WE ARE WORLDWIDE: KAUV ONAZH X WORLDWIDE MAGAZINE
VOLUME 4, ISSUE 4. SPRING SUMMER 2023.
TALENT, STYLING + BEAUTY BY KAUV ONAZH ★ PHOTOS BY CHRISTIAN HICKS ★ INTERVIEW BY ANDYOMO
ANDYOMO: Tell us about you, where you're from, how long you've been in the industry..
KAUV: My name is Kauv Onazh, 23, from Detroit, MI currently residing in New York City. I’ve been doing makeup since 2017 but haven’t really entered the “industry” until 2021.
Have you always known that makeup and art was your passion?
Art most definitely! Makeup not so much. I’ve always seen makeup as a means of expression but as a child, I really only believed it was accessible to women until my teens years.
As a queer and femme creative, do you find it easier or harder to get noticed and be respected in your industry?
A lot of queer art reflects the love and bravery our community upholds and that is something that is always magnetizing. I think it is easier in the sense that everyone wants a piece of the queer pie which means rent can be paid with money I was proud to earn but hard in the sense that a lot of times is not consistent. The month of pride is the most obvious example of that in my opinion.
What inspirations do you draw from when conceptualizing a look?
I’m a nature nerd downnnn!! Nature for sure.
What do you hope people receive from seeing your work? Are there any messages you hope to send?
Honestly, these past few years of what has been seen from me, has been me just having fun. There’s definitely been a few looks that have more of a message but it’s really this project I’ve been working on recently that takes way more of a thought provoking, well-rounded artistic approach. Regardless, my work will always be the message of what makes Kauv “Kauv”.
Working along some amazing names in the music and art industries, do you find there to be more expectations and limitations as a trans nonbinary person?
From what I’ve experienced, the expectations are really the same. Expectations of femininity or masculinity, expectations of other people’s definitions of those words, etc… as for limitations, this might sound cliché, but I don’t believe in those. Gatekeeping is 100% real but if you believe you have a limit or even the one someone has set for you, it will be your hand to put the cap on it at the end.
Are there any artists that you havent yet worked with that you would love to collaborate/work alongside with in the future?
Most definitely, miss Pat McGrath of course. Outside of makeup though, I would love to work with Daniel Roseberry, Joseph Bsharah and James Traile.
Do you have other creative outlets outside of makeup that help bring you back to yourself?
Yess, the project I mentioned earlier has definitely been that! Makeup, very quickly, turned from shits and giggles to being my career which is very rewarding but also taxing creatively because it can be nonstop at times.
This projects has definitely been something for me to pour my heart and soul into creatively but more so directly for myself.
Has there ever been a time when you have felt exploited in this industry? How do you bounce back from this as a professional but also as a human? What are some red flags to look out for along the way?
Oh 100%. First thing, get you an agent that you trust! I’ve learned being exploited in this industry is usually rooted in greed and business minded manipulation. It feels very belittling at first but you truly just have to remember what got you there in the first place and what you’re doing it for. Red flags are negotiations of your rates and the time between being contacted vs. the time the job starts.
What is the best advice you can give to young Black and Brown creatives in your industry?
Be you. For me, I remember feeling like I had to uphold some type of professionalism or ordnance but soon realized everything I was upholding was rooted in white supremacy one way or another.
Would you say that you have found purpose through makeup or your artistic expressions? If so, what is something you are actively doing to fulfill your purpose?
Yes and no. I believe my purpose in life is just to live. As a black transfemme individual, there are endless obstacles for us to pass through every single day in these laps around the track called life. Creating art has allowed me the strength over those obstacles but, just as much as nurturing my relationships, admiring nature, and so many other things have.
Rocket fire question time! Bright lip or bright eyes?
Eyes
Graphic Liner or fun eyeshadow?
Liner
Glam or camp?
Glam
Glossy or matte?
Glossy
Fun colors or greyscale?
Greyscale
Alright, and what's next for you in your creative journey?
My next project for sure lol. It’s nothing I’ve ever done before and I’m just beyond excited to be able to put so much thought, work, time and dedication into this. It truly feels like my first child. There will definitely be more work out before this project but it’s this project that is next for me as an artist, not as a celebrity mua or a model.
