“I faced the monster that was hiding under my bed.” Nikki Doll, drag queen under the supervision of Ru Paul’s Drag Race France.

Some boys admire the agility of football players, others the skill of designers. This was the case of Carl Sanchez, a child traveler and dreamer. Born in Marseille on March 14, 1991, Karl travels the world with his mother, from St. Maarten in the Caribbean to Tangier in Morocco, where he spends his youth between shadow and light. A prankster, but also a target of ridicule at school, he keeps his sexual orientation a secret. And secretly takes refuge in the comforting worlds of manga and fashion. To him, both share “the same magic.” Browsing on Youtube, Carl Sanchez discovers the fashion shows of Thierry Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier or Christian Lacroix, which allow him to “enter an alternate reality”. An obsession that turns into a refuge. Then move on.

“I learned to be a man by dressing as a woman”

2009: Carl Sanchez, 18, arrives in Paris. In connection with Gay Pride, a young man in search of validation comes out and transforms into a woman. “I kind of ran into a monster that was hiding under my bed. And by embodying my worst nightmare, I regained power,” he analyzes. Carl then falls in love with this makeover art and creates the image of Nicky Doll. This powerful woman, a fashion plate in a vermin-fighting sense, becomes an instrument of acceptance. “I learned to be a man by dressing as a woman,” he said at Brute’s microphone.

When Karl becomes Nicky, his wardrobe pays homage to the crazy 1990s, the decade of supermodels and John Galliano’s heyday at Dior. But what happens in the dressing room after the false eyelashes are removed is very important. “It wasn’t until I embraced my passion for glamor that I put the ‘monster’ in the suitcase the day after the show that I really took the time to ask myself who Carl was. Bonded by their obsession with fashion, a man and a drag make their way together to New York City and into the limelight.

wax doll, silk doll

The world discovered Nicky Doll in February 2020 during the first episode of season 12 of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, which went viral around the world. Becoming a make-up artist in the city, Carl Sanchez won a place in this competition of legendary drag queens with his image. Naturally, among the labels that are usually attached to the candidates, Nikki Doll wins “fashion queen” for her impeccable appearance. Funny and gifted with brushes, she shines in a look inspired by Jean Paul Gaultier. Which, if they’re not allowed to win the competition, is enough for him to notice.

Since then, in her photoshoots, dresses inspired by Versace or Azzedine Alaia have been in contact with real fashion creations from Patu, Fendi or Lanvin. Better yet, Instagram becomes a place to share with young creatives who wear it, like Weinsanto, Esther Manas or Thebe Magugu. Nikki Dole even becomes a muse. we can see her posing for Jean Paul Gaultier and Mugler perfumes or even H&M. But the parade has just begun. In 2022, she took on the role of Mistress of Ceremonies for the French adaptation of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, which aired on France Tv Flash.

When Carl met Nikki

For his stylist Marion Renou, Carl Sanchez is not a simple lover. “He’s interested in the industry and understands fabric first and foremost.” Creativity is a way to satisfy your passion but also to maintain control. Because Carl Sanchez “likes to control” his stage appearance. She paints all her drag queen silhouettes herself. So when Nicky wears a piece by Jean Paul Gaultier, her happiness is mixed with a sense of letting go of the reins a little. A true fashion designer’s perk? “It’s funny, a clairvoyant once told my mother that I would work in a fashion house,” he notes. If he doesn’t claim to own things, Karl Sanchez undeniably has a minimalist outfit. And the filming of the Drag Race program has just come to support where it is fashionable.

New molt

Because the show has Nikki Doll on stage, but also Carl Sanchez behind the scenes. The one who has lined up behind his image so far is facing a new challenge to establish his personal appearance. The silhouette lover hoodie:, slim, Doc Martens, Perfecto, then calls on her stylist to dress her when she’s not in character. Marion Renoux, who has been working alongside him since 2019, is responsible for transforming his “branded, edgy but neutral” style into a more televised look. Carl works on the theme, commits to the game, and is even surprised when he changes his view to elements that are more suited to the grandeur of the drag universe. Karl has “built his look on the opposite of Nikki”, but one can no longer go without the other. An amazing fable where opposites attract each other.