Kira Von Sutra

Kira Von Sutra by Miss Fit Photo MUAH: Kira
Kira Von Sutra by Miss Fit Photo MUAH: Kira

LA based make-up artist, model, and burlesque performer Kira Von Sutra talks her love for Danny DeVito, blood and gore, and shares her Zombie Apocalypse plan with us, which of course- involves whisky.

By: Vivienne Vermuth

Q: You describe yourself as a “makeup slingin’, gore-lovin’, burlesquing model” from Tulsa, Oklahoma.  How long were you involved with burlesque in Tulsa before moving to Los Angeles?  I imagine the two scenes are dramatically different; what are the biggest differences you’ve noticed?

The Tulsa scene is obviously smaller!  I was in the 1st revival troupe in Oklahoma; we started in 2003, so I was performing Burlesque for 6 years before I moved to Los Angeles. We didn’t have the option of taking Burlesque classes; we had to figure everything out ourselves. The resources there for costuming are also pretty crappy. You have to order everything online so it tends to be more expensive. Now that I live in LA I have the fashion district at my finger tips. It makes it 100% easier to achieve the costumes and characters I have in my head.

Kira Von Sutra. Photo: Roy Varga, MUAH: Lindy Sue
Kira Von Sutra. Photo: Roy Varga, MUAH: Lindy Sue

Q:  Currently you are in school studying makeup artistry.   What have been some of your favorite experiences doing makeup? Any celebrities?

I actually finished school over a year ago. I have worked on my share of celebs: I did the makeup for the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia live show, the comedy short for The Golden Gods Awards on VH1, and makeup for www.funnyordie.com and www.thebloodfactory.com

Doing makeup for and on and for Danny DeVito is always a treat. Not only is he hilarious but he is hospitable and genuine. He fed the workers on set better then I feed myself! Dan Aykroyd was also amazing to work with, but when I did makeup for the Golden God awards I was silently freaking out. I am a HUGE fan of metal. I got to work with and be around some of the most famous and talented musicians in the metal world.

Kira Von Sutra. Photo: Miss Fit Photo
Kira Von Sutra. Photo: Miss Fit Photo

Q:  How would you describe your burlesque style? Do you try to interject your love of horror into it and your modeling?

As much as I love traditional burlesque, rock and roll and horror burlesque is where my heart is. Combining the two is heaven. Performing burlesque to Shout at the Devil dressed as a glam ram-horned Satan while spitting blood at people pretty much sums me up as a person and a performer. As far as modeling goes it’s the same. I love the idea of looking like a traditional pinup, wearing latex, being covered in blood, and wielding an axe. I find that there is SO much traditional pinup and burlesque that I like to spice things up my way. Horror has played such a huge roll in my life since I can remember;  I completely surround myself with it. It’s in my house, tattooed on my body, and in my blood. I grew up with Freddy as a hero. My Grandmother and Mother are big fans too so as a family we used to watch movies and old TV shows together.

Q: Speaking of gore, you recently talked about your contingency plan in case of zombie apocalypse. Care to share with us?

Sure! My boyfriend and I are HUGE zombie fans. We know where the closest gun store is to us. We’ll head there first, grab supplies, then haul ass to Texas for my boyfriend’s father’s ranch to hold up. He has lots of firearms and whiskey!

Q: What’s currently on your plate? What can we look forward to seeing from you in the near future?

Currently I have been working hard on sewing, millinery, making hair accessories, and costuming for burlesque performers. I’ve also been heavily considering getting into designing latex lingerie and clothing.

I’ve been in cahoots with the Fishnet Follies to start burlesque classes in LA to teach a few different makeup classes:  Makeup for Stage and Makeup for Everyday.  I want anyone to be able to attend, not just performers. As far as my own burlesquing goes- I started to hone in my sewing skills to work on making bigger and better costumes for myself. I am ready to take things to the next level.

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