Kristen McMenamy in Sunday Times Style October 15, 2023 by Melanie + Ramon AOC Fashion

Nineties fashion star Kristen McMenamy has always challenged traditional beauty standards, appearing as a good witch, an ethereal divine goddess or the consummate, goth fashion vampire to her adoring fans.

In 1993 Kristen McMenamy told Harper’s Bazaar "All I ever wanted was for people to not pick on me."

Thirty years later, the similar refrain of young fashion models on Instagram is rebroadcast in Gavanndra Hodge’s new interview with the 58-year-old, Pennsylvania-original in today’s October 15, 2023 Sunday Times Style [IG].

McMenamy is styled by Verity Parker in ‘American Gothic’ elegance from Alberta Ferretti, Bottega Veneta, Dolce & Gabbana, Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, Maison Margiela, Nensi Dojaka. Photographers Melanie + Ramon [IG] are in the studio. / Hair by Olivier Schwalder; makeup by Georgina Graham

Kristen McMenamy explains today to readers of Sunday Times Style:

“I was a dork, 5 foot 10 and bony. I hated what I looked like. If I could have looked like one of those girls, a popular cheerleader, I would have robbed banks to get that.” Instead she attempted to transform herself with make-up, layering thick tan foundation onto her pale face. “Somebody took a picture of me with all this make-up on and I looked kind of good. That must have been the start of it. I longed to be Janice Dickinson, Christie Brinkley, Gia Carangi. I had that one goal, not to make money, I just wanted to be them.”

In 2015, Kristen McMenamy was interviewed by Nick Knight of SHOWstudio about the 1993 ‘Diaghilev’ Harper’s Bazaar shoot with Peter Lindbergh that really put her on the map. The consistency between her reflections with Knight in 2015 and today with Hodge is very solid.