An American Beauty: 3 Questions with Kat Von D

In honor of Kat Von D's American Beauty Art Show beginning at Sephora Miami on December 1st—we stole a few quick minutes with the beauty icon as she prepares for the big debut to ask her about the inspiration behind the collection—and what 'American Beauty' means to her.

B&TB: Your collection is named New American Beauty. How do you define American beauty?
KVD: Maybe I was programmed differently but to me, the idea of beauty is something so far removed from anything surface. I’m sure Hollywood and all of its billboards may disagree with me, but as fleeting as trends can be, so is the lifeline of these material things we've become so attached to—a youthful appearance, dress size, etc. Meanwhile, your true self—the beauty within—is everlasting. From my perspective: strength, altruism, wisdom, independence, individuality, creativity, and presence are characteristics of true American beauty.

B&TB: How did you become involved with the charity, Art of Elysium?
KVD: One of my all time favorite modern day figurative painters, Kevin Llewellyn had mentioned several times to me his experiences working with AoE. He described to me these amazing exchanges of energy that would take place when he would go draw with these kids at the Children's Hospitals. After my first time joining Kevin at a workshop, there was absolutely no denying that this was something important, and I wanted to be a part of what AoE was doing as much as possible.

B&TB: Where do you find your daily inspiration?
KVD: Living in the city of Los Angeles has always been a daily inspiration for me, not because I’m biased to the West Coast but because I believe it’s important to be inspired by your surroundings. The city offers a wide spectrum of cultures from all over the world—you can see this in the people walking by, the fashion, the food, the architecture, and in the art that comes from here. Of course, LA is my biggest muse, second only to love.