Katalina De Isla: OC’s Favorite Vacation Destination

In the words of superstar drag queen, RuPaul Charles, “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else?”

For Jesus Estrada, he said being a drag queen allowed him to build his self esteem and confidence. 

“It doesn’t make sense until you’re in drag yourself. You feel like a totally different person,” said Estrada. “You want to do things you never thought of doing.”

Estrada has been doing drag for a year and a half after watching the VH1 reality competition show, “RuPaul’s Drag Race”. He became a fan alongside his best friend of 11 years, Chris Torres, who recommended the show when Jesus came out to Torres. 

“I figured, ‘You know what? This might be something more of his scene’,” Torres said. 

Estrada would then consider doing drag himself, saying that he wanted to get creative and show his talents. Katalina De Isla was created in August 2018, merging Catalina Island (where he has yet to visit) and “De Isla” to create his drag name. Jesus said he wanted to make sure he kept in touch with his Latinx roots and felt that his drag name embodies it.

It was like dominoes fell perfectly in line for this to happen. When Jesus graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 2018, he majored in public relations, where he learned how important networking was. 

“When I debuted, I talked to everybody in the dressing room,” he said. “I became buddy buddies with people who now style my hair and make my outfits.”

Estrada also took video and music production classes in high school which earned him praise from judges at drag competitions. A judge at the recent “Facade” drag competition at Long Beach’s Hamburger Mary’s praised Jesus’ performance of Madonna’s “La Isla Bonita” late last year. His video editing choices directed the sole focus to Katalina, something the judge didn’t see with previous contestants. His theater and acting background allowed him to do comedic performances or do accurate impressions of celebrities. 

Praises didn’t stop there. Kimora Blac, who previously appeared on “Drag Race”, hosted Katalina’s first performance at Pomona’s 340 Nightclub, saying that she would remember her.

That set the tone for Katalina to consistently deliver. Estrada said he would not perform without looking polished and it shows with those who have seen him live.

“It’s a big upper hand for competition,” Fatima De Orta said. 

De Orta has known Jesus for three years and has been present for most of his drag performances. She would be in the front row or help Katalina get into her outfit as she obsessively checks herself in the dimly lit mirrors before heading out to perform. At some venues, queens get ready in the women’s restroom, cheering each other on before rolling out suitcases of makeup and clothes out to their cars. 

“I’ve never seen him not have it down.”

It’s true. While Katalina’s talents are overflowing in terms of creativity, she is a media professional at heart. Jesus is channeling all that he has learned into Katalina.

“He’s always professional about what he’s doing,” De Orta said. 

Where does Jesus see Katalina in five years? 

His goals were strangely but characteristically modest: win a title in a drag pageant competition. If not, he said to at least be recognized within the drag community.

“You could see her on the Race, if she auditions,” Jesus said. 

His friends see more potential in him. Torres told his best friend Katalina was ready to compete in “Drag Race” a few months after his first performance. He said that he can see Katalina performing in venues nationwide. “I can see him as a big personality in the world of drag,” Torres said. “Probably traveling a lot more, performing at different clubs throughout the country.”

“He’s doing all the work, he’s paying his dues,” De Orta said. “I only see him succeeding.”

As of May, it’s unclear when Hamburger Mary’s will resume their “Facade” drag competition. Before the stay-at-home orders began, Katalina won the last challenge where he had two outfit changes, stripping down to a diamond encrusted bra, corset and panties. Estrada said it was a huge deal for him as he usually performs in long-sleeved leotards.

“It gave me so much liberty,” he said. “When I did that number, it just made me feel so confident and proud of my body and who I am as a drag queen. People were living for that performance.” 

Katalina De Isla’s drag aesthetic is sexy and polished. She is confident and daring, challenging herself to do new things. But so is Jesus Estrada. He is the creative director for Katalina’s image, and without his clear vision, Katalina would not be where she is today.

This piece was made for a final project at Cal State Fullerton for the Spring 2020 semester.