Olympic Gold Medalist Chloe Kim Is a Designer Now Too
The snowboarding star talks her first ROXY collection and being the Asian American representation she needed growing up.
It’s been a busy year for two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim. She won the women’s halfpipe back in February and made history as the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the event. That would be enough for most people to want to take a break, but not Kim. Instead, she decided to try and make a name for herself in the fashion world, a feat that can easily be just as—if not, more so—unattainable than a gold medal. But after attending her first Met Gala in May and sitting front row at a handful of New York Fashion Week shows this past September, Kim is clearly succeeding.
Her latest endeavor is a merging of her two worlds, and the history-making gold medalist can now add designer to her résumé with her debut snowboarding collection for ROXY. The nine-piece line, which launched this week, was the natural next step for Kim, who wanted to wear stuff on the slopes that expressed her own sense of style. Consisting of bright pastels, as well as a marbled pattern, the pieces are meant to be mixed and matched, and have all the technical details required to keep the wearer warm and dry.
For Kim, this collection represented a chance to own her narrative, down to the clothes she wears on the slopes—something she hasn’t been able to do as a sponsored athlete in the past. Ahead, BAZAAR.com catches up with her to talk about how it felt being one of the only Asian American faces on the mountain growing up, what went through her mind while on the Met Gala red carpet, and the one piece of advice she gave to a fan who needed encouragement to forge her own path.
First off, what inspired your ROXY collection?
This was the first time I got to design, and in the beginning, I was driving myself crazy. I was like, “I don’t know what to do! What are people going to like?” After talking to my friend Cynthia Rowley, who’s worked with ROXY a bunch of times, she told me to make stuff that [I would] want. The minute I switched my mentality, it became the most fun journey. I love pastels and fun colors, so that was the one thing I had to have in my first collection.
Why was it important for you to have color in this collection?
Snowboarding has been in my life for 18 years. My first jacket was a green camo thing that wasn’t super cute. I remember being so envious of the other little girls that got to wear polka dots or pinks. But I was on snowboarding teams, and we had uniforms unless we were sponsored. Once I was sponsored, I didn’t get to pick either. It was whatever the brand wanted to see me in. The minute I was able to control what I wore, I always wanted to wear colorful things to heal that piece of me.
Photo: Courtesy of ROXY
Chloe Kim
Do you consider yourself a colorful dresser?
It’s so funny because I feel like when I’m home in L.A., I’m always wearing black for the most part. But on the mountains, I love to wear color, because it looks good, you know? Everything’s all white, so you need a pop for contrast.
Photo: Courtesy of ROXY
Chloe Kim
Speaking of fashion, you’ve gone to the Met Gala, New York Fashion Week, and other events. What is it about fashion that draws you in?
Traveling the world and going to places like Europe and Asia all the time, I was constantly surrounded by fashion, and it’s been so interesting to me. Being able to attend the Met, go to shows and events, I love meeting the geniuses behind these beautiful art pieces. I met Peter Do at the Met, and he’s the sweetest, most amazing human. I went to his show and remembered what we talked about. Seeing that [art] come to life [on the runway] was so incredible—I always appreciate people’s journeys.
Were you nervous?
Oh, my gosh, It was intense, and I was so excited. I actually got invited a few years ago, but I couldn’t attend because of something at school. I was so disappointed. So this time I had to do it. I was in hair and makeup for, like, three or four hours. The dress was giant, and my stylist [Jeanne Yang] shipped it in a massive box that looked like I got a treadmill in the mail. Getting in the car was crazy!
And those stairs, man, those stairs are the most intimidating part, and the last thing you want to do is fall. I told myself to keep an eye on the next step and kept repeating in my head, “Don’t fall.” I was in the highest heels I’ve ever worn, and my feet were awful by the end of the night.
Chloe Kim at the 2022 Met Gala, wearing a Giambattista Valli couture gown. Photo: Jeff Kravitz
Chloe Kim
What was your favorite part of the night?
Oh, my gosh, It was intense, and I was so excited. I actually got invited a few years ago, but I couldn’t attend because of something at school. I was so disappointed. So this time I had to do it. I was in hair and makeup for, like, three or four hours. The dress was giant, and my stylist [Jeanne Yang] shipped it in a massive box that looked like I got a treadmill in the mail. Getting in the car was crazy!
And those stairs, man, those stairs are the most intimidating part, and the last thing you want to do is fall. I told myself to keep an eye on the next step and kept repeating in my head, “Don’t fall.” I was in the highest heels I’ve ever worn, and my feet were awful by the end of the night.
What was your favorite part of the night?
I got to meet so many amazing people, with Peter [Do] being one of them. I also ran into other Asian American icons like Awkwafina—I’m a big fan of hers—as well as Phillip Lim. It’s so awesome to see so many Asian American faces at an event like the Met, and that representation was really important to me.
Speaking of Asian American representation, you had a thoughtful speech at the Gold House gala where you talked about the racism you faced during your early years on the slopes. Looking back, what do you wish you could tell your younger self during those hard times?
Snowboarding is a predominantly white sport, and with it comes ignorance. I realized at a young age that I’m never going to be able to change people’s negative perception of me or the fact that they can be mean and racist. It’s out of my control. That said, I want to be more real with her and tell her, “Listen, you’re going to be one of the few Asian American women in sports.” I was always looking for that person [to look up to] and help me cope, but I couldn’t find them. I later realized that person was me; I could be that person for the next generation and, hopefully, make it a little easier for them.
Photo: Courtesy of ROXY
Chloe Kim
What do you hope girls will take away from seeing what you’re doing?
I am beyond blessed to have this job. I get to do what I love, and a part of that is being able to inspire others, especially young Asian American girls. I remember once when a girl came up to me and told me she loves fencing but she has to quit because it doesn’t pay the bills. I thought, “That’s so sad! Why would you want to stop doing something you love so much?” And I sat there and talked to her. I told her, “Don’t think like that, because you don’t know; you could be the person to change that. You don’t know what impact you’ll have. Don’t hold back. The minute you love something, you’re unstoppable.”
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Shop Chloe's new collection below.
This article originally appeared in Harper's BAZAAR US.