Meet Symone Telfar

Symone Telfar is beautiful. That is a fact that no one can deny. But to count her out as just a (trophy-winning) face would be a mistake. As the reigning Overall Mother of the Haus of Telfar, she’s stepped into her strategic era. And it’s with this family that she’s finding a newfound respect she didn’t experience at other houses she’s been in. Before, she felt as if she was seen as someone who could just bring home trophies. Now, the fullness of what she has to offer is loudly celebrated.

“Telfar saw me as an asset to the house,” she says. And that she is. Between storming categories herself and providing the type of advice and foresight that only comes from an experienced mother, she’s helping to usher in a new era of the still-young Haus of Telfar.

Read on for Symone Telfar’s first experiences with makeup, the category she is dying to walk, and to learn all about the type of mother she is.

How did you first come to the ballroom or kiki scene?

I came to the kiki scene first. I was introduced through my older cousin. It was my birthday, I had nothing to do, and he was going to an event. I asked if I could go and it ended up being my first ball. I was 17. It was the HMI Awards Ball. I remember going into that room, and we were walking through an empty building until we went through this one door. From there, it was a whole different world. People were voguing, mixing, and mingling—I really just fell in love.

From there, I met my ex-gay mom and she introduced me to the scene. 

What’s a category you always wanted to walk but haven’t walked?

Voguing. I can do a little, but I’m so scared to throw myself on the ground. I’m too precious to fall and bump my head. But I’ve walked most of the other categories.

What’s your favorite category?

Face. I love face. That’s the category I dominate in the kiki scene. The glamour of getting dolled up and putting on a show—I love all of that. It’s really me stepping on the floor and showing the best person I can put forward. I love the push and pull moment of “Oh, I want to know what she’s going to do next,” because every time I come out it’s a different person. 

What is the role that beauty plays in your life and your ballroom career?

I was a freelance makeup artist for five years. So when I’m learning new tips and tricks in my makeup, it just adds on to what I can do in ballroom. If the category is calling for Winter Galactic Face and I need prosthetics and all that, I can do that. Nine times out of 10, I do my own makeup all the time because I don’t really trust other people when I have to walk and I want to win.

Break down one of those looks you did for a ball. How did it go from inspiration to execution?

One moment I can remember is a ball that was calling for us to bring it as The Little Mermaid. I’m a bigger girl, so I didn’t know how I was going to do it. I didn’t know how it would come across. I didn’t want to do what everyone else was going to do, which was a mermaid tail or a sort of fish out of water look. I wanted to do Little Mermaid withher legs. Really, this stunning beauty. I saw this dress that had this dripping water effect, sent it to my designer, and had him recreate it with all these seashells on it. For my hair, I did this red slick-back moment with my makeup fully blown.

In ballroom, there are different types of mothers—trophy mothers, working mothers. What kind of mother are you?

It’s a ki that you said that because for a long time, I felt like a trophy parent in both of the houses I was previously in. That’s why I wanted to move on. I felt like they had me on a shelf thinking, “She’s going to come out and she’s going to win, but we don’t really needher.” I wanted to feel wanted. I wanted to feel desired. Like if I’m not around, they’re wondering what’s going on. 

I’m definitely pushing my pen: My management skills now are different with my kids. [Founding Father] Jah [Telfar] is definitely on my neck. I’m an introvert, so it can be hard for me to reach out to people and be a parent. In my eyes, I see us all as equal. I can’t tell you I need you to walk this ball when I know how stressful life can be, especially if I’m dealing with my trans babies. I can’t tell you that I need you to walk this category and look this way when I know you’re dealing with dysphoria or you don’t have the money to get the effect you want.