What makes Kim Wilde so special in the eyes of thousands of girls and boys? They know her repertoire inside out, flirt with her music. They recreate her hairdo and go to second hand clothing shops to find the clothes she’s wearing. They act cool like she does, holding back every smile. Kim Wilde is most surprised herself, does not understand that her looks are so successful. «I buy all my clothes myself and I cut my own hair», she says. «When you think about it, I’m just an ordinary girl. I could have been the girl next door or your best friend. Now I am a star, they say. OK, but really, I find that very normal too.»
Against fashion trends
Kim Smith was born in 1981. Maybe it was always written in the stars that she would be the next Wilde in the business. The story of her father, Marty, is wellknown. But another aspect that keeps thousands of girls around Europe busy, is Kims looks. That is weird, because Kim goes against every current fashion trend. She prefers to wear second hand clothing from the sixties or clothing that would look oldfashioned on any other. But this sixties look becomes Kim extremely well. On top of that, she hates expensive clothes. She just seeks out what she wears with pleasure and with a smile she adds that this has never led to her being kicked out of a tv studio because she didn’t look nice enough.
«I’m not a glamourous type», Kim explains. «I don’t like the creations of some fashion king. I decide for myself what looks good on me. Sometimes I do steal an idea from a sixties star, that’s right. Dusty Springfield, the Ronnettes. Cilla Black are my role models. But I’ve never knowingly copied the looks of them. I make my own mixture. As for my hair, well, many volumes have been written about that. Why everybody makes such a fuss about it I don’t know. It’s nothing special. There’s no expensive hairdresser involved. I cut and colour my own hair. When I was at art college I got so bored with my own brown hair, that I asked permission from my parents to colour them. At first, I wanted raven black hair, but my best friend told me it wouldn’t look good on me. So I chose blonde instead.»
«I’m not bragging»
Kim Wilde speaks slowly and very self assured. Is she really that cool or is it just a pose?
«I feel like I’ve done all this before», Kim explains. «Since January last year I’ve been constantly working on my career: cruising through Europe, tv shows, recordings, interview. Being sincere is easier than I thought at first. The showbusiness speaks for itself. I know where I stand and what I can achieve. I’m not impressed by the success. It’s really nothing special. A lot of people find that a pity. They say I’m bragging about it, but really, I’m not. I can’t help it that success seems so normal. The showbusiness is fantastic as long as you keep a perspective on things.»
Don’t you feel like a money machine in the hands of a smart producer?
«No, certainly not», Kim emphasizes. «I don’t feel like that at all. I really believe in what I’m doing».
How do you look at yourself on TV?
«I think that’s a weird question?! I do see a video of myself and that does nothing with me. I don’t watch a lot of television. When I have a night off, I play with my sister Roxanne or go out with my friends. They’re really great. They find it great that I’m successful, because I never noticed any jealousy from them. When we go out, we never talk about my career. But they are all members of my fanclub of course!… (laughs)»