“WHY CAN’T SLUTS CHANGE THE WORLD?”: GATA CHATS WITH PORN ICON KAZUMI

 

If marketing and self-promotion were Olympic events, adult content creator and social media star, Kazumi would be smashing records and dominating the competition right now. In the past few years, her meteoric rise to stardom has been nothing short of breathtaking. With millions following her every move on social media and OnlyFans, drawn to her unapologetic message of authenticity and uplifting notions of freedom and sexual empowerment.

Kazumi’s journey has been unconventional, to say the least, a bizarre adventure that perfectly matches the storybook nature of the LA native’s hometown. Growing up in a sheltered upbringing, she studied film at a community college before moving into a marketing job at what she now suspects was a borderline pyramid scheme. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Kazumi decided to start her OnlyFans as a means of gaining remote income, and since then, she hasn’t looked back, pumping out NSFW content with the same ferocity as a Manny Pacquiao brawl.

All throughout her career, she has maintained a strong ideology, never backing down from the outside pressures of society. Her message is clear, “why should a woman’s sexuality hold back her opportunities in the world?” If one were to look at her trajectory so far, it is hard to argue with her success, transitioning easily between adult and mainstream media, all the while challenging traditional notions of sex work and highlighting shifting attitudes towards sexuality and gender roles.

But at its core, Kazumi’s success can be attributed to one thing: her larger-than-life personality. Like many figures who have adopted mononymic identities, such as Prince and Madonna, her brand image has become bigger than the sum of her various activities, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. GATA recently had the chance to meet Kazumi and talk about her ideas behind the persona she has forged for herself, a conversation that touches on an array of topics such as the rising allure of bimbofication, her obsession with toe cleavage heels, as well as her reaction to walking the latest Anna Bolina show at New York Fashion Week. 

GATA: Hi Kazumi, thanks for speaking with us. You’re a multi-hyphenate who’s up to a lot—a social media maven, a socialite seen at pretty buzzy fashion events. At the same time, one of the first results that pops up on Google is your Pornhub profile. What would you like to be known for professionally?

Kazumi: One of my favourite quotes that I live by has always been, “Why can’t sluts change the world?” And by that, I mean several things, one of which is that I want to carry my association with sex work as part of my narrative in almost everything I do. I want to show people that the sky’s the limit in terms of what we can achieve and that no door has been closed to people like me, regardless of what people think. I feel like a lot of sex workers have felt like they’d have to erase that part of their story to become welcomed into different endeavours, and I want to show people that times have changed. I’m not sure if what I am right now can be filled in one box—I’m an adult entertainer. I guess the most all-encompassing thing would be that I aim to be a pop culture icon, a household name. 

GATA: As a sex worker who is pivoting to the world of high fashion, you’re in the midst of a big transition in your career and personal life. Break down it for us: what types of connotations are you stepping away from, and what are you leaning into?

Kazumi: I want to step away from the idea that we have to be one thing. Life is short, we’re able to diversify as much as we want and have the range without giving up who we are. Sex and fashion go hand in hand—it’s in everything we consume and how we express ourselves. Fashion, just like my work, has always been about rebellion. I want to lean into a more elevated aesthetic of sex worker fashion. For me, I’ve always liked dressing extremely feminine, and borderline promiscuous. It feels rebellious in a world where so many people connotate that with a lack of intelligence or respect. Yet here I am, accomplishing everything despite what people say. 

GATA: From Vivienne Westwood’s fetish-wear-accented designs, Balenciaga's latex and BDSM-drenched looks to the rise of the stripper-core aesthetic, it’s clear that the fashion world has taken style pointers from sex workers for decades. Why do you think that is?

Kazumi: Whether people like it or not, sex is in everything we consume, from our music to the clothes we wear to our food. The secret to seduction is unpredictability, which is everything sex worker fashion is. It’s also a sign of how times are changing—we are becoming more accepting of expressing ourselves to the fullest degree. 

“I remember my dad sitting me down once when I was younger and saying, ‘Look, boys won’t actually like you if you dress like this.’ His response almost made me wanna laugh. As if I’m dressing for men! If men didn’t exist, I’d dress even SLUTTIER!”
— Kazumi

GATA: What are some of the best examples in your experience of this interplay between sex work and fashion?

Kazumi: Lately, Pornhub has been leaning toward being more fashion-forward, and one of the coolest experiences we’ve had was when Briana Andalore (Julia Fox’s stylist) styled all of us for last year’s Pornhub party in these elevated but super sexy fashion pieces. In that same year, Andrew Richardson (Richardson magazine) shot me in a Pornhub x Hajime Sorayama capsule collection piece. Even more personally, my first taste of fashion was when I was contracted to VIXEN, and the stylist would meticulously dress me for my scenes in high fashion all the time. There’d be so much care into the presentation and ritual of it all. For our meet and greets, they created custom pieces for us to greet our fans in. For me, the best examples are heavy-handed and not just tip-toing—if you’re going to use the aesthetic, use the actual people. I’m not roleplaying, this is my real life. 

GATA: What are you bringing into the fashion world that’s different from everyone else?

Kazumi: I remember my dad sitting me down once when I was younger and saying, “Look, boys won’t actually like you if you dress like this.” I naturally always dressed slutty, and his response almost made me wanna laugh. As if I’m dressing for men! If men didn’t exist, I’d dress even SLUTTIER! When I stayed at nudist or swinger resorts, the few times I’d wear clothes, I’d still be in lingerie or pleasers or in a maid outfit for no reason. My style has been truly consistent to the core—dressing like a whore is a true reflection of how I absolutely want to represent myself, no matter what. I don’t mean to say I’m the first unapologetic slut to enter fashion—but I’m from this life, I’m no tourist. When the girls would pop out in pleasers and tiny string tops and belts for skirts at the 7-Eleven at 2 am after a wild sex party, that was me. Always has been.

GATA: You’ve had some big 2025 NYFW moments, namely, closing designer Anna Bolina’s SS25 runway show. What was your internal monologue when walking the runway for the first time? Did you do anything to prepare?

Kazumi: I had been marching up and down the room, practising my walk. I was actually so nervous. I’d compare myself to a swan—to the outside world, I seemed cool and collected, but underneath, I was paddling rapidly, frantic underwater. I wanted to do right by her, because she may not have known it, but this was one of the most important things I’ve ever done in my life. I never thought I’d even be let into the room. I always dreamed of being the girl strutting down the runway but had every deterrent in my mind holding me back. But times are changing.

GATA: What’s your connection with Anna Bolina, and what led you to close such a beautiful show?

Kazumi: Anna Bolina is a genius who, like me, lived the life she shows. I feel so aligned to other people who have been in sex work, and it was a match made in heaven to have the honour of closing it. 

GATA: Are there any lessons from the sex industry you’ve learned that also apply as wise business or life advice?

Kazumi: It’s none of your business what other people think about you. It’s not about the resources you have, it’s about how resourceful you are.

GATA: Any recent obsessions in general?

Kazumi: What’s in for me right now: lingerie underneath a regular outfit, heels no matter what, and my Alaia heels with the toe cleavage. 

GATA: Who are the sexiest people/brands/etc in fashion? (Bonus points if they're under the radar!)

Kazumi: You know what? I really like the Clermont twins. I support people doing whatever they want with their look, so people like them or Amanda Lepore unapologetically leaning into bimbofication and looking so unique and carrying clothes with such a unique silhouette is so impressive. I’ve had my fair share of surgeries and understand the delicate balance of the uncanny valley and toeing the line between looking unreal to insane and I think they’ve accomplished it beautifully. And on top of that they’re wearing the sickest pieces on top of that. 

GATA: What’s a brutal reality of sex work, the fashion industry, or entrepreneurship that isn’t talked about enough? How did you overcome it?

Kazumi: You gotta spend money to make money. Of course, your aesthetic can be accomplished with less dollars and more creativity, but sometimes that extra “oomph” is what you need to really make that statement. Everyone wants what we have—it takes a village. Finding a great team that shares the same vision is expensive and timely. But it’s so worth it when it’s all right. 

GATA: I’m of the opinion that manifesting works. So, what are some of your dream collaborations and projects? So, we can put that out into the universe.

Kazumi: I just saw Mia Khalifa walk Vogue. Saw Lana Rhodes in Alexander Wang. Why not? I’d really love to do anything with Nadia Lee Cohen. If I was the face of a SKIMS campaign, I think I’d pass out. 

GATA: Any last hot takes/jokes/ thoughts?

Kazumi: Why can’t sluts change the world? 

 
 
CultureJames Elliott