These avant-garde female celebrities appeared on the stages, at the café-concerts, and in the nightclubs of late 19th-century Paris. Decadence, vulgarity, and cross-dressing were their performance hallmarks. Many emphasized their sexuality, whether straight or queer, to impress audiences. Marcelle Lender was a celebrated dancer who wore such extravagant makeup that a contemporary observer noted “that one no longer knows which is nose and which is eye; only flash of color, tulle, smile, shout, freedom…” Cha-UKao, whose stage name combined the words for the can-can dance (chahut) and “chaos,” was an acrobat, sex worker, and outspoken lesbian. Her clown costumes purposefully blurred the line between men and women’s clothing. The actress Gabrielle Réjane, celebrated for her suggestive wit and vulgar spontaneity, is shown jauntily dressed in traditional middleclass male clothing, including a top hat and cravat. Yvette Guilbert was known for wearing black gloves and low-cut gowns that exaggerated her lanky, flat-chested physique. She delighted audiences in cabarets and café-concerts with her unabashed flirting and raunchy lyrics.