and uncle. They are so proud of the wonderful things James achieved in their life and career.”
The Vivienne was very popular among the LGBTQ+ community as they were the first winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race UK”.
Drag queens are famous for dressing up in flamboyant garments and wearing heavy make-up.
One of Vivienne’s hottest looks was when she played Mary Poppins for a theatre show in February last year.
At the British Soap Awards in June last year, they looked gorgeous in a Jeffrey Kelly Designs black gown with ostrich feathers and completed the look with smoky eye make-up and metallic blonde wavy wig.
Vivienne always dressed up because “basic” was not part of their vocabulary. They also played the “Wicked Witch of The West”, which went all out serving the hottest looks, not only for the premiere but also for the characters.
The iconic moment was when they got Margaret Hamilton’s tattoo to pay homage to him.
“What better way to kick off my run as The Wicked Witch Of The West than to pay homage to the original, phenomenal, Margaret Hamilton?
“Hope I do you proud my Pretty x Thank you to the amazing team at @golden_dragon_tattoo and @rarecandytattoo who smashed this out of the stratosphere!
“There’s always that moment of getting a tattoo ‘oh fuck is this the one I’m gonna hate?’ Nah, I’m obsessed, with movie history, artwork and memory forever x so….who’s next?”
What’s drag without proper shoes? Drag queens don’t wear kitten or block heels. They always go big and for the late star, the spikes outfit designed by Natacha Marro and Monika Bereza was one of the best looks they’ve ever won.
Tributes continue to pour for Vivienne, who is remembered as a talented drag icon.
