Isis Avis Loren: Down Under’s Reigning Drag Superstar

Melbourne Queen, Isis Avis Loren, was crowned the winner of Season Three of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under in September 2023 – the first Australian to win the title.

In a conversation with Star Observer, Isis, 33, shared what inspires her, the origin of her drag name, competing on Drag Race, and the importance of taking care of your mental health.

Drag Inspiration

The inspiration behind Isis’s drag: Lady Gaga.

“She is my Lord and Saviour, she quipped. 

“She’s extremely talented and she works extremely hard at what she does. She’s also a loving soul and is using her platform and her power for good, which is something that I hope to emulate and strive to do – to bring everyone closer and within the fold of love and light.” 

Mental Health Advocate

When it comes to using her new royal platform and power for good, Isis wanted to stress the importance of taking care of one’s mental health.

“I am a big advocate of taking care of your mental health,” she shared.

“It’s really important to be able to reach out to professionals, but also friends and family, to talk about how we’re feeling and how we’re mentally coping with life and stresses.

Even the good times, sometimes, can throw spanners in the works, and we don’t know how to deal with them. So to be able to have a place where you can talk about how you’re dealing with things, and where your mind is at is really important.

Isis added, “I’ve been going through the psychology process for a number of years now, and it’s been valuable to the quality of my life, and the quality of life of those people around me.”

Drag Name Origin Story

Isis Avis Loren’s drag first name, Isis, comes from “the Egyptian goddess of love and wisdom and magic in ancient Egyptian culture.”

Avis is an amalgamation of her grandmothers’ names, Angela and Mavis, “who both know how to sew and are very creative. The matriarchs of each of our families.” 

Loren comes from the famous Italian Hollywood film star Sophia Loren.

“Because she’s a star and I’m a star – so it worked really well,” she said.

Drag And Gardening

When not showcasing her drag, Isis can be found cooking and gardening. Although, she admits she hasn’t had much free time recently.

She explained, “I love gardening. I have a bit of a green thumb. I haven’t had a lot of time to do that and you need a lot of time and patience to really foster the growth and take care of the plants.”

Talking about the experience of competing on RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, she said, “It’s absolutely incredible! I am over the moon, over the world.”

“I feel very grateful and thankful for the experience, and for all the love I’ve received.”

The Snatch Game, a fan favourite, was also Isis’s favourite Maxi challenge.

“That was really fun. I surprised myself, a little bit, with how well I did because Snatch Game is a really tough game to play. There’s a lot of contributing factors and skills that you need.”

She continued, “So, to have so much fun with it, and to banter with Ru and that was the most surprising and the most fun I had.”

‘Learn How To Sew’

Throughout the competition, Isis showcased a portfolio of original gowns, frocks, and fashion creations. 

“I created about half of them. I sewed about four or five for the actual show and then I pulled three or four from my pre-existing wardrobe, that I could upgrade, or slot in.

“So, a good portion, maybe about 60 percent were mine, from my own hands. But otherwise, the other ones, I had a hand in all design-wise. 

She started to sew at the end of high school, 15 years ago. After graduating from University, Isis gained more experience working with the couture houses in Melbourne.

“I went to the couture houses in Melbourne and did a lot of work with them, and got wonderful experience from them. Then I branched out on my own and did my own thing, and ventured into drag, and here we are.”

Isis had some advice for those who are thinking of getting into drag.

“Follow your instincts. It’s really important to listen to yourself and bring your own point of view to your drag. It’s uniquely yours,” she stressed.  

“Practice your makeup… and get a sewing machine– learn how to sew. It’s an amazing skill.”