In conversation with .. 5!

IT’S DAVI,
BITCH!
Photography + Creative Direction Karl Slater @slaterkarl
Stylist + Words Lewis Robert Cameron @lrcfashionstylist
Grooming Sogol Ravi @sogolmakeup
Model Davi @itzjustdavi
KALBLUT chats to queer and proud Instagrammer/cowboy curator Davi - a singular title like Madonna, Cher and
Rihanna but with more muscles, more tattoos and more bodysuits combined with discussing issues on combating
racism, staying authentic and finding confidence in loving and accepting who you are. Both inside and out.
[Whispers] It’s Davi, bitch!
Hi Davi, tell us a little about yourself and what
brought you to London?
Ooh about myself, I am just a queer man making
his way through this world. I’m in London quite
often, I love the city, the energy, it’s always good
to me. One of my dearest friends lives in London
also so I visit and hang out with her a lot. Especially
during the summertime [wink wink]. London has
fashion, art culture music and youth tribes, it’s a
whole vibe.
This issue of KALBLUT is our Pride issue, when
we look at you we see a strong, proud, queer,
black man. Have you always felt this way?
Confidence, for me, comes from within. I didn’t get
to experience trying to find confidence, I moved
out from home at age 15 and I had to have the
confidence to survive. Any insecurities had to be
put aside. I have to be confident and strong and be
a voice for all those queer black kids who don’t have
anyone to look up to.
Personally, I think that’s a major important element
in the LGBTQIA+ community. Not everyone is
strong and not everyone should be expected to
be, I do think that continuing my journey and
staying true to who I am will definitely show queer
black kids out there that you can be beautiful and
confident regardless of what society “expects” of
you. Some people may be intimidated by confident
queer people, but you either spend your life for
others or for yourself.
Have you ever felt that you have to look or act a certain way as a
black queer person?
No, I do my own thing, I don’t really fit in any boxes, I am like
a wild-card I think the queer community sometimes “tries”
to say how one should look, act, think or feel and that’s not
something I’ve ever fallen into. I’ve always done my own thing,
and I consider myself queer because I am artistic and I relate
way more to queer people and I think in that respect ones’ race is
irrelevant.
Have you felt you’ve had to overcome any issues of racism and
homophobia within the fashion industry?
I’ve always been into fashion, but I never really truly pursued it
because I was an athlete; football player, the goal was to go pro,
but art just kept finding its way into my brain, and I knew it was
a sign. I’ve only been immersed in the fashion scene for the last
two years. So this is just a very beautiful beginning for me.
Thankfully I think the fashion industry is changing, I am
relatively new to the fashion industry so I haven’t fully
experienced anything as far as homophobia or racism but I know
it exists and it happens. I’m grateful that things are changing so
now I can explore the industry being my true self and feeling
100% accepted.
Have you ever felt fetishized by the queer community?
I’m black, tatted and muscular so yes, in some people’s words I’m
a walking “fantasy”. It’s constantly BBC or a thug or a prisoner
or whatever bullshit that these racist gays have to come up with.
Like I’ve said, I am very thick-skinned so I can handle a lot of
shit, you can’t help ignorant people, you can try but they’ll stay
ignorant regardless.
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