Touchdown a Mac Viva Glam Marketing campaign has at all times been the very best honor within the magnificence world. And for “Slut Pop” idol Kim Petras, it’s solely the newest accomplishment on her lengthy to-do listing. After changing into the primary overtly trans particular person to win a Grammy, the web has turn out to be obsessive about Kim Petras’ completely curated identification and her dedication to serving. So fittingly, Kim Petras’ Viva Glam marketing campaign completely embodies her love for over-the-top glamour and bigger than life hair.
Lengthy earlier than she stumbled into pop-stardom, Kim Petras was a religious Viva Glam fangirl. After obsessing over RuPaul and Nicki Minaj’s iconic Viva Glam campaigns, she unknowingly manifested her personal. In true full-circle vogue, Petras has gone from simply one other Barb in line on the Mac retailer to a full-blown Viva Glam ambassador. It’s secure to say—with over 20 million month-to-month Spotify listeners and a pair rite-of-passage controversies, Kim Petras is now not only a stan.
Whereas Petras proudly wears the “pop star” title, “trans icon” is one other credit score she’s generally given. And regardless that that duty may be taxing, Petras principally cares about being there for trans youth. With 100% of the proceeds of her Viva Glam lipsticks going to The Trevor Mission, a nonprofit group that gives sources for LGBTQ+ youth, Petras feels good understanding her marketing campaign is giving again to the group. As a result of above all else, Petras hopes to steer by instance. And if there are trans youngsters on the market who’re ready in line for the Kim Petras Viva Glam assortment—she’s finished simply that.
How does it really feel to have your individual Viva Glam marketing campaign?
I’ll by no means recover from it. Like I’m so excited. I can’t wait. I’ve advised my associates however I don’t actually like exhibiting photographs to folks simply because I’m scared one thing will leak. You understand, as a result of folks at all times attempt to leak my shit. However I confirmed it to my closest associates and it received very emotional reactions from them. Particularly from my finest pal in Germany, who I do know from highschool, as a result of we used to spend all of our pocket cash on lipsticks—that’s all we did, identical to stroll round and smoke cigarettes and put on make-up and spend our cash at Mac. So you already know, it seems like I’ve come such a good distance.
What does being a Viva Glam ambassador imply to you?
The Mac Viva Glam campaigns are burned into my mind eternally. The RuPaul one is eternally on my mood-board and I feel it’s one of many best campaigns ever, for something. And I simply keep in mind so vividly when the Nicki Minaj Viva Glam marketing campaign got here out, as a result of I’m an enormous Barb—and I keep in mind ready exterior the Mac retailer in Germany to purchase the lipstick. And it simply meant a lot for me to have the ability to again one thing the place all of it goes to a trigger that’s expensive to my coronary heart and that impacts LGBTQ+ folks, in addition to serving to with AIDS and homelessness. I keep in mind considering it was a loopy idea that 100% of the prices of one thing I purchase, particularly one thing as fab as a lipstick, goes to a great trigger. So I’m so completely happy and proud to be part of this.
How do you are feeling being such a giant determine within the trans group? Do you want being often known as a trans icon?
Sure. I feel on the whole, I’m very happy with being trans and I feel it’s at all times actually necessary that I’m trustworthy about what that have is like, simply because there isn’t that a lot illustration. It’s at all times simply been one thing that’s been so expensive to my coronary heart, and naturally my music which I’m most happy with. However I feel on the finish of the day, it’s a great factor that there’s somebody which you could form of level at to your mother and father, in case you’re a trans child someplace, and you’ll be like, “This particular person resides an okay life and is completely happy, are you able to let me be trans too and simply settle for that?” So I hope on the very least, that occurs due to me. I simply form of do my factor and check out to not assume an excessive amount of about what meaning to completely different folks, simply because I’m happy with who I’m and fortunate to be right here and completely happy to be dwelling.
How necessary is it for you, in your profession or simply in your life on the whole, to advocate for trans folks?
Effectively, Viva Glam helps the Trevor Mission, which is a large basis that has helped loads of homeless trans folks and helps get folks the care that they want and helps folks out who’re in bother or whose household doesn’t settle for them or issues like that, which has at all times been so heartbreaking to me. For me, It’s at all times crucial to have loads of associates which might be trans that I defend, and followers which might be very expensive to my coronary heart that I verify in with, and simply make sure that they’re good. And I imply, trans rights are very below assault in the mean time within the US. So it’s a really scary thought and all of us form of need to take care of much more hate lately then we used to. Trans existence is getting used to make political statements and persons are simply so opinionated about all the things, I feel it’s necessary to only stand there and be like, “Hey, I’m trans, that doesn’t actually outline me, and I may be something I would like, it doesn’t matter what I’m, it doesn’t matter what you see me as.”
What are you most enthusiastic about on your Viva Glam marketing campaign?
All the shades are extraordinarily lovely and very wearable. In fact they’ve the enduring purple bullet which is sizzling within the marketing campaign. I’m form of buried in like lots of of lipsticks and it’s raining lipsticks down on me, whereas I simply subtly lay there with completely quaffed hair. After which I’m additionally carrying a Mac billion greenback invoice as a gown. It’s like a giant greenback invoice with a pink clip. And the purpose of Viva Glam this yr is to get to the 1 billion mark of cash raised, and Mac has already handed half a billion. So it’s time to get to that billion mark, and that’s form of the entire level of the marketing campaign. However I feel on the whole, I at all times wish to be somewhat ridiculous and have somewhat an excessive amount of hair. Or have you already know, completely lined lips and simply be actually glam and provide you with that form of enjoyable. I feel it’s a really enjoyable marketing campaign and I feel it’s actually cool that it brings again 4 of the unique shades as a result of they’re tried and true.
How do you hope your Viva Glam marketing campaign makes folks really feel?
On the whole, lipstick is meant to make you are feeling good. And I feel you probably have a lipstick that you just actually love and all of it goes to assist different folks, you are feeling further good about it, which is simply one thing that I really like. I really like feeling good about my decisions and what I placed on my face. I hope it reminds folks that it’s actually necessary to assist different folks and to be type and accepting quite than to guage different folks so harshly. Everybody ought to be capable to put on the lipstick they wish to put on, every time they wish to. And LGBTQ+ folks ought to know they will categorical themselves as a result of they’ve a group that deeply cares about them. That’s what I really need folks to really feel, and I feel it’s cool that it’s such an iconic and established factor.
