Today we’d like to introduce you to Kilo Kikii.
Kilo, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started doing drag on a whim, and a friend tried to put me in a wig and heels to go perform at an amateur night. Long story short I refused to wear either and wore a light bb cream and thin eyeliner, and did a modern dance performance in what I called drag. I’ve always felt like following the status quo is a bit predictable and boring, but in drag I found myself to be rebellious in what is considered drag, performance, and art.
Ultimately I question what drag is through my art and performances by destroying notions of gender and expectation. For example, I have never worn fake hip pads to achieve a more “feminine” physique which is quite common in the drag community. I’ve been shamed, ridiculed, even told “you need to fix your boy body with pads” and more.
As a non-binary person (I use they/them pronouns) navigating this environment of transphobia and rigid standards of beauty and elegance, I’ve found that I’m happiest being a neon demon refusing pads and raising my artistic middle finger to the culture of conformity.
My transformation from being a dancer on stage to a more club kid drag creature was a slow and arduous process, but there were two moments where I got a big boost in quality. When I fully committed to shaving off my eyebrows I was able to much more easily use my face as a blank canvas to practice makeup, and it was only uphill from there, and being a producer of a drag show put the pressure on to be worthy of the title.
I haven’t been doing drag for that long at all really. My first performance was in July 2016, but I didn’t start producing my monthly party “Drag Ellum” at the Nines until late 2017. Throughout 2018 I accepted any offer to perform or do drag I could and very nearly was doing 4-5 shows a week at certain points during the year. Doing that much drag is both a blessing and a curse.
I learned so much about who Kilo Kikii is and how they function as a character as well as becoming faster and more precise in my creation of looks and performances, but it wears you down to work a full-time day job and do that much drag at the same time. I’ve found that if you work hard, it pays off in drag so much more than depending on other people to offer you opportunities.
You can’t just sit around and wait for something to fall in your lap if you want something bad enough to show people that you’re diligently working to get there. Create opportunities for yourself. My drag is self-made which goes back to the roots of drag culture and history. I’ve dumpster dived for makeup and fabric, repurposed unconventional items, you name it.
Creating looks and performances from unexpected places is at the core of my drag and if anything, it isn’t all that different from what other drag artists do all the time.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I mentioned some of this in the previous section, but the biggest challenges I’ve faced honestly have been internal challenges I’ve dealt with existing in the drag community as a trans alternative drag artist. First, when it comes to gender and being a transgender drag artist, I’m constantly mistaken for being a cisgender gay man who is a drag queen, when in reality, I’m non-binary in and out of drag and have been taking Estrogen for almost two years.
Sometimes I feel like I don’t belong in the drag community, but overwhelmingly everyone is super supportive and uplifting! Sometimes people don’t know what to make of my drag or performances, especially those who belong to the pageant drag community which is very present in Dallas. They’ll see my ripped fishnets and don’t understand why I wouldn’t want to have a clean and unscathed pair of legs.
My wigs tend to look messy and unkept, but I actually style them that way. I work hard to achieve a visual aesthetic that doesn’t always look clean but is totally planned and intentional. There’s a conversation in the drag community about being “polished” as a measure of quality. Some people view elements like messy looking wigs as “unpolished,” but I think that’s unfair to drag as an art form.
In my opinion, if a person can wow audiences and turn incredible transformative looks, that sounds like some quality drag to me. My favorite part about doing drag here in Dallas is the FACT that I turn heads with my alternative looks. Although it’s not for me, I love the pageant scene in Dallas and its culture of hard work and dedication. It inspires me to be a better artist and performer and to take my art to the next level.
Please tell us about Kikii Industries.
I run “Kikii Industries” which is an art collective that produces events, looks, and mixed media for the queer community. We’re known for our monthly party “Drag Ellum” at the Nines in Deep Ellum which is every third Thursday of the month!
Each show is themed and features local alternative drag artists as well as bigger name traveling artists like Andro Gin (Featured in Vogue) and Meatball (from Dragula S1). Our shows and events allow performers to express themselves fully with few limitations.
Many drag shows in Dallas are very strict on liquid pours, death drops, and specific dance moves; Drag Ellum is the alternative to those shows in many ways which makes it fun and a different experience for those wanting a change.
I also personally create custom vinyl clothing and accessories on the side under Kikii Industries, as well as assorted video projects on my YouTube channel. I have a limited interview series on my channel called “Kilo’s Kitchen” which is basically Drunk Cooking, Drag, and thought provoking conversations.
Kikii Industries is proud to promote diverse drag artists from diverse backgrounds to create content and events that can’t be found anywhere else!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I grew up in rural southeastern Missouri, and my favorite memory was going to haunted houses out in the forests and around the small town I lived in as a young teenager.
I was homeschooled and in private school until the 8th grade. I wasn’t super “sheltered” or cut off from the world, but I’d never had a group of friends to go out and have a fun time with before. The fall is a very special time for me and brings back memories of that time which was so transformative for me.
Notions of free thought and making my own way in life became a reality, and I was a happier person after realizing how much potential my life could hold.
Contact Info:
- Website: kilokikii.com
- Email: kilokikiiqueen@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/kilokikii
- Facebook: Facebook.com/kikiiindustries
- Twitter: Twitter.com/kilokikii
Image Credit:
Opulent Dekay, Faye King
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