Hugo Jean Pierre Bardin (born June 30, 1991), known professionally as Paloma, is a French drag performer, singer, director and screenwriter. He is best known for winning the first season of Drag Race France.
Hugo Bardin was born on June 30, 1991. He took his first theater lessons at the age of four, which gave rise to his desire to work in this field. After the baccalaureate, which he obtained in Clermont-Ferrand, his hometown, he continued his studies at Cours Florent, in Paris. During this time, he exercised several professions in the field of theatre, in particular an actor, but also a director or a wigmaker.
Bardin's first experience as a drag queen dates back to 2008, in a staging of the play titled Nur eine Scheibe Brot by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, performed at the Comédie de Clermont-Ferrand. However, Bardin did not immediately continue in the field of drag performance professionally, instead favoring his career as an actor. During this period, Bardin felt compelled to "be more masculine," to obtain better success in his auditions. Conversely, performing in drag offered him an opportunity to "be whoever I want, kind of like a superhero," which ultimately inspired Bardin to pursue drag more seriously.
In 2018, Bardin debuted the character of Paloma. The Spanish-sounding first name was inspired by the cinema of Pedro Almodóvar and recalls Paloma Picasso.
In 2022, Paloma's eponymous short film, directed by herself, and was released at festivals. On June 2, 2022, it was announced that he was one of the ten candidates participating in the first season of Drag Race France. At the end of the finale, he won against Soa de Muse and La Grande Dame.
In 2024, Bardin served on the jury for the Queer Palm award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.