Worthy-Opponent

THE STYLIST: Mizz Kimberly V aka "Killer" of KillerFr3$h


A few weeks ago, my brilliant ass decided to set up an interview on the hottest day of the year. The sun was beaming, sweat was dripping, and I wanted nothing more than a nice and salty margarita chased down by a cool A/C. My lovely interviewee, Mizz Kimberly V (look at me, I'm rhymin') and I, met in a quaint little Mexican restaurant in Gramercy, complete with colorful streamers and Mariachi music. For nearly two hours, we ate, we drank, and we were merry. It was a spectacular time & strangely felt like I was having lunch with one of my super beautiful-but-down-to-earth supermodel friends. (This is strange because I do not have any super model friends.)

For those of you who may not know, Mizz Kimberly V, aka "Killer", is the femme-fraction of the almighty styling trio, KillerFr3$h. Meeting her partners (Shandell aka "Fr3$h" & Sweatshop Rob) only 4 short years ago, they have been pretty much re-creating or re-"styling"-if you will- the styling game, to suit their little hearts' desires. At almost six feet in heels, this tall and sleek brown beauty is paving her own way, and apologizing for nothing!

"Well how on earth did you get into the styling game?"

"I always knew I wanted to be in fashion." She replied. "I knew it so well that I ended up leaving college early to pursue a job at Rocawear! That's where I got my start." At Rocawear, she was under the fierce tutelage of Theresa Scott. "She expected nothing less than excellence!" Kim recalls.

After the Jay/Damon split in 2005, Kim was out of a job and left to fend for herself. One evening, she found herself sobbing her little heart out to one of her long time clubbing buddies. The stars must have aligned for Kim V because this very same friend turned out to be one of NYC's most sought after celebrity stylists. He later offered her a job working as his assistant and took her under his wing. This was the path she had been waiting for and she pretty much ran with it! "He had five female assistants," she recalls, "and I was the only Black girl in the crew. I knew I had to be on point."

Having worked so closely with both "high" fashion and street wear, she's found a colorful yet tasteful medium. "I'm really inspired by the hood that I live in, people I see on the train, the city. You can test things out. Flip it. Make it different--totally fresh and new."

Kim admits that although she's a Bronx girl at heart, the one-dimensional around-the-way trends never cut it in her book. "I'm SO over that street/skater/urban/dirty-but-cool look. You gotta grow up a bit. Versatility is a must!" Delving deeper into "Killer" style, Kim equates her taste with "big Diana Ross hair! Even though I can't sit here and pin-point my style for you, if I had to pick someone who is timeless, it would have to be Diana. She oozes glamour!" Kim has often times been compared to Diana and squeals with excitement every time the comparison is made. She went on to sight Grace Jones, Tracy Reese, and Kelis as fashion inspirations and style icons. "I like to call them 'BWB's'--Black Women that Break! That means that they are strong and not afraid to step outside the norm. Fashion gives us a chance to look different. We don't all have big asses and walk around in spandex all day!"

Having had such great exposure and training in the fashion world, Kim V is surprisingly grounded and maintains a very humble and humanistic approach in her work. "We, as women--especially women of color, don't have to be defined by labels. We have always found a way to make things our own. The same goes for fashion."

After nearly two hours of sucking down Mexican tortilla chips and guacamole, we finally arrived to the last question of the day: What does being a Worthy-Opponent mean to you?

"When I hear 'Worthy-Opponent', I think of a game of chess, like you're strong enough to play this game. It makes sense because I know I'm worthy enough to play this fierce game we call fashion!"

Werk!

To learn more about KillerFr3$h Style go to: http:www.myspace.com/killerfr3$h