Amidst the glitz and glamour of season 16 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, a beacon of vibrant yellow stood out. Nymphia Wind, the drag persona of 28-year-old fashion designer Leo Tsao, was on the cusp of her moment of triumph. Wearing a bright yellow bikini and miniskirt, she was about to become the first winner from East Asia in the show’s 15-year history, a feat achieved by only seven Asians reaching the top four since 2009.
During her final performance in April, Nymphia Wind dazzled the audience with a high-energy act featuring multiple yellow costumes. Throughout the competition, she became synonymous with yellow and frequently incorporated banana references in her outfits. “Yellow represents the color of my skin,” she explained, aiming to raise awareness and appreciation of Asian culture.
Born in Los Angeles and raised in Hong Kong and Taiwan, Tsao drew inspiration from K-pop girl groups and began cross-dressing while studying fashion design in Rochester, UK, where she graduated in 2017. Despite being bullied for her gender expression, Tsao received unwavering support from her mother, who continues to assist her drag career.
Tsao developed the persona “Nymphia Wind” in Taipei in 2018. The name “Nymphia” is derived from Sylveon, a fairy-type Pokémon, while “Wind” symbolizes freedom and echoes the Mandarin word for “craziness.” “Leo and Nymphia are fused; we’re one. She’s like an extension of me, an extension that pushes me to express myself,” Tsao told Taiwan Scene.
Nymphia Wind gained strong support from fans at home and abroad during her run on RuPaul’s Drag Race. On Saturdays, the show’s air day, crowds packed gay bars in Taipei, wearing yellow to support the queen dubbed the “Banana Buddha.” In her debut appearance, she wore a towering wig with yellow sunglasses and a yellow overcoat, with a plush banana attached to her crotch, and made a memorable entrance by “slipping” on a banana peel.
Her makeup styles often drew inspiration from Taiwanese opera, Japanese butoh dance, and European Rococo styles. Reflecting on her experience, she shared on social media, “Drag lets me reconnect with my culture; it teaches me to be a proud Asian.”
“The talent show was an opportunity to showcase something I didn’t think I would be able to do in a competition setting – traditional Asian sleeve dance,” she said. Sleeve dances feature performers in loose, flowing outfits with long sleeves that twirl gracefully.
The acceptance of drag culture varies across Asia, but figures like Nymphia Wind are pivotal in changing perceptions. In Taiwan, the drag scene is burgeoning, evolving from foreign influence two decades ago to a vibrant community of local and global performers. Her efforts to showcase “Asian excellence” earned praise from the judges, and she has been booked for shows in Japan and the Philippines.
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