Interview With Kim Cunningham
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Age: 26
Profession: Restaurant Server and Freelance Model and Stylist
Current Location (Country): Boston, MA, USA
Instagram Username: @Holalalalola
What is the best thing that has ever happened to you?
I have no idea! There’s too many experiences that have contributed to who I am today that has helped me learned about how weird and wonderful life is.
Overall, I’d say that the luxury of being able to travel has really been one of my greatest pleasures. Seeing different parts of the world puts things into perspective about how small we all are — and that’s really cool to think about.
What is your favorite part about being a woman?
Our ability to time and time again overcome hardships. I love how dominating we’ve become in the artistic industry.
I think in general that the masses have always been intimated by the lure of a woman’s power and persuasion and that it has really shown through out the years.
We can be beautiful and still be intellectual, we can be a bitch, and still be tender, we can be bad ass, and still be a mother, an artist, a scientist, a doctor, a business person, etc, you can’t limit us
Who is your favorite role model?
I don’t have one specific person, but there are specific characteristics in people that I admire and am drawn to. They inspire me to work harder in being the best possible version of myself.
I appreciate my friends who have a blunt honesty to them and who don’t beat around the bushes. No one has time for people who are “looking out” for your feelings by lying to you.
I appreciate fellow creatives who are willing to push the boundaries beyond the current status quo and who create things that I can’t even wrap my head around.
I appreciate people who take fashion trends and throw them out of the window and just do their own thing because it makes them feel sexy as hell being an individual. I look up to genuine people, to loving souls, and to people who are as extra as f and as ridiculous, if not more, than myself.
What is your dream in life?
I used to think my dream was to live in New York City, rich as F, walking the city streets with some fashion related job in a big time magazine, but as I get older, that dream feels farther away and I feel myself striving towards wanting to cultivate my own business in fashion.
The past two years I have really taken on a love for vintage clothing. 1. Because it is unique and its romantic to think how each piece had a previous home and story and 2. Because it is incredibly important to cut down on material waste and stop supporting fast fashion brands that don’t partake in equality and human rights.
Ideally, I envision myself owning some funky vintage men and woman’s store in Sunny Austin, TX that is also combined with a sustainable dry cleaning store — I cannot tell you the amount of money I spend dry cleaning my vintage, so why not at least have them next to each other!
Are you following your dream?
Hell yes I am! I used to get down on myself frequently regarding this exact question. But in 2018, something just blew up inside me.
I have always been artistically driven, but have never really understood how to translate that to a paying job. Last year, I realized that I can be my own boss and do my art and make money off of it outside of the full-time job that currently pays my bills. And although it is time consuming and gives little lee-way for a personal life, I find I never really mind because I am pursuing something I love too much to view it as a sacrifice to something else.
I’m confident that some day soon what I do artistically will become a full time gig.
Have you ever been published in a print or digital magazine before?
Yes! I’ve been published in Boston Voyager, which is a local Online Boston Magazine highlighting upcoming artists of all kinds in Massachusetts.
Most recently though, I was just published in Obscurae Magazine, based out of Tennessee for this amazing shoot (shot by Whitney Otte) based off of the Movie ClockWork Orange.
What’s your favorite clothing brand / store?
Right now, it’s a tie between my two favorite vintage stores in Boston. I love Vivant Vintage for their highly curated and organized pieces and Great Eastern Trading Company for some of the most funkiest vintage blazers and pants I have ever seen.
As far as online stores go — I actually use Depop a ton to search for vintage pieces and pre-loved items I’m looking for and for platform shoes, hands down only from Dolls Kill.
What is your “happy place”?
My happy place in a physical sense is definitely Austin, TX. I love it there so much. The environment is full of blissful people bathing in the sun, drinking beer, hunting for vintage clothing, a bunch of striving artists and a jungle of amazing music venues and restaurants.
Plus, aesthetically speaking its a 1970 architectural dream. Mentally though, its the moments when I’m in my element and able to create endlessly, whether that means modeling, styling, or shopping for my art. There’s nothing more satisfying than that.
What’s most important to you?
Staying authentic to myself. It is too easy to be swayed by a plethora of distractions these days and falling into trends that don’t necessarily match up to who you are as a person and what you stand for. I take a lot of pride in leading myself and taking my own journey both personally and artistically.
What’s the worst line a guy has ever used on you?
At this point I’m not even sure. I think men don’t even use pick up lines on me anymore. They just see my yellow hair and try to think of the most ridiculous thing there is to stay to get my attention.
What is your dream car?
A bright pink thunderbird with yellow leather interior and some bad ass tires with spikes on them just in case I gotta get into super spy mode and face off some mortal enemies.
Have you ever traveled out of your home country?
Yes! Ive been to a few places now but my favorite thus far has been Berlin, Germany. That place has some of the most amazing food I’ve ever tried. Also the culture there regarding sexuality is refreshing, and quite frankly…sexy! America has some catching up to do.
Are you a tom-boy, girly-girl, or both?
I’m a hungry, hilarious, and haphazard human who does whatever I want in accordance to my mood that day.
Do you have a favorite Kardashian sister?
I don’t have any feelings regarding the Kardashians — I’m not enlightened enough about their livelihood to give you a positive or negative reaction.
But I will tell you someone who is actually BALLIN’ is Nadia Lee Cohen, she’s the shit and one of my favorite inspirations as a celebrity and artist. I highly recommend you check her out
Have you ever gotten plastic surgery?
I have not. Plastic surgery is something I certainly would never rule out for myself or for anyone else. Right now, I’m thankful enough that most days I like my features and am grateful for even my physical characteristics that I used to hate. (I’m looking at you, gap teeth).
Loving yourself for your flaws is damn hard and I am not by any means immune to social media’s standards, but I’m not quite ready to mess with my genes.
What do you want to be remembered as?
I want to be remembered for being THAT BITCH. I want to continue to live carefree and as expressive as possible. I want to continue to create weird art with my community and I want to be known for redefining “being extra” as a quality that everyone should strive after.