Edward Vigiletti – the boy who hunted and played with Barbies, the teen who became an internet sensation and the man who cannot be labelled. I had the pleasure of interviewing L.A-based Edward via Skype. It was an interview that turned into a three hour long chat that reminded me of the cringe-worthy cliché: don’t judge a book by its cover. This 21-year-old is incredibly intelligent, ambitious and is as equally beautiful wigged as he is de-wigged.
So Edward, can you share a little bit about your childhood? Did it have much influence on the person I see in front of me?
I just moved from Orange County to Los Angeles, but my early childhood was spent in Wrightwood, California. In Wrightwood it was all about hunting and fishing with my stepdad, who was a cop. It was very much a boy’s life, I didn’t grow up being a princess – mind you I always had Barbies. I still enjoy those ‘boyish’ things, riding bikes and stuff. So many people think I must be the most ultra-feminine person but I’m really not, sort of like a tomboy in a drag-queen body.
So you proudly embrace your androgyny?
When I dress up, I always like to have my chest exposed so you can see I’m male, I always wear a cup so it’s the perfect male anatomy, I don’t shave my underarms or legs… I want people to know I’m a boy. A weird in between thing, I’d call it ‘gender-X’. It’s interesting when people say “androgyny is out” because, I’m always going to look this way.
The elephant in the room – let’s get it out of the way now. The Lady Gaga thing. Tell me about that.
It’s funny, there’s been communication but I haven’t actually met her. It’s strange. There’s been so much comparison with her, the thing’s that I’ve done and the way that I look… I just dressed up one night, put on my Grandma’s 20-year-old wig, took some photos and entered into a contest to see her in Birmingham. I didn’t win but the next day Perez Hilton had the picture that I used to enter the competition on his site… the following day, that picture was Gaga’s background on Twitter. Within a week I was in Australia seeing her in concert.
That’s one hell of a week!
Yeah. After that I got back to all these offers to do shit that I didn’t even know about… Literally overnight it was like, “Ok you’re going to wear a wig now and make it your career”.
Were you doing any sort of performance art prior to this?
No, not in that sense. When I was 15 I shaved my eyebrows off and put extensions in my hair… I was pretty popular on the Internet back then. The power of the internet is a little crazy, what it can influence and what it can do. Kinda scary. I was just being taken advantage of. I had a big home left to my Mum and I by my Grandmother, a lot of resources and people saw that. I was nice (smiles). I wanted to be the cool kid because in reality I was never the cool kid at school. The internet was the outlet for me to create a different identity.
Dealing with the typical teen-angst as well as struggling with your outward identity is a lot to for a 15 year old. Was this online version of you, your form of rebellion?
Well in my teens I was kind of really crazy and really rebellious, I was doing meth from the age of 12. It was just so accessible. The drugs made me such a negative, horrible person. I was stealing from my family – not saying that’s any excuse. When I stopped doing the drugs I started to associate that with the androgyny. It’s interesting cause I don’t think I was ever really addicted, because I just upped and never did them again. I calmed it down when I turned 17. I told myself I’m not going to even drink until I turn 21 – I just wanted to see if I could it and I did it.
So what led your back?
I went to this gallery opening in Santa Ana because a friend of mine was writing an article about it for 944 magazine. I wasn’t wearing the wig, just makeup. An artist approached me about painting my portrait so I sat for the portrait. After that, it kind of sparked this desire in me to play around some more; because for a while I had such resentment for the way I looked…I wanted to be more masculine. Growing up in Orange County with all the blonde surfers (smiles), I did trying to be a boy but I didn’t really fit in.
You portray such confidence and a sort of air of nonchalance, but it hasn’t always been easy? Not fitting in with mainstream society’s version of ‘conventional beauty’?
No not at all! It’s really only been in the last six months that I’ve seen myself in the way I should see myself, in a positive light. I’ve always had to lie, pretending to be someone I wasn’t. Even when the crazy Gaga stuff was happening, I felt judged and like I wasn’t good enough. I was freshly 18 when this all happened so I went with it. I was proud, proud to be 18 and have that accomplishment but with it came an ego. That’s something you have to destroy, get rid of, because it’s not about you. It’s been like whirlwind of not knowing what the fuck I was meant to be doing.
Because of this experience, you’ve gained a legion of young fans that can relate to you in a physical sense – that must be a strange feeling?
Yeah, knowing that these kids respect me for some reason and see me as a kind of inspiration…but I’m always Edward. I don’t change my name or my personality when I dress up. How I’m talking to you is how I’d talk to anyone with the wig on. I simply enjoy dressing up. It’s fun to me. A lot of the time people feel like they have to put a story or motive behind it, a reason for why I’m doing it…and I’m sure for a lot of people who do this, there are genuine issues and that’s why they do it. But for me…I am a man, I love being a man. I just happen to believe that I have the ability to play with gender. I enjoy that and I’m damn good at it. It’s something I’ve had to learn to be confident with and realise its not a bad thing. You can’t have a happy ending to an unhappy journey.
How did Gaga’s ‘Little Monsters’ respond to you?
Some of them liked me and some really didn’t. They saw me as trying to ‘ride the coat-tails of Gaga’. I never had any intention of doing that. I did do a photo shoot that was a version of the ‘Telephone’ video, and that was homage to Gaga – kind of a personal thank you for using my photo on her Twitter background.
One photo changed everything for you.
That photo! I wasn’t trying to look exactly like her! I just happen to like the same shit as she does. I’m just a theatrical person. I like big fucking productions, my family own burlesque dinner theatres – I like a show. My grandmother was a world-renowned belly dancer – I come from entertainment. I grew up playing instruments but I was always too shy to take it further, that’s the reason for this (motions toward his wig). Sometimes I just feel like a big, glamorous, spiritual hooker (laughs).
Wouldn’t you say the Gaga likeness, good or bad, gave you the early taste of fame?
In reality I’ve always known it’s important to pay respect to people that help you to get where you’re going, because the people you see when you’re going up are the people you’re going to see when you’re going down. I do completely respect Gaga.
So from Orange County to Los Angeles, what’s it like living there for a 21-year-old? Temptations abound?
Some of my buddies get sucked into going out every weekend, drinking, going out, drinking… what are they gaining? People talk out of their ass while they’re drunk. Just saying shit to fill space. I’m usually designated driver, I’m not going to be an idiot and drive drunk. I’m like the grandparent of my friends, making sure everyone’s safe – it’s the Jewish mother coming out in me (laughs). I’ve seen stupid things happen to some of my friends – they’re not here because of stupid reasons. The friends that are still here, even though they’ve seen bad things happen to those around them and even to them, haven’t changed. I don’t understand that logic, that’s why I’d rather be an observer.
An observer?
I’m an observer. When I’m at a club I’m usually brushing my hair and people just fucking stare, but if someone comes up to me, I’m going to talk to them, I’ll sit down and have a conversation with them but I enjoy watching people. I spent the majority of the past few years, sober, working in clubs and seeing what people do. I have noticed drag queens don’t really seem to like me. Being a catty bitch is so 2006. If people liked each other, everything would be so much easier.
So much easier. You’re only 21 but you seem wise beyond your years. What’s the hurry to grow up?
I know that’s there’s no race. But I’m taking chances on things that I want to do right now – because I know that later on down the road, its not so easy. At this age you have a drive, a natural energy, and I use it.
At the moment – where are you focusing this energy?
Creating music. I never really thought this is what I wanted to do. I used to pump out one look a week to go out in and socialise but I’m not doing that at the moment – all my money is going into my music and equipment.
You’ve said in the past you want to be the ‘voice of gay youth’ – is that still important to you?
I’ve realised I really want to help young people, not by being a voice for gay youth. But it’s what I’ve discovered I can do with music. By collectively bringing a crowd together, even for an hour and I can make you forget about all the bullshit in your life. Through music, I’ll make you happy and make you dance. Most importantly – put on a show that you’ve never fucking seen before.
I can see the see the excitement bursting out of you even through Skype!
Visually what I want to do, no one else is doing. That makes me excited. I don’t really like to start from the bottom, I like to pull up a chair at the top.
Doesn’t everyone?
(Laughs) The interest people have had already in the industry is amazing. I want to be respected by my peers and the people I’m giving the music to. I could create fucking teeny-bopper pop shit but yeah, I don’t want that.
What can the world expect from you as a musician?
It’s electronic, with influences from Vitalic, Justice, Kleerup and Nervo Girls. The Nervo Girls are actually good friends of mine. I also love more cinematically and rather composed tracks like Utopia from Goldfrapp, then Royksopp, James Blake and Trentemollero… love love love! I want a constant momentum of creativity working with my peers. But it is intimidating, breaking into an industry that’s predominately straight males.
I hear you’re releasing your first record soon?
Yes! It’s all coming into fruition wonderfully. The title is “Athena Said Yes”. What I’ve been working on mostly though is trying to create my particular sound. And it’s only going to be created if I just keep working and learning. I’m having fun, I’m very happy right now (smiles).
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Emma Gaffy is one of top-notch figureheads of No Name Style and spends her time making sure people look pretty, shoots go fine and words come out correctly. You can read her other articles here.
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