Drag Superstar Kim Chi Goes to Sundae School for a 'Cool' Partnership

In a 2018 interview with Vice, drag superstar Kim Chi described herself as a "a live action anime character whose fashion aesthetic could be described as 'bionic doily.' I imagine my aura to be an array of ultra violet colors that spews glitter. I celebrate all things cute, fun, weird, and exotic."

So it shouldn't be surprising that this "RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 8 finalist has formed a partnership with the fashion and cannabis brand Sundae School, whose stoner-conscious fashion aesthetic she had long admired. Both Kim Chi and Sundae School are cultural rebels – each pushing societal attitudes towards fashion and edibles, the latter sold through their Sundae Flowers brand.

EDGE caught with the multi-talented Kim to talk about her latest collaboration.

EDGE: Can you tell us about your collaboration with Sundae School?

Kim Chi: Sundae School is a brand I have followed for a long time. Aside from all the THC items, they make really cool products. They are fashionable, and they understand trends. I talked to them briefly on Instagram. A couple of years ago, I was at the Gold House gala in Los Angeles, and the owner came up and introduced himself to me. We hit it off immediately and ended up hanging out together all night. Afterward, he proposed a partnership, which I happily accepted because they're just cool people I wanted to work with. I've done a lot of photo and video shoots, and I will say working with Sundae School was the best experience I had to date. The creative team knew exactly what they wanted. They had a clear vision; they were super organized and professional. The fantastic part is the team is all queer women of color.

EDGE: Tell us about the inspiration behind Kimchi Yuzu.

Kim Chi: The inspiration behind Kimchi Yuzu, the flavor itself, was to bring more of the kimchi influence into their product. Kimchi itself can be pretty strong, so we wanted to balance it out with some sort of citrus flavor, and that is where the Yuzu flavor comes in. The photo shoots itself. Specifically, the kimchi over flowers is inspired by a Korean D-drama show called "Boys Over Flowers." We wanted to take that comic feel since it was the original inspiration for the show. It was perfect for my persona and is based on an anime character brought to life.

EDGE: How has your Korean heritage and love of camp influenced your art and storytelling?

Kim Chi: Basically, everything I do is because I want to spread the beauty of Korean culture. That is why I chose the name Kimchi, which is the national dish of Korea. At the start of my drag career, I would pick songs and only perform K-pop songs, and this was before BTS and before anyone knew what K-pop was. So, I have been forcing Korean music into these queer nightlife spaces. All the outfits I wear are inspired by Hanbok, traditional Korean clothing. In the Western world, we're so used to seeing tightly fitted outfits and often big voluminous empire waists, which is considered maternity wear. However, that's not what Korean fashion is about - we celebrate silhouettes and big grantings, which are perfect for drag.

EDGE: I think it's incredible how drag continues to evolve. Can you talk about its intersection with not only Sundae School, but with culture, food, and cannabis?

Kim Chi: Drag queens are the cheerleaders and mascots of queer life. We're doing our best to place our stamp anywhere we can and go to spaces that traditionally weren't meant for queer people. That is why representation matters, and we need to continue to let people know that we are here and we're not going anywhere.

EDGE: Is there anything else that you would like to conquer?

Kim Chi: Outside of this? I wouldn't mind conquering more of the food spaces because food is personal to all of us. I have a cookbook coming out later in the year, so we'll see how it goes.

EDGE: Do you both have a favorite kimchi recipe?

Kim Chi: One of my favorite types of kimchi is green onion kimchi. It goes well with everything. It's the chef's kiss of kimchi.

EDGE: Is there anything new you want to promote for your beauty line?

Kim Chi: Yes, we just launched our Pearl Gone Wild highlighter. We have some full releases coming soon, so follow us on social media to stay updated.

EDGE: What advice do you have for the LGBTQ+ and drag community as we enter the next four years?

Kim Chi: Right now, it is a terrifying time that we're living in. You might even feel helpless, out of control, and not sure what to do, but that is exactly the effect that they want to have on you. So, I say stay vigilant, keep yourself safe, and don't give in to all the creative political games they're playing. Be seen and continue to support each other.