Brighton Birdcage is a haven for Drag Race stars and those who are transitioning
The boutique has become an important hub for people from across the community
By Dale Fox
Brighton-based couple Wain Douglas and Nick Jordan have worked in many walks of life over the years, from theatre, performance, and photoshoots to makeup and wig styling for top West End shows. For Wain, who performs as drag queen Kara Van Park, shopping for his part-time profession meant trawling the country — or the internet — to get a look together.
Just over four years ago, Wain and Nick spotted a gap in the market. Using his business mind, Nick came up with the idea of a one-stop shop and website for drag and cross-dressing, from head to heels. And serendipity did the rest after a nearby premises came up for rent.
The Brighton Birdcage opened its doors in May 2019, stocking everything from binders to bangles and quickly establishing itself as a vital part of the community — for unanticipated reasons.
“These kids come in with their parents, and they’re standing there in tears afterwards because they’re happy for the first time” – Wain
“We have a lot of young customers who are transitioning, and we help them with that,” Wain says. “These kids come in with their parents, and they’re standing there in tears afterwards because they’re happy for the first time. We had one come in with his mum, and he’d just told her the night before he was male. He was so shy when he came in, not talking, with his head down. He left like a totally different person.”
“There’s the guys that come in who have to keep it a complete secret because they’re married and their family don’t know about it” – Nick
Wain and Nick say that people often stake out the shop for days or even weeks before plucking up the courage to enter, with the business acting as a beacon of light for people looking to discover themselves.
“There’s the guys that come in who have to keep it a complete secret because they’re married and their family don’t know about it. They’re the ones that we really try to help because they haven’t got anyone else to help them,” says Nick. “Sometimes they can’t even take the stuff home with them, so they have to wear it that night and just ditch it.”
Drag also plays a huge part in the business’s popularity. As well as the shop being a regular port of call for visiting global Drag Race stars, Wain has also provided several familiar UK queens with their TV looks.
“They’re not supposed to tell us that they’re going on [Drag Race UK], so they just say, ‘I’m going somewhere for six weeks but I can’t tell you where!’”
The Brighton Birdcage is located at 35 Gloucester Rd, Brighton; thebrightonbirdcage.co.uk
This article originally appeared in issue 354 of Attitude magazine. This issue and more are available on the new Attitude app.