{"id":4072,"date":"2013-07-23T06:57:24","date_gmt":"2013-07-23T06:57:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theduanewells.com\/?p=4072"},"modified":"2018-05-22T18:44:14","modified_gmt":"2018-05-22T18:44:14","slug":"moxieq-bff-interview-diana-coney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/moxieq-bff-interview-diana-coney\/","title":{"rendered":"MoxieQ BFF Interview with Diana Coney"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MoxieQ
\n<\/a>
\nThe multi-hyphenate\u00a0Diana Coney<\/strong>\u00a0(aka Gooch) is gatekeeper to some of the leading creative talents in Los Angeles and indeed the world. \u00a0As an agent\/manager\/producer, she currently represents and works with a stable of talent which includes photographers, stylists, videographers and performance artists like Traver Rains, Raja and Austin Young. \u00a0Prior to taking on her current role, Diana traveled the world as a producer for iconic photographer David LaChapelle. Over the years the stars she has worked with are too numerous to count and too big to mention.<\/p>\n

Duane Wells<\/strong>\u00a0(aka Gertie) pens Moxie Q\u2019s weekly travel blog entitled \u201cLiving Wells\u201d. The former Managing Editor of GayWired.com and host of \u201cHere\u2019s The Thing,\u201d an hour-long daily gay travel radio program. Duane is currently traversing the globe seeking out the best in travel as a frequent contributor to a number of travel and lifestyle publications in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom including Passport, Homefront and Frontiers, as well as other online resources including Advocate.com and GayTravelNews.<\/p>\n

Where and when did you two meet?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Diana:<\/strong>\u00a0At a mutual friend\u2019s brunch on the morning of Los Angeles Gay Pride 2001. I had just moved to LA the day before and thought every day must be like that! Wait\u2026. It kind of has been!<\/p>\n

When did you realize she was your best friend?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Duane:<\/strong>\u00a0When you pass out and wake up at someone\u2019s house more than three times and feel no shame about it, he or she might be your BFF\u2026tha\u2019s what I think. \u00a0 Seriously though\u2026<\/p>\n

I was on a trip with a group of gay journalists many years back where I couldn\u2019t stop telling Diana stories. \u00a0 It was Diana this, Diana that, Diana all the time. \u00a0 By the end of that trip, every one of the journalists either wanted to meet Diana or\u00a0be\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Diana. \u00a0 They were all absolutely enamored of her as most people are. Funny enough, that still happens today.<\/p>\n

My stories with Diana are still the most memorable and I can\u2019t stop telling them. \u00a0 Somehow we always manage to make magic. \u00a0 Whether we\u2019re slumped on a couch in her living room drinking wine and watching movies, singing Cher songs in a parking garage, or at the most brilliant event ever, the magic follows us. \u00a0 You know you\u2019ve got a BFF when your favorite memories always involve them.<\/p>\n

What do you trust more- his relationship advice OR his style advice?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Diana:<\/strong>\u00a0Although I have grown to value both, at first glance, definitely Duane\u2019s style. He was wearing an ascot in June for god\u2019s sakes!\u00a0 That\u2019s not to say he has not delivered more than his fair share of relationship advice and he has never steered me wrong, many times telling me when to hold \u2018em and when to fold \u2018em.<\/p>\n

Your best friend in 3 words \u2014 GO!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Duane:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fierce\u00a0<\/strong>(Diana was fierce long before the word became fashionable\u2026in fact she made it fashionable);\u00a0Fun<\/strong>\u00a0(if you\u2019re not having fun around Diana, then you\u2019re probably really boring);\u00a0Loyal<\/strong>(When you become a part of Diana\u2019s menagerie of friends, she protects you fiercely. \u00a0 Few get in, but even fewer get out)<\/p>\n

Wha\u2019s the one piece of advice that has stuck with you the most?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Diana:<\/strong>\u00a0Do what you love to do and everything else will fall into place. I admire Duane because he has always done just that, consequences be damned!<\/p>\n

How long do you wait to introduce your BFF to the new guy you\u2019re dating? Why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Duane:<\/strong>\u00a0Well to be honest, there haven\u2019t been many dates to introduce Diana to because I have what I call the \u201csix-month rule\u201d. \u00a0 I believe for the first six months you\u2019re dating anyone you\u2019re dealing with their representative and not the real person. So why would I introduce my friends to someone I don\u2019t really know?<\/p>\n

So given this rule, combined with the fact I haven\u2019t had a relationship that has lasted longer than six months in over a decade, this hasn\u2019t really been a problem.<\/p>\n

However, there was this one gorgeous guy I was a little infatuated with awhile back. \u00a0 At an impromptu birthday party, after a few cocktails, I announced that my \u201cdate\u201d for the evening was my \u201cnew best friend\u201d. \u00a0 With a raised eyebrow, Diana sipped her cocktail and gave me a look that said \u2018Oh really?\u00a0 Calm down mister sister!\u2019\u00a0 I never made that mistake again.<\/p>\n

Share the skeleton \u2014 what is the weirdest thing you two have done together?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Diana:<\/strong>\u00a0Our whole friendship has been based on odd scenarios that seem to find us. \u00a0 There was the 4th of July alien-abduction or that fateful trip to Mexico which nearly cost us our friendship. But in the end we\u2019ve always been able to laugh about it.<\/p>\n

Wha\u2019s your biggest fashion Do & Don\u2019t for her?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Duane:<\/strong>\u00a0I honestly don\u2019t have a fashion do or don\u2019t for Diana because she lives fashion and beauty like few people do. \u00a0 Seriously\u2026drag queens don\u2019t know fashion and beauty as well as Diana\u2026this woman won drag contests as a teenager for chrissakes. Think about that!<\/p>\n

She knows herself, she knows what works for her and she knows how to make an entrance. I have never seen anyone \u2026not even a professional make-up artist\u2026 who can paint a face, upsweep a \u2018do\u2019 and be camera ready in under 20 minutes. \u00a0 If anything, I actually learn about fashion from her. \u00a0 She\u2019s taught me to be more daring, more rock n\u2019 roll and more bold\u2026she\u2019s the Karen to my Will.<\/p>\n

Has he ever forced his opinion on you? Did you listen?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Diana:<\/strong>\u00a0Force?\u00a0 God bless the man who thinks he could. \u00a0\u00a0 I always listen, then give my opinion and then we\u00a0generally\u00a0<\/em>compromise. \u00a0 The whole function of a great friendship is trusting and valuing each other\u2019s opinions.<\/p>\n

Where would you like to see your GBF in 5 years?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Diana:<\/strong>\u00a0Writing an article for Vanity Fair as he sips Veuve on his yacht in the south of France.<\/p>\n

What is the best advice she\u2019s ever given you<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

Duane:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cC\u2019mon girl\u2026have\u00a0a<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0drink!\u201d\u00a0 That one drink which has always turned into many more has also given birth to some of the best times and wildest nights I\u2019ve had in Los Angeles. \u00a0 So I guess the subtext of the drink was really \u2018live a little\u2019 and, my oh my, have Diana and I done just that.<\/p>\n

What is your ideal day together?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Duane:<\/strong>\u00a0An ideal day with Di would go something like this\u2026Wake up in the same place after a sleepover, lie in bed and recap the night while watching E! and talking about people\u2026pop out for a mimosa-filled brunch, do a bit shopping, then head home for a costume change, tip out to a cocktail party, stop in at some other event, drop by Fubar for last call\u2026 and then head home for after-hours and a wig marathon. Basically a repeat of Saturday before last.<\/p>\n

(Originally printed at MoxieQ.com)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The multi-hyphenate\u00a0Diana Coney\u00a0(aka Gooch) is gatekeeper to some of the leading creative talents in Los Angeles and indeed the world. \u00a0As an agent\/manager\/producer, she currently represents and works with a stable of talent which includes photographers, stylists, videographers and performance artists like Traver Rains, Raja and Austin Young. \u00a0Prior to taking on her current role, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88889,"featured_media":321,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1587,1225],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-press"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4072","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/88889"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4072"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4072\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4130,"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4072\/revisions\/4130"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}