Amanda Lepore

Amanda Lepore is an American model, nightlife hostess, fashion icon and performer. She is a transsexual icon who has received attention for entertainment skills. She has been the advertising face for Heatherette, M.A.C. (cosmetics), Mego Jeans, Swatch, CAMP Cosmetics and more. Fashion design company Heatherette has used Lepore's image on much of their clothing and has chosen her several times to model their brand during Fashion Week.[1] Lepore is also noted as a regular subject in much of photographer David LaChapelle's work. She participated in his Artists and Prostitutes 1985-2005 exhibit in New York where she "lived" in a voyeuristic life-sized set. She is represented by Classic Entertainment Group (Manhattan, New York). Lepore resides in New York City and works as a nightlife hostess at many of the city's popular parties and clubs.

The child of a chemical engineer father (Italian-American) and a schizophrenic mother (German-American), Lepore was born as a male named Armand in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. At the age of 11, Lepore professed a desire to have a sex change operation after seeing a TV show on the subject. Unable to tolerate dressing as a boy, Lepore made the decision to go to school dressed as a girl, which concerned her guidance counselor; Amanda was not allowed to attend school as a female, so she received a tutor at home. At the age of 15, she began designing costumes for dancers at a local strip club. During this time, she received hormones from an underage transgendered friend who accepted outfits as payment.[citation needed] After her body developed breasts, her tutor recommended a psychiatrist. Lepore was diagnosed as transgendered. The psychiatrist informed her parents and helped in getting the hormones legally.
Her first surgical operation was a rhinoplasty, which occurred at the age of fifteen, a gift from her then-boyfriend, a plastic surgeon. Lepore has had three breast augmentations, her eyes slanted twice, her forehead lifted, her hairline pulled down, and her brow bone reduced. She has also had her forehead, buttocks, and hips enlarged with liquid silicone injections. Most notably, she had her lips enlarged with liquid silicone injections (and subsequently reduced) and has had her lower rib broken and pushed in. In an interview for "The Insider" in 2006, she acknowledged that she spent a lot of money on that transformation.
Afterwards, Lepore became involved with a bookstore owner. He was initially unaware that Lepore was transgendered, but when Lepore told him so, he accepted her and revealed the situation to his parents who were compassionate and allowed her into their family. His parents took Lepore to a doctor for the operation, but couldn’t continue until her mother gave her consent because she was a minor. By the age of seventeen (through a legal loophole) Lepore had a full sex-reassignment operation. Eventually, she married the bookstore owner and moved in with his family. Because of her husband's jealousy and worries about others finding out that his wife was transgendered, Lepore was house-bound. Over a period of seven months, Lepore planned an escape, during which time she saved money and finally left. Her husband hired a detective to find her, resulting in Lepore filing a restraining order against him. She kept in contact with her husband's father, because he understood why she had to leave.
At her new home in New York City, she made $45 a day working at a salon. She took the advice of a friend and became a dominatrix, fulfilling the erotic fantasies of others. A friend took her to Michael Alig's party "Disco 2000", where she was immediately accepted and became the center of attention. Working at a Bowery bar, LaChapelle met her, and they became important parts of each other's lives.



Currently, Lepore is exploring musical projects with producers Fatal Art Syndicate. Her first single "Deeper" is a trance dance song written by Lady Bunny, a drag queen and hostess of Wigstock.
There are two unreleased tracks produced by DJ Gomi that were played in NYC nightclubs circa 2003, the first "Up In This House" was featured additional lyrics and vocals by Kevin Aviance while the second is "Amanda, I Am". Another track, "Turn Me On, Turn Me Over", has not yet been released.
Lepore in 2005 released her first album "Introducing... Amanda Lepore" which contains "Champagne" and "My Hair Looks Fierce". In 2007 released a remix album, entitled "Fierce Pussy", which can be found on her website and "My Pussy E.P." that contains "My Pussy (is Famous). Many of her songs were produced by Cazwell, whose 2006 album features Lepore in the title track "Get Into It". Lepore also sings the main title for Another Gay Movie, "I Know What Boys Like". Remixes of the song are available in the "Fierce Pussy" album. She also performs "Cotton Candy", from the soundtrack of "Another Gay Sequel".
June 2009, Amanda performed at the Historic Majestic Theatre in Detroit, MI with The Divas of the Majestic: A Divine Lites Productions. This was for Detroit's Metro Pride Fest. This was the first time the Majestic had a "drag" show as well as the legendary Amanda Lepore.
On her MySpace page and in many interviews Lepore has mentioned working on her new album "I...Amanda Lepore" scheduled to be released in 2010.