‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 16 Winner Nymphia Wind On Going Up Against Sapphira Cristál And Plane Jane

The winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16, Nymphia Wind is now ready to take on the world.

“I’m feeling pretty stoked and excited to have achieved a dream of mine from years and years ago, and it’s crazy to be able to do that,” she said.

“It means so much because, you know, Taiwan is a small country and they don’t necessarily get the exposure or recognition that they deserve [or] need,” she continued. “So being able to voice what Taiwan is about just means a lot to me because I love my country and hopefully I can make them proud and I want to be able to represent them.”

Wind’s iconic lip sync against Sapphira Cristál for the crown became a viral moment when she came out in a bubble tea costume and revealed black balloons representing the boba pearls from her cape. The moment has been compared to Sasha Velour’s Season 9 lip sync reveal of roses from her wig, cinching her the win.

Wind said that she knew she had to go big against Cristál and Plane Jane.

“I knew I was going up against Sapphira and Plane [Jane], and Sapphira is one to wear big outfits, so I thought I need to be a pride float, too,” she said. “I also wanted to do it in a way where I represented my country, but not by sticking a flag onto a garment and call it a day. So I thought of bubble tea, because bubble tea is the national drink of Taiwan, so I thought I could look camp and cute, but also represent my country.”

Even though she, Cristál and Plane Jane were competitors, they also became close friends.

“It means so much because these queens are amazing. They’re fierce competitors, and to be able to be in the top three with them, it’s just like you’re fighting with the best,” she said. “You’re competing with the best, and in a sense is kind of validating too, you know? Like, all three of us are so different. We all have different styles of drag is it’s just really special to be there with them.”

She also talked about her love for her mother, who came to the finale taping and has supported her throughout her life. As fans might have seen from a Taiwanese show called Guess Who, Wind’s relationship with her mother has always been an affirming one.

“It means so much because with supportive parents, they really teach you and show you that you can do anything and whatever you do is validated and appreciated by your supportive parent. That kind of support does mean a lot, I think, to any child. Being able to have that, I’m grateful. [It’s] irreplaceable,” she said.

She also added how that kind of visibility on television is important for other queer youth who are facing adversity at home.

“I think that kind of representation and that visibility is also very important because even if you don’t have supportive parents, but seeing supportive parents on TV, you realize that you don’t have to accept your current situation because I feel like if you grow up with un-supporting parents, you kind of have this idea of supportive parents never exist,” she continued. “So by seeing that example, it kind of gives you a freedom in a sense to choose your situation and be like, ‘Why do I have to accept this shitty situation? I can say no and find better situations for myself and not have to accept the situations you are given.’ And I guess what I’m trying to say is, by seeing examples, you know what is out there and you can actually try to find that in your life.”

The support Wind has received from her mother and friends helped her to develop in many different areas, including her fashion sense, which became one of her calling cards of the season. Many fans, guest judges, and even RuPaul have talked about how Wind’s level of fashion is beyond what Drag Race has seen in a long time.

Wind said she’s happy that her costumes have been receiving the love from the public.

” I’m grateful that my looks and my creative, creativity and my art is well received with the fans,” she said. “And it’s just like validating to see that people. really enjoy your work and it means a lot to any sort of artist or creative person.”

As for what’s coming next for the banana-loving queen, Wind said that “The sky is the limit. Expect the unexpected. Anything can happen.”

“I want to be the tourist cultural ambassador for Taiwan,” she said. “And I want to be able to produce these parties in Taiwan or maybe tour around the world that showcase that like kind of incorporate and fuse drag with um, Taiwan culture. For instance, Peking opera, night markets, temple fairs, and just like different aspects of Taiwan and trying to fuse it with drag performance.

As for anything else we could see from her?

“We shall see,” she said.

RuPaul’s Drag Race is streaming on MTV online and Paramount+.