HEYBOY x VTEEN Exclusive Interview with Kris Grippo. Model Kris Grippo @kris8an photographed by @samyneo and @theezytakes represented by WeCreate. Part two over at heyboymag.com
Q: Who would you name as the biggest motivator in your life to keep stretching towards your dreams?
A: The most influential people in my life have been my parents. I’m the only child they have and all their life they have been working hard for me so that I could live the best life possible. Even though they aren‘t very wealthy I never had to worry about anything. That’s my motivation. I want to work hard so that I can live my life how I want it to live and make me and the people around me happy. I also grew up in a Christian family and I try to live according to Christian values. Believing in God and Jesus is a big motivation for me and helps me reach my goals and follow my dreams.
Q: We hear of so many influencers that end up moving to California to open opportunities that may not have been possible otherwise. When you think about this, do you think anything in your life would become easier or open larger opportunities if you moved away from home and lived in LA?
A: Currently, I am not planning to move outside of Europe. I think at this point in my life and career it also wouldn‘t be the best choice. My community is mainly from Europe and my goal is also to be known in this room. Thanks to my agency from Germany «WeCreate» I have many opportunities here that I want to use. Visiting LA is something I surely want to do but I think moving there is no option for me at this point in my career. Of course, I would have opportunities in LA that I could never have here but on the other hand I have opportunities here that I couldn’t have there. But who knows, maybe one day in the future I will end up in LA. Let‘s see!
Q: Do you have any strange/odd memories of any meet and greets or random encounters with fans that were not planned, that will probably be forever engrained in your mind?
A: Yes, there are actually multiple strange encounters but the coolest was on vacation in Italy. I always go to my grandparents and usually I spend most of the time alone. But this year there was no day that I spent alone. I didn‘t expect it but so many people there knew me. So, I went to the beach and started hanging out with people that followed me and recognized me. We went on boats, we played cards, we filmed videos and were just having fun! That was probably one of my coolest vacations ever and I will never forget the people from the community that I met during that time.
Q: Fashion seems to play a big part in your life. What about the fashion world inspires you the most and where do you think you have pulled the most style inspiration from?
A: I have always been interested in fashion. Through fashion, you can express who you are and be creative. I think the outfit someone wears instantly gives you a first impression of that person. Expressing yourself the way you want is very important and fashion gives you the possibility to do exactly that. That‘s why I don‘t want to copy other people and I try to find my own personal style that shows who I am and how I feel when wearing that outfit. I get my inspiration from everywhere. Other influencers, singers, designers, or maybe even an anime. It doesn‘t really matter because everything can be seen as an inspiration for me and my next outfit.
Q: When you are winding down and taking your attention away from social media and the whole online world, what do you do to pass the time? – Any strange/unique hobbies that your fans don’t know of?
A: At the moment I spend a lot of time in school that I‘m finishing in June. For me, that‘s like a second world. The first one is living as a content creator and the second one is living as a student. Sometimes they cross but school is how I spend the rest of my time now. I also like to play video games like FIFA, Minecraft, or Pokémon even though I don‘t really have the time right now. Apart from that, I love to go out with my friends or play football (soccer)! I have been playing football for over 12 years and I think it‘s the best sport on this planet. If you want to have a long and deep conversation with me, let‘s talk about football or anime!
Q: Life has been quite hard for many people over these past few years… If you could pass on advice to your fans reading this, advice which helped you get through darker times, what would you say to them?
A: Life is and will always be hard. The important thing is to always have your dream in front of you and never let someone stop you from chasing it. In the end, all that matters is that YOU are happy, so do what YOU want to do and not what someone expects from you. Don’t be afraid to be yourself and show the world who you are!
