Interviewer / Bri Ng Schwartz
Creative Director +Photographer / Jordan Millington Liquorice
Producer / Elizabeth Murphy
EIC + Stylist / Phil Gomez
Set Designer / Philipp Haemmerle
Makeup / Rory Alvarez
Hair / Isaac Davidson @theonly.agency
Photo Asst / Spohie Walter
Photo Asst / Adam DiCarlo
Styling Asst / Mariano Garcia / Jazzmint Dash
Intern / Asher Oliver
Production Assistant / Dawn Tomassone
Digital Tech / Cassandra Torres
Stand-In Model Talent / BB Berg
Post Production / @nd_creative.studio
Cover Art / Lauren Nakao Winn
Gelee Artist / Zoe Messinger @gelee_gelee
Founder / Koko Ntuen
Shot at the iconic Plaza Hotel in New York City
I was first introduced to the whimsical world of Kitty Lever through her early TikTok days. Her “Can I have a piece” and “Friend that lives in her own universe” series presented a caricature: a blonde, doe eyed New York it-girl that felt so different from me, but hilarious and relatable nonetheless. We crossed paths in person at LADYGUNN’s x doors fashion week merch launch. She was a larger than life personality and a larger than life wig wearing huge platforms and decked out in Hesta.
Her Instagram and Substack presence present a more crafty, vulnerable and poetic version of Lever. Through glimpses into her personal life through essays and poems, it is clear that the Tiktok girl and whimsical fashion icon is only a fraction of her creative identity. When preparing to speak with her, I wasn’t sure which version of Lever I would be meeting with: would she be larger than life? An intellectual? Or just one of the girls? The answer: all three, and so much more.
Within five minutes of meeting, Kitty and I spoke the way I do with my friends about art, fashion, writing and oversharing on the internet. Kitty pulls Alice in Wonderland themed art off her walls, and shows me scrapbook pages with early blueprints for her debut poetry book, Whispers of A Kitten, coming this fall. I learned about her pre-social media and pre-New York. I met Katie Lever.
It’s really nice to meet you officially. We crossed paths at the LADYGUNN merch launch, but I don’t think we formally met. You looked great!
Thank you! It’s really interesting doing different looks. That was one of my biggest goals for this year. I have a bunch of them, but one of them was to try to bring the Kitty caricature to real life. That was my first time ever wearing a wig outside. I’ve done it in photo shoots all the time, but this was my first time ever in public. I felt like it was a Hannah Montana moment, but not really because it’s myself, but this more playful and spontaneous extension of myself.
Have you always led your public-facing persona with the caricature of Kitty at the forefront? Or is it more of a balance between her and the real you?
I feel like I have to start with the fact that my real name is Katie, and my nickname in my family was Kitty. That was a really personal nickname. Nobody really called me that outside of my brother, my aunts and my grandma. Then the username became available on Instagram, and I decided to just make it a cohesive flip. My whole career changed after that, not just because of the name, but the world I was able to create for myself.
I think my online presence is definitely an extension of my real self, but I actually feel like I get to keep the merest parts of myself more private because of the caricature that exists within the split. Personal branding really took root when I started doing the “Can I have a piece?” and “The friend that lives in their own universe” series. I’m in improv classes right now, and it’s allowed me to really world build a part of myself on a stage that otherwise I don’t think I would’ve discovered. It’s hard though.
What’s hard about it?
I’m still pushing through stage fright, which in class is fine, but we did a show and it was definitely challenging for me. Comedy is such a vulnerable thing. The hardest part that I’m pushing through right now is I’m really good at playing the character that is sort of cutesy, bubbly, sort of ditzy and joyful, but I don’t really have other characters in my bag that I can play with comfort. I’m working to shed the mass in the layers and embody all the different parts of myself.
Speaking of “Can I have a piece?” and “The friend that lives in their own universe” from Tiktok, what has your relationship to the platform looked like as the years have passed and it has evolved?
TikTok’s really fun, but respectfully, I feel like they don’t really know me as well there. Instagram is where I built a platform where everything I post will be served to my audience. With TikTok, it’s almost like you have to perform within a certain caricature that does well for it to actually hit.
I know you’re on Substack too. I’ve shifted a lot of my social media activity there, and I’ve been following you there for a while. What have you learned about your creative voice through that platform specifically?
I started with a weekly newsletter that I used to send on a different platform and you had to subscribe to it. I thought “what if I just made all of these newsletters public, and I just created a Substack where people can come and go?” I’m still figuring out my relationship with Substack, but outside of a creator perspective, I have really enjoyed scrolling on Substack and finding new writers. As soon as I get their Substacks into my inbox, I read them right away and it’s really compelling. It almost feels like Tumblr in a way where some people I follow are anonymous. I don’t know where they live. It’s so fascinating, interesting and deeply inspiring how the algorithm can also serve you writing that also enmeshes with who you are too.
Yeah, there’s way more vulnerability happening on that platform. You’re a poet, so that’s not new to you. So I’m kind of curious, how do you maintain a healthy boundary for yourself with that when sharing your work publicly?
Although I am very vulnerable, I feel like my vulnerability is usually served when there’s a through line, and I think that’s where the protection and boundary happens that people don’t actually see. I went through this experience and I’ve processed it, I’ve come out of the other side, and now I’m talking about it. I’m not talking about anything that’s fresh, and if I am, I feel like I’ve already processed it a little bit.
Most recently something I talk about is sobriety, and I feel like that was really hard for me to share at first because I didn’t want people to label me and I had a problem. But then I thought “what’s the problem with that?” If you do feel like you actually have a little bit of a problem, but feel like you came out on the other side? So I do a lot of those kinds of talks with myself and at the end of the day, I’m always thinking of younger girls. If there’s a veil of vulnerability, but on the other side is somebody who could actually benefit from the story or the lesson or the truth, I’m always punching through it.
What advice would you give to young girls who are artists and creators looking to engage with their own vulnerability publicly like that?
The best part about art is somebody’s perspective. People shouldn’t go exploiting their life or exploiting their secrets. That’s not completely needed, but I think the world loves perspective. All the little things that we try to hide that we maybe feel ashamed of are actually the things that would draw more people to you.
Oversharing and vulnerability is something that I think about a lot as a writer and a person with social media accounts in general. I’m always curious to hear how others feel about it.
It’s like breaking the fourth wall when somebody’s being honest and has their own unique voice and something to share. You can tell that they’re not hesitating when they’re typing, or painting or whatever they’re doing.
Another place you shine creatively is through fashion. When did fashion find you?
My first introduction into fashion was thrifting. I was a soccer player in college, but by sophomore year I wasn’t really playing a lot. There were girls that were better than me, and as hard as I worked, I wasn’t getting as much playing time as I wanted to. That ended up being one of the best things that happened to me because it forced me to have a preemptive existential crisis. “Who the fuck am I when I’m not playing soccer?” and so I started thrifting, and thrifting led to sewing. Soon I was selling clothes to other sororities on campus and having pop-up shops. During college soccer, you’re not allowed to make money off your name, your brand, or your face. That was an NCAA rule when I was playing and they lifted it two years after I stopped. I posted on my Instagram and Facebook accounts about the shops, and my school got fined $1,500. I had to sit out a couple games because my likeness was promoting my business, which is the most absurd thing ever.
But it’s kind of beautiful in a way that there was so much controversy with me and clothes and soccer, because it totally represents the inner chaos and turmoil that I was facing on the inside too of like, okay, who am I?
It’s interesting that it became a business for you in that way. I feel like the constant battle with creative practice is figuring out what you want to monetize and what can just be for you?
Yeah, and fuck that! Oh my God, it’s exhausting. I kind of feel like that’s what modeling has sort of been in a way. I mean, obviously I know that I’ve done cool paid campaign jobs, but I feel like that’s also something I do for myself, for the people around me, for an audience that isn’t necessarily making any sort of money, except maybe if you look at it long-term establishing some sort of personal brand or identity. I hope I can do that shit forever.
I’d love to hear more about the creative community that you’ve surrounded yourself with these days and what you value in those relationships.
I’m really lucky because I feel really grounded in the fashion community here and not just even the big designers. I feel close with the smaller designers. Those are the people I’ve always felt really aligned with and seen in. It’s an interesting dichotomy of being an influencer because as I grow, I touch more mainstream audiences while also just feeling really grounded in an alt fashion scene in New York. That’s LADYGUNN too. That’s the community that I really try to foster around me. Even shooting this cover was a dreamy day.
Are there any other artistic mediums that you want to dip your toes into that you haven’t yet?
Acting for sure. I want to get into more training for it because I really do love it. I could see myself getting into directing as well. Maybe painting eventually. Painting is definitely one of the most intimidating realms.
Your content is so grounded in New York and the arts ecosystem here. Are there any other cities that you’ve been to that inspire you creatively in a similar way?
This summer, I went to Istanbul, a smaller subtown city called Balat. It was in the top three places I have ever been to. It was just the most whimsical little town I’ve ever encountered. It was just very absurd, but it wasn’t trying to be absurd. It was just very colorful. Oh, I can show you. I got this Alice in Wonderland painting there!
I always think of Alice in Wonderland when I see you pop up on my For You pages.
Alice in Wonderland is definitely one of my biggest inspirations ever. I see it as the most reflective mirror I’ve ever found in tangible media ever. Something that’s like, “Oh, I see you and I’m you. One of my favorite parts about the art that comes from that story is how it’s interpreted in so many different ways. It doesn’t ever look just like the Disney version when people do their own renditions of what these characters look like, it’s so fascinating to me.
I want to hear more about your poetry book. What can you share about that?
I have this poetry page on Instagram. It’s called @whiskersofakitten which is also the name of the book. I’ve always loved writing. If you asked me when I was in fifth grade what my favorite class was or subject, I would say English. I loved how you could just invent something with words. The book is essentially what the Instagram page is. I’ve been working on it for four years. When I first moved here, I was just writing poetry in my notes app. Then I started writing it on a notebook paper, scanning it, and posting it. I remember when the Instagram page had literally 36 followers and I’ve just watched it grow.
It’s probably the most fulfilling thing because it’s such a raw and true, pure form of myself. The work is about heartbreak. It’s about loss. It’s about metamorphosis. It’s about girlhood and womanhood at the same time. It explores sex and nightlife, getting sober.
Would you say this book is more in the voice of Kitty or Katie?
I like the idea of Whispers of a Kitten being by Kitty. It feels poetic in its own way, but also still allows me that privacy. You know how different authors will use pseudonyms? I still feel like Kitty’s the one that’s publishing a book that’s talking about sex in an erotic and explicit way. She’s still the one doing that and I’m going to let her have it.
I thought about that a lot actually, what name would be on it, but that’s where I landed and I feel good about it. The privacy thing is the most interesting part, the privacy boundary really only exists to me and feels like some level of preservation.
Preservation is important with the bigger followings you get with outward-facing work.
I agree. I’m excited to see what people think and feel. I’m mostly excited to be a part of a movement that helps inspire people to read and write. Although the book is going to be for sale, I’d rather sell the idea that somebody could read and write like that too, or have their experiences and write something about it. Putting another book on somebody’s shelf feels good to me.
Whispers of a Kitten is sure to add more color to the rainbow that is the creative universe of Kitty Lever. Whether it be on your iPhone screen, your Substack, or in the same room as you at a fashion show or creative gathering, she is sure to make you feel like one of the girls.
Dress and Jewelry, Jazzmint Dash. Tiara, Stylist Archive. Shoes, Betsey Johnson.
Bra, John Galliano. Skirt, Jarel Zhang. Shoes, John Fluevog. Earrings, Jazzmint Dash. Hat, Stylist Archive. Ribbon, ALDRIAN.
Top,Pipenco. Skirt, Jalyn Young. Shoes, John Fluevog. Bracelet, Alexis Bittar.
Skirt + Necklace, Jazzmint Dash. Top, SAGA, Earrings + Bracelets, Alexis Bittar. Tights, Givenchy. Shoes, TaoTao.
Bra + Accessories, Jazzmint Dash. Eye Earrings, Schiaparelli.
Top, Mark Gong. Bolero, Jalyn Young. Shorts, Pipenco. Shoes, Gedebe. Earrings + Ring, Alexis Bittar.Necklace, Sparkle Baby Gem.
Top, esque/by. Skirt, Jalyn Young. Jewelry, Alexis Bittar. Shoes, John Fluevog.
Dress & Hat, Pipenco. Shoes + Necklace, Betsy Johnson. Ring, Vintage.
Swimsuit, Tabbe Designs. Necklace, Betsy Johnson. Bracelet and Ring, Dinosaur Designs.
Eyewear, Gentle Monster.