Yvette - Revision history

LGBT-HP: Add BLP unsourced notice – biography of living person with no inline citations; 250,000 attendance figure, celebrity associations and "first cross-dressing act" claim all need sourcing

2026-07-20T12:06:34Z

Add BLP unsourced notice – biography of living person with no inline citations; 250,000 attendance figure, celebrity associations and "first cross-dressing act" claim all need sourcing

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:06, 20 July 2026
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			{{BLP unsourced\|date=July 2026}}
	[[File:Yvette-CafedeParis.jpg\|thumb\|Yvette – advert for her residency at the [[Café de Paris]], 1994. Illustration: Tade Mark; design: Jonathan Harbourne.]]		[[File:Yvette-CafedeParis.jpg\|thumb\|Yvette – advert for her residency at the [[Café de Paris]], 1994. Illustration: Tade Mark; design: Jonathan Harbourne.]]

LGBT-HP at 21:32, 19 July 2026

2026-07-19T21:32:37Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:32, 19 July 2026
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	==Early career and Sugar & Yvette==		==Early career and Sugar & Yvette==

	Yvette adopted her stage name around 1979–1980 when a friend named Roy gave her a French maid outfit at a fancy dress party at the [[Blitz (nightclub)\|Blitz]] – the celebrated New Romantic wine bar on Great Queen Street in Covent Garden, ~~which was also~~ the birthplace of the New Romantic movement and the launchpad for performers including Boy George, Sade, and Spandau Ballet.		Yvette adopted her stage name around 1979–1980 when a friend named Roy gave her a French maid outfit at a fancy dress party at the [[Blitz (nightclub)\|Blitz]] – the celebrated New Romantic wine bar on Great Queen Street in Covent Garden, the birthplace of the New Romantic movement and the launchpad for performers including Boy George, Sade, and Spandau Ballet.

	She went on to form '''Sugar & Yvette''', a cross-dressing cabaret duo performing spoof cover versions of classic songs. Described as one of the first cross-dressing cabaret acts in London, Sugar & Yvette attracted coverage in the ''Evening Standard'' and performed across the key venues of the London alternative scene through the early to mid 1980s: the Blitz, the [[Club for Heroes]], and [[Taboo (nightclub)\|Taboo]] – [[Leigh Bowery]]'s influential 1985–87 night that became a focal point of queer and avant-garde fashion performance.		She went on to form '''Sugar & Yvette''', a cross-dressing cabaret duo performing spoof cover versions of classic songs. Described as one of the first cross-dressing cabaret acts in London, Sugar & Yvette attracted coverage in the ''Evening Standard'' and performed across the key venues of the London alternative scene through the early to mid 1980s: the Blitz, the [[Club for Heroes]], and [[Taboo (nightclub)\|Taboo]] – [[Leigh Bowery]]'s influential 1985–87 night that became a focal point of queer and avant-garde fashion performance.
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	Yvette's larger-than-life persona became integral to Love Muscle's identity. Her backstage dressing room attracted an extraordinary roll-call of visitors including fashion designers [[Jean Paul Gaultier]] and [[Alexander McQueen]], former ''Vogue'' editor [[Edward Enninful]], and drag icons [[RuPaul]], [[Pam Ann]], and [[Lady Bunny]].		Yvette's larger-than-life persona became integral to Love Muscle's identity. Her backstage dressing room attracted an extraordinary roll-call of visitors including fashion designers [[Jean Paul Gaultier]] and [[Alexander McQueen]], former ''Vogue'' editor [[Edward Enninful]], and drag icons [[RuPaul]], [[Pam Ann]], and [[Lady Bunny]].

	~~<gallery mode~~=~~packed>~~		==Café de Paris and wider career==
	~~File:Yvette-cafedeParis-flyer.jpg\|Yvette flyers for the [[~~Café de Paris~~]], 1994. Illustration: Trade Mark.~~
	~~</gallery>~~

	==Café de Paris ~~and wider career==~~		[[File:Yvette-cafedeParis-flyer.jpg\|thumb\|Yvette flyers for her residency at the [[Café de Paris]], 1994. Illustration: Trade Mark.]]

	During the 1990s Yvette also performed regularly at the [[Café de Paris]] in the West End, promoted by Gary Henshall. She performed at venues internationally, including Paris, New York, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Vienna, and held a monthly residency at Glasgow's Tunnel Club.		During the 1990s Yvette also performed regularly at the [[Café de Paris]] in the West End, promoted by [[Gary Henshall]]. She performed at venues internationally, including Paris, New York, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Vienna, and held a monthly residency at Glasgow's Tunnel Club.

	She hosted two Summer Rites ~~Festivals~~ and five London Pride In The Park events, the largest of which drew an audience of 250,000 people.		She hosted two [[Summer Rites Festival]]s and five [[London Pride In The Park]] events, the largest of which drew an audience of 250,000 people.

	==Lily Savage collaborations==		==Lily Savage collaborations==

LGBT-HP: Created page with "Yvette – advert for her residency at the [[Café de Paris, 1994. Illustration: Tade Mark; design: Jonathan Harbourne.]] '''Yvette''' is a British drag performer, cabaret host, and nightclub compère, best known as the iconic host of Love Muscle at The Fridge in Brixton – one of the most celebrated gay club nights in London history. She is also recognised for her long association with the Café de Paris and for her Ch..."

2026-07-19T21:28:24Z

Created page with "thumb|Yvette – advert for her residency at the [[Café de Paris, 1994. Illustration: Tade Mark; design: Jonathan Harbourne.]] '''Yvette''' is a British drag performer, cabaret host, and nightclub compère, best known as the iconic host of Love Muscle at The Fridge in Brixton – one of the most celebrated gay club nights in London history. She is also recognised for her long association with the Café de Paris and for her Ch..."

New page

[[File:Yvette-CafedeParis.jpg|thumb|Yvette – advert for her residency at the [[Café de Paris]], 1994. Illustration: Tade Mark; design: Jonathan Harbourne.]]

'''Yvette''' is a British drag performer, cabaret host, and nightclub compère, best known as the iconic host of [[Love Muscle]] at [[The Fridge]] in Brixton – one of the most celebrated gay club nights in London history. She is also recognised for her long association with the [[Café de Paris]] and for her Christmas Eve collaborations with [[Lily Savage]].

==Early career and Sugar & Yvette==

Yvette adopted her stage name around 1979–1980 when a friend named Roy gave her a French maid outfit at a fancy dress party at the [[Blitz (nightclub)|Blitz]] – the celebrated New Romantic wine bar on Great Queen Street in Covent Garden, which was also the birthplace of the New Romantic movement and the launchpad for performers including Boy George, Sade, and Spandau Ballet.

She went on to form '''Sugar & Yvette''', a cross-dressing cabaret duo performing spoof cover versions of classic songs. Described as one of the first cross-dressing cabaret acts in London, Sugar & Yvette attracted coverage in the ''Evening Standard'' and performed across the key venues of the London alternative scene through the early to mid 1980s: the Blitz, the [[Club for Heroes]], and [[Taboo (nightclub)|Taboo]] – [[Leigh Bowery]]'s influential 1985–87 night that became a focal point of queer and avant-garde fashion performance.

==The Fridge and Love Muscle==

[[The Fridge]], the Brixton nightclub founded by Andrew Czezowski and Susan Carrington, became Yvette's professional home. Czezowski and Carrington spotted her performing and invited her to host their Tuesday night event '''Ciao Baby!''' at the venue. Her success there led directly to Love Muscle – a Saturday night that became one of the defining gay club nights of 1990s London, known for its vocal house and hardbag music and for the queues that stretched "down the street and round the corner" on opening night.

Yvette's larger-than-life persona became integral to Love Muscle's identity. Her backstage dressing room attracted an extraordinary roll-call of visitors including fashion designers [[Jean Paul Gaultier]] and [[Alexander McQueen]], former ''Vogue'' editor [[Edward Enninful]], and drag icons [[RuPaul]], [[Pam Ann]], and [[Lady Bunny]].

<gallery mode=packed>
File:Yvette-cafedeParis-flyer.jpg|Yvette flyers for the [[Café de Paris]], 1994. Illustration: Trade Mark.
</gallery>

==Café de Paris and wider career==

During the 1990s Yvette also performed regularly at the [[Café de Paris]] in the West End, promoted by Gary Henshall. She performed at venues internationally, including Paris, New York, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Vienna, and held a monthly residency at Glasgow's Tunnel Club.

She hosted two Summer Rites Festivals and five London Pride In The Park events, the largest of which drew an audience of 250,000 people.

==Lily Savage collaborations==

Yvette performed alongside [[Lily Savage]] (Paul O'Grady) in a series of '''In Bed With Lily Savage & Yvette''' Christmas Eve specials – an indication of her standing within London's gay cabaret world at the height of Lily Savage's popularity.

==Legacy==

Love Muscle reunited for anniversary celebrations at [[Electric Brixton]] (the successor venue to The Fridge) and Yvette has remained central to the night's legacy. She is widely regarded as one of the defining compère figures of London's 1990s gay club scene.

==See also==
*[[Love Muscle]]
*[[The Fridge]]
*[[Café de Paris, London]]
*[[Lily Savage]]
*[[Timeline of UK Drag]]
*[[Timeline of London Bars and Clubs]]

[[Category:Drag artists]]
[[Category:LGBT performers]]
[[Category:Cabaret performers]]