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How Carmen Dior transforms into an 'intergalactic pop princess'

Heather Green-Oliver spent an afternoon learning the secrets of drag

Editor's note: Since the publication of this story, Carmen Dior has fully transitioned and now uses she/her pronouns. The story has been updated to reflect this.

Born and raised in Sudbury, drag queen Carmen Dior has spent the last two years performing on stages from New York City to Japan.

Dior (personal pronoun: she/her) recently returned to the Nickel City to bring a fun night of music (as well as a few surprises) to the Caruso Club this Saturday.

It takes a total of four hours to complete the look, which includes makeup, tights, padding, costume, hair and nails.

"For me the transformation is quite interesting," Dior told Sudbury.com. "It starts off very ugly and messy, but I think it's quite fascinating to see the finished product."

Dior started performing in Sudbury at a young age. After graduating from Sudbury Secondary, they moved to New York City to study at the Broadway Dance Centre in the dance training program. The character of Carmen Dior, described as an intergalactic pop princess, came to life two years ago and performed on stages in the Big Apple while Carniello was in school.

Dior's performing career began in Japan when they secured a contract with Universal Studios as a performer at the Wizardly World of Harry Potter-themed area at the Universal Studios Japan theme park in Osaka, Japan. While in Japan, Dior began headlining and selling out shows as Dior.  

"Doing things like this are monumental steps in my journey. It's so exciting to think about how far I've come, but also how much there is to come," they said. "I think there's a great power in the art of performing and music and makeup.

"I'm hoping people leave all their worries at the door for the night and just let themselves go. It's going to be a celebration of love and beauty."

Carmen Dior Live in Sudbury all ages event is already sold out. But check out our cool timelapse video showing Dior's transformation and get to know them a little better.

And you can follow Carmen Dior on Instagram for the latest.


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Heather Green-Oliver

About the Author: Heather Green-Oliver

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