Dardo began performing in drag as Violet Chachki at the age of 19. The name "Violet" was inspired by
Jennifer Tilly's character of the same name in the film
Bound, while "Chachki" is a variant of the Yiddish word
tchotchke, used to name a strictly decorative small collectible item or describe a beautiful young lady. She first performed at the bar LeBuzz in
Marietta, Georgia. Using a fake ID to perform in local drag shows, she eventually won Miss New Faces at Friends on Ponce in
Atlanta and was adopted as a "drag daughter" by drag queens
Dax Exclamationpoint (who competed on the
eighth season of
Drag Race) and Genre Monster. Later, Violet Chachki was enrolled at the
Savannah College of Art and Design at the Atlanta campus for fashion design, but dropped out to focus on doing drag. She became a regular cast member of The Other Show at the bar Jungle in Atlanta which gave her exposure locally and allowed her to perform with
Alaska Thunderfuck 5000,
Amanda Lepore, and
Lady Bunny. In 2013, she was photographed for "Legendary Children". The project focused on Atlanta's drag scene and was exhibited at Gallery 1526. Two photos that featured her genitals and
gaff were covered up after complaints. Later, the censorship controversy caught the attention of
Vice. In 2014, she appeared on the cover for the single "Cosplay" by Captain Murphy (AKA
Flying Lotus). She also appeared in a commercial for the single on
Adult Swim.
Flying Lotus recorded the song as Captain Murphy for Adult Swim's Single Series. In 2015, Violet Chachki was announced as a contestant on
seventh season of ''
RuPaul's Drag Race'', after having unsuccessfully auditioned for
season six. On the show, she was noted for excelling in fashion and design related challenges and her focus on aesthetics and confident demeanor. On June 1, 2015, she won the competition and received a cash prize of $100,000. Violet Chachki is known for her burlesque performances and aerial work, including
aerial silk and
aerial hoop. In January 2017, Dardo joined
The Art of Teese, a
neo-burlesque show headlined by
Dita Von Teese. in 2016 In November 2017, she became the first drag queen in a major lingerie ad campaign, for the brand Bettie Page Lingerie. In January 2018, she walked for
Moschino in their Fall 2018 Collection at
Milan Fashion Week. In April 2019, she became the first international drag queen to have ever performed in India. in 2019 In May 2019, she attended the
Met Gala, where the theme was
Camp: Notes on Fashion, wearing a glove-shaped Moschino dress which was altered by
Jeremy Scott. Thus, she became one of the first drag queens at the event, alongside
Aquaria and
RuPaul. In June 2019, a panel of judges from
New York magazine placed Violet Chachki 16th on their list of "the most powerful drag queens in America", a ranking of 100 former
Drag Race contestants. In November 2019, she teamed up with perfume brand Heretic Parfum as collaborator and muse for the genderless fragrance "Dirty Violet". In 2023, she was featured on an alternate cover for the March 2023 edition of
Vogue Czechoslovakia, and became the first
Drag Race alum to be featured on the cover of the magazine. In May 2023, while at a party in
Santa Monica, California, Violet Chachki and frequent collaborator, fellow drag queen, and ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' alum
Gottmik were asked by rapper
Cardi B to direct her next music video. The duo accepted, and the completed video is to-be-announced. In June 2023, she walked in the
British Vogue x
Luisa Via Roma fashion show in
Florence, Italy. The same month, Violet Chachki was awarded the Cultural Icon Award from the
Tom of Finland Foundation, which was presented to her by
Dita Von Teese. == Music ==