Photography by Ruben Delact @princeofthegram
“It’s all about embracing the beauty in everything, from fashion to that good vibe energy,” says Maria del Pilar Vargas, better known as Queen P. “I’m Peruvian—we adore the sun. The sun means everything to us, so I’m huge on that energy.”
The sun, it seems, adores her right back.
Who Is Queen P.? From Fashion Nova To Cannabis Brand Strategist
Meet Queen P. She’s a model, entrepreneur, fashion and jewelry designer, marketing visionary, mother…did we miss anything? Over the past decade, she built a name for herself as one of the most influential models and marketing strategists for clothing company Fashion Nova. More recently, she’s become a phenomenon in the cannabis space, exponentially growing brands like Jokes Up (which led to her eponymous strains Queen Pee and Pwincess Cutt), Ice Kream, and Sluggers.
Her first move in cannabis was to purchase the domain names needflower.com and wantflower.com in 2019. “I knew it eventually would become legal, so I purchased those two domains. I think that’s how I’m going to make my billion dollars.”
How Did Queen P. Become One Of The Original Faces Of Fashion Nova?
Originally from Lima, Peru (although she’s lived all over the U.S.), Queen P.’s career started when she was scouted as a model at California’s Northridge Mall by Fashion Nova founder Richard Saghian.
“Instagram wasn't even big back then, but I already had cracked the code of how to go viral,” she says. This was circa 2013, where posts were automatically boosted to the Explore page if many people liked them at the same time. With daily features on the page, Queen P. quickly built a platform of up to 40,000 followers, climbing to over a million in only a few years. She taught Saghian “the blueprint of social media marketing,” helping shape Fashion Nova into a powerhouse that makes $2 billion in sales a year.
She still works for the company and is their only model who also has her own agency. Noting that “I found an art to my influence,” Queen P. brought other social media superstars on board like Christina Milian and Blac Chyna, leading to a chain of Fashion Nova-linked celebrities including Amber Rose, Kim Kardashian, and Kylie Jenner.
Her online success led Queen P. to enter brick-and-mortar retail, opening jewelry and clothing stores in Los Angeles’ Studio City neighborhood, where she was based. She and her young daughter Brook-Lynn were able to live a “lavish” lifestyle.
“Just a single mom rocking the world!” she says.
Diving Into Cannabis: How Queen P. Built From Legacy To Legal
Then the Covid-19 pandemic ground everything to a screeching halt. Queen P. lost her businesses, home, and luxury cars in the economic crash.
“I had to just get a sense of reality,” she remembers. “People weren’t buying jewelry or clothes. [But] I’m a hustler. I went down and I came back up.”
She dove headfirst into the cannabis pool. There, she connected with, and started dating, a cannabis connoisseur. The two, as a power couple, were able to navigate their businesses together for two years.
“I started bringing people on board, creating strains for them,” she says. ”I know how to create brands. We were a great team.”
Queen P. extensively helped build his company and following, introducing him to other major players in the industry and paving the way for their strains to transition from legacy to legal in California retail. Business was booming.
Queen P. Talks Surviving Domestic Abuse
But the relationship soured after two years. Her now-ex-partner became controlling and domineering, eventually escalating to physical and financial abuse. There were broken phones and slammed doors, pulled hair and bruises. While Queen P. was sleeping one night, he took a photo of her black eye and sent it to his business partner, who then in revenge posted it on Instagram, making the news public.
“The psychology behind it is heartbreaking to me. He was boasting to his friend about physically hurting me. Because there is no other explanation for him to leak his wrongdoings. As if he was proud of it!” she says. “Why else would you send a picture of your girlfriend beat up to somebody? It makes no sense to me.”
Like many people in abusive relationships, a safe escape was difficult due to a lack of financial resources, especially since she had a daughter to provide for. Even though she had been instrumental in building her partner’s business, he’d never paid her and refused to include her in any of the business paperwork.
“He was my oppressor for quite some time,” she says, adding that he’d also moved into her apartment and drove her car. “I'm like, ‘Pilar, this man don't love you. He's abusing you.’”
While out on an independent cannabis sale to get some money, Queen P. decided to call Saghian.
She says, “I was like, ‘Richard, I've never called you for anything, but I'm in a really bad situation. This man is beating me and he's not giving me my earnings and he's taking my business. I got to go.’ He goes, ‘Pilar, I have something for you. Come tomorrow.’ I showed up to Fashion Nova and he goes, ‘I have a new project called Nova Beauty, and I want you to make it go viral.’ That's exactly what I did.”
Glowing Up Cannabis: Queen P. Creates Sluggers Babes, New Strains, And Emerging Brands
Queen P. had been modeling and going viral for a significant amount of time—she knew all of the best makeup artists, including those who have worked with Beyoncé and Michelle Obama. She brought them on board and the launch of Nova Beauty was a massive success, allowing her to leave her ex.
Not long afterward, she got introduced to Saghian’s neighbor, Ori Bytton, the founder of cannabis operator Natura, home to brands like Sluggers and Dee Thai. Thanks to her talent, entrepreneurial spirit, and infectious positivity, Queen P. was a natural as marketing strategist for Sluggers. She created the Sluggers Babes, recruiting influencers as sexy ambassadors and pairing cannabis with fashion brands like Hermes Birkin. Her Pwincess Peach strain for Sluggers is a hit, and she and Bytton have new brands in development called Spritz and Ice. Next up, the visionary looks forward to partnering with rapper Future on his cannabis line Evol.
“I'm God's favorite. So everything is working out,” she laughs.
What's Next For Queen P.? Art, Entrepreneurship, And Empowering Women
Queen P. is also a prolific painter under the name of Peecassa. As Peecassa, she’s been able to paint some of the most prestigious celebrities. As we go to print, she’s preparing to gift Snoop Dogg a portrait of himself. She has also created paintings for Metro Boomin and Future, adding some decor to their studio.
Deeply passionate about empowering and uplifting women, Queen P. remains a staunch advocate for women gaining financial independence through entrepreneurship, especially in cannabis.
“The cannabis world isn't about just chilling,” she says. “It's about wellness, creativity, and a community vibe that aligns perfectly with what we've been doing. It's another platform to empower, especially the phenomenal women making waves in this space.”
“Women are the backbone of this industry. We nurture, we create, we lead the future. The future is female. We're moving from shadows into the spotlight, showing the world the power of our touch. It's not just about being in the space; it's about owning it, leading it, and transforming it. We're here and we're high on making history.”
For the budding entrepreneurs, she advises, “Stay bold, stay beautiful, and never apologize for your ambition. The world's vast and the cannabis fields are fertile ground for your dreams. Plant your ideas, water them with passion, and watch them blossom.”
“And remember: in a world where you can be anything, be unapologetically you.”
For more on Queen P., follow @queenpee on Instagram.
*A version of this article originally appeared on the cover of Honeysuckle's 18th print edition. Get your copy now at dispensaries nationwide, or click here to order and choose your element - Fire with Bun B or Ice with Queen P!
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Written By:
Chloé Harper Gold is a writer and editor with ample experience across media and diverse environments, covering everything from pop culture to politics and nonprofit management. She regularly contributes to Honeysuckle Magazine and Dread Central; her work also appears in Horror Film Central and 71 Magazine among other outlets. She was previously the Digital Editor for High Times and Adweek and a Staff Writer for NightmarishConjurings.com.
@yochlo13 (IG)
@yochlo13 (Twitter)
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Featured image: Queen P (C) Ruben Delact @princeofthegram
