Icesis Couture

Early Career and Pageantry

Steven Granados-Portelance first appeared on television under the drag name Icesis Couture in 2019, featured in the documentary series Canada's a Drag. Her early career was rooted in the Ottawa drag scene, where she established herself as a performer and designer. In 2020, she achieved a significant local victory by winning the title of Ottawa's Miss Capital Pride. This pageant win helped solidify her reputation and provided momentum leading into national television opportunities. Her work during this period also included costume and jewelry design, creating pieces for fellow drag artists including Brooke Lynn Hytes. She also assisted other Canada's Drag Race contestants who came from the Ottawa area, providing support and design work as they prepared for the competition.

Victory on Canada's Drag Race

Icesis Couture competed in the second season of Canada's Drag Race, which aired in 2021. Over the course of the season, she won two main challenges, demonstrating prowess in design, performance, and comedy. She advanced to the finale alongside finalists Pythia and Kendall Gender. The finale was celebrated at a viewing party at Toronto's Danforth Music Hall, which also featured performances by her drag daughters Kimmy Couture and Savannah Couture. On the night of her crowning, Couture also released her debut single, "La Pusetta," a bilingual English and Spanish pop collaboration with producer Velvet Code on the So Fierce Music label. Later in 2021, she modelled the politically charged Amsterdam Rainbow Dress at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, using fashion to make a statement on global LGBTQ persecution. The dress is a voluminous multicoloured gown created as a symbol against the persecution of LGBTQ people worldwide.

Return for Canada vs. The World and Advocacy

In 2022, Icesis Couture returned to compete on the inaugural season of Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. the World. The cast included other franchise alumni, including her season two sister Kendall Gender and Stephanie Prince. Couture performed strongly, placing in the top two in the second episode for her impersonation of Donatella Versace in the Snatch Game challenge. She was never placed in the bottom two and was not up for elimination during her run. However, in the season's fourth episode, she voluntarily withdrew from the competition, citing concerns for her mental health, and ultimately placed sixth. Beyond competition, in 2023 she participated in the Courage Across Canada speaking tour alongside Kimora Amour and Suki Doll, addressing high school students on issues of bullying and homophobia. This tour was part of her ongoing commitment to using her public profile for educational and supportive initiatives within the community.

Drag Family and Mentorship

Icesis Couture is a central figure in a drag family known as the House of Couture. She is the drag mother to several performers who have also appeared on Canadian reality television. Her drag daughter Kimmy Couture was a contestant on the third season of Canada's Drag Race. Another drag daughter, Makayla Couture, was a contestant on the second season of Call Me Mother and later on the fifth season of Canada's Drag Race. Couture had previously put Makayla into drag for the makeover challenge during her own winning season, where Makayla appeared as "Ruby Couture." Her younger brother, Randy, also performs in drag under the name Savannah Couture, making drag a family affair. Couture is also a close friend of drag performer Kiki Coe, a competitor from Call Me Mother and Canada's Drag Race season four. This network of personal and professional relationships highlights her role as a mentor and connector within the Canadian drag community.

Expansion into Mainstream Reality TV

Icesis Couture's television career expanded beyond the Drag Race franchise in 2026 when she was announced as a contestant on the fourth season of The Traitors Canada. This season is notable for featuring two winners from Canada's Drag Race, as Van Goth was also cast, marking the first time the Traitors format included two drag queens. In pre-season interviews for the show, Couture discussed her strategic approach, citing her love for competition and her history of victory. She highlighted skills honed on Drag Race, such as playing friendly while scheming and competing at a high level under pressure. She expressed a desire to be a Traitor in the game to embrace the role's unpredictability and chaos, and voiced admiration for past winner Hollywood Jade's gameplay. Couture also stated that representation matters and expressed a wish for more Drag Race alumni to join the cast in future seasons, emphasizing the unique strategic perspective drag performers bring. Her fellow contestant Katelyn, in the same preview, discussed using skills from her profession as a family doctor to build rapport and mislead others strategically.

Design Work and Public Appearances

Alongside her performance career, Icesis Couture maintains an active role as a designer. She has created costumes and jewelry for other drag performers, including pieces for Brooke Lynn Hytes's premiere look for Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. the World in 2026, which she described as a collaborative, magical process working alongside family. Her design capability was famously tested during Canada's Drag Race, where she created approximately 30 costumes in a three-week period. Couture continues to tour as a performer, with scheduled dates across Canada from January to March 2026 as part of a national adult pantomime tour. She has also returned to the Drag Race franchise as a guest judge on a 2026 episode of Canada's Drag Race. Her public appearances often blend high fashion with advocacy, as seen with the Amsterdam Rainbow Dress, and she remains a sought-after figure for both live events and television commentary.

Filmography and Discography

Icesis Couture's screen appearances primarily stem from her reality television career and advocacy work. Her filmography includes the documentary series Canada's a Drag in 2019, her winning season of Canada's Drag Race in 2021, and Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. the World in 2022. She is slated to appear in the 2026 season of The Traitors Canada and has a credited role in the film Hell Motel from 2025. Her sole musical release to date is the 2021 single "La Pusetta," a collaborative pop track with DJ and producer Velvet Code, released under the So Fierce Music label. The song and its accompanying music video were released concurrently with her Drag Race finale victory. This release demonstrated her ability to cross over into music, blending her bilingual heritage into her artistic output.

Icesis Couture first appeared on television on the documentary series Canada's a Drag in 2019. She then competed on and won the second season of Canada's Drag Race in 2021. In 2022, she returned to compete on Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. the World. She is also slated to appear in the fourth season of The Traitors Canada in 2026.

• Canada's a Drag (Documentary Series, 2019)
• Canada's Drag Race (Season 2, 2021), Winner
• Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. the World (Season 1, 2022), Contestant (6th place)
• The Traitors Canada (Season 4, 2026), Contestant
• Canada's Drag Race (Guest Judge, 2026)

Personal Life and Background

Steven Granados-Portelance was born on February 3, 1987, and is of Salvadoran and French Canadian descent. He lives and works primarily in Ottawa, Ontario. His drag name, Icesis Couture, reflects a high-fashion, regal aesthetic. His personal life intersects closely with his professional one, as his younger brother Randy performs as drag queen Savannah Couture. Granados-Portelance's heritage and identity as a queer person of colour are often reflected in his drag and advocacy work. He maintains a public profile focused on his artistry, mentorship, and competition, with private details kept largely out of the media spotlight. His friendships within the drag community, such as with Kiki Coe, further illustrate the collaborative and supportive nature of his personal and professional circles.

Strategic Approach and Public Persona

Icesis Couture has cultivated a public persona that combines competitive drive with artistic vulnerability. Her decision to withdraw from Canada vs. the World to protect her mental health was a public demonstration of prioritizing well-being over competition. In contrast, her stated strategy for The Traitors Canada reveals a calculated and enthusiastic approach to game theory, where she aims to use charm and deception. She has explicitly connected her Drag Race experience to this new challenge, noting the skill of forming alliances while maintaining a strategic edge. Her admiration for players like Hollywood Jade and Neda from other Traitors editions shows her study of social strategy games. This combination of the fierce competitor and the advocate for mental health makes her a complex figure in Canadian pop culture. Her ongoing tour schedule and design work demonstrate a relentless work ethic that sustains her career beyond single television appearances. In The Traitors Canada preview, she specifically mentioned looking forward to the roundtable banishment segments as a highlight of the game format.

Questions about Icesis Couture

Who is Icesis Couture?

Icesis Couture is the drag persona of Steven Granados-Portelance, a Canadian drag queen, designer, and television personality from Ottawa. She is best known for winning the second season of Canada's Drag Race in 2021. She is of Salvadoran and French Canadian descent and is a prominent figure in the Canadian drag scene, known for her fashion, mentorship of other queens, and advocacy work. Her career has expanded to include mainstream reality competition, with a role on The Traitors Canada in 2026.

What did Icesis Couture win?

Icesis Couture won the title of Canada's Next Drag Superstar as the champion of Canada's Drag Race season two in 2021. Prior to this national win, she also won the local title of Ottawa's Miss Capital Pride in 2020. Her victory on Drag Race came after winning two main challenges during the season and prevailing over finalists Pythia and Kendall Gender. This win granted her a national platform and led to further opportunities in television and touring.

Is Icesis Couture on The Traitors Canada?

Yes, Icesis Couture is a confirmed contestant for the fourth season of The Traitors Canada, scheduled for 2026. This season is historic for the Traitors franchise as it features two drag queens, with Couture competing alongside fellow Canada's Drag Race winner Van Goth. In pre-season interviews, Couture discussed her strategy and desire to play as a Traitor. She highlighted how her experience on Drag Race prepared her for the social strategy and deception required in the game.

Who are Icesis Couture's drag daughters?

Icesis Couture is the drag mother to several performers. Her drag daughters include Kimmy Couture, a contestant on Canada's Drag Race season three, and Makayla Couture, who competed on Call Me Mother season two and Canada's Drag Race season five. Couture also has a familial connection in drag, as her younger brother performs as Savannah Couture. She put Makayla into drag for a makeover challenge on her own season, a moment that highlighted her role as a mentor on national television.

Why did Icesis Couture leave Canada vs. The World?

Icesis Couture voluntarily withdrew from Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. the World during the fourth episode of the 2022 season. She cited her mental health as the primary reason for leaving the competition. At the time of her departure, she had a strong track record, having never been up for elimination, and she ultimately placed sixth in the season. This decision was widely discussed and highlighted the pressures of reality television.

What does Icesis Couture do besides drag?

Beyond performing, Icesis Couture works extensively as a costume and jewelry designer, creating pieces for other drag artists like Brooke Lynn Hytes. She has participated in advocacy, joining the Courage Across Canada speaking tour in 2023 to talk to students about bullying and homophobia. She also released a music single, "La Pusetta," in 2021 and continues to tour nationally as a performer. Her upcoming projects include a featured role on The Traitors Canada and ongoing design collaborations.

Sources and further reading

• Icesis Couture (Wikipedia)
• Traitors Canada Season 4 Icesis Couture + Katelyn Preseason ... (robhasawebsite.com)

Checked by the Novello Desserts desk. Last updated 2026-10-27.