Yannick Martin

Born in Nice in 1999, Yannick Martin is a multidisciplinary artist whose meteoric rise has left its mark on pop culture and contemporary fashion. Better known by his stage name La Grande Dame, he has established himself as a leading figure in international drag, reaching the finals of Drag Race France and RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs The World. His nearly two-meter silhouette has graced the most prestigious runways, from Jean-Paul Gaultier's farewell show to Paris Fashion Week collections (Germanier, Weinsanto).

Beyond the image, Yannick is an accomplished singer-songwriter performing under the name Yann. Based in Paris, he develops a musical body of work where the man's sensitivity dialogues with the creature's power. His journey, marked by exemplary resilience and a background in design at the Lycée Henri-Matisse in Vence, nurtures a total artistic identity. Between haute couture modeling and electro-pop composition, he explores the boundaries of identity and elegance, making transformation both a political and poetic gesture. His Molières nomination in 2024 confirms his prominent place in the French cultural landscape.

For his residency at Rocabella, Yannick Martin unfolds the artistic and sonic chapter of the 'Les Gardiennes de la Mer 2025/2026' project. A child of the Riviera, this return to his azure roots is an immersion into the Mediterranean imaginary. Echoing Valérie Lépine-Karnik's research, he envisions this stay as a creative laboratory where the music of 'Yann' meets the spectacular aesthetics of 'La Grande Dame.'

The project aims to create a hybrid work, blending a visual album with immersive performances. Yannick plans to use the lush gardens and rugged coves of the estate as natural settings for a series of tableaux vivants. The goal is to reinterpret the myths of sirens and protective sea deities through the prism of drag and haute couture. Between dreamlike soundscapes and costumes inspired by marine fauna, he explores the vulnerability of the coastal ecosystem. At Rocabella, transformation becomes an act of ecological celebration: Yannick Martin embodies a modern 'Guardian,' making voice and body vectors of awareness for the fragility of our marine horizon.