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Welcome to LA Stories, a section where I interview people from all walks of life that have made LA their home.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that the song “DÁKITI” has been playing everywhere. It’s amassed millions of streams and almost one billion views on Youtube in less than a year.
The first time I heard the song, I was at brunch with a friend. I had to interrupt her, pull out my phone and Shazam it because it was that good. I don’t follow Bad Bunny’s music, but the beat, the beat! It was impossible not to get hooked on the first line.
When I watched the music video, I found myself wondering where it was filmed and who these girls were because I didn’t recognize any of them. So, I did some digging, which was a bit challenging because there was very little information about the production details. I’m a geek for movie locations, and many of you will be surprised to know that the entire video was filmed in LA, but more on this later.
After putting my research skills to the test, I found Kimberly Nieves, one of the lead girls in the video. I saw that she was based in LA and about to launch her own clothing line, so I decided to DM her to see if she wanted to be featured on my blog.
We met at Larchmont Bungalow Cafe on a Sunday for brunch. The first thing that struck me about Kimberly was her amazing fashion sense and her killer eyeliner. This is the outfit she was wearing when we met.
Prior to doing the interview, we chatted about living in LA and her life as a Puerto Rican growing up in NY’s Lower East Side. I was fascinated with her story. Although I was also born in NYC and my mother is Dominican, I did not grow up there.
Kimberly said, “When you grow up in NY, you don’t realize how intense it is until you go to another place.” Whenever I visit family in NY, if I stay in Manhattan over a week, it gets overwhelming, so I can only imagine what it would be like to grow up there and live there full-time. Although Kimberly is not completely fluent in Spanish, she said she could definitely hold her own.
Kimberly also talked about her love of travelling and curiosity for learning new languages. She has been to places like the Cayman Islands, Barbados and of course, Puerto Rico. However, she longs to go to Europe, explore the world and see different cultures. She was excited to turn 30 in November. “When you turn 30, that’s when your life really begins”, she said.
Surprisingly, we share the same outlook on meat and vegan food. We both don’t eat bacon and don’t buy meat for ourselves at home, but when we go out, we like to indulge and listen to our bodies. Also, like me, she doesn’t call herself vegan, but she loves vegan food. We also bonded over the lack of Dominican and Puerto Rican food on the West Coast, the lack of natural light and balconies in our apartments, and how it seems like everyone in LA has a pet except us.
What makes Kimberly stand out? Her chameleonic beauty. When I first looked at her IG, she had so many different pictures that made me question whether or not it was the same person I saw in ‘DÁKITI’.
Every photoshoot of hers is filled with incredible artistry and story-telling — a breath of fresh air from the usual IG models.
NOTE: Instagram has temporarily disabled Kimberly’s account, @SHESSBEAUTY. Her new account is @KIMBERLY.NIEVESS.
Secondly, her presence. When she was in the room, you knew that she was in the room. Mid-conversation, a waiter with an armload of plates stopped and said, “your outfit is fire.”
This was her and my first in-person interview ever. We were both a bit nervous, but it came out pretty great! I can’t wait to see how her career continues to flourish.
Where are you from? When did you move to LA and what do you do for a living?
I’m from NYC. Born and raised in New York. I moved to LA about three years ago (2019). I’m a full-time model, and now creator and owner of Kimberly’s Rose.
DÁKITI
How did the opportunity of being in the music video come to you? What was the casting process like and how do you feel about being a part of something that has reached so many people on a global scale?
They found me on Instagram. A few casting directors reached out and one of them said, “Hey can I call you? It’s about a music video”. I’m like, yeah! He said, “Would you be interested in doing a music video?”
At first, I thought it was a fake page to be honest, and then he said, “Would you be interested in doing a Bad Bunny music video?” I was like “Um…yes”. When I first went in, I think there were about 15 to 20 girls. The video was shot in Malibu, and I had no idea I was going to be one of the lead girls until I got there.
They styled all of us individually, and then we did one scene all together and they had us all lined up. One of the directors came up to me and said, “Hey, you, come with me, we’re going to use you for this scene.” They strapped this huge camera on me. In the video, a lot of people don’t know, but I have a huge camera attached to my body! At that time, I still didn’t know how much they were going to use me until the video came out.
It was one of those moments that was surreal, considering that he’s a Puerto Rican artist, and I’m Puerto Rican.
It was a beautiful opportunity, a blessing in disguise. I got so many people coming to me saying “I’ve been trying to find you”, “who was this girl in the video”, “who is she”, ”I’m so happy I found you.” I got people from all over the world following me because of that video. It was a beautiful thing. I don’t mind being the person that everyone is looking for because being a lead in a video that was so beautifully done, especially with Bad Bunny… His visions are always just amazing. Yeah, I felt really good and it was a big moment for me.
Can you tell me more about your outfit in the video? The blue choker and the gloves?
They had a stylist on set, so they had a bunch of different things, but the choker and the gloves were actually one piece. It was from AUNÉ COLLECTION. I always saw her brand and it was crazy that they put me in it. The crystal bralette was from Lace By Tanaya, but again, it was a stylist who pulled from these designers.
The one-piece Gloves Scarf is currently sold out on Aune’s website (here) and the crystal bralette by Lace by Tanaya is no longer available. But don’t worry! I found options:
You can buy almost the exact same crystal bralette on Etsy here.
Here’s a similar one-piece mesh Gloves Scarf on Aune’s website. It’s not the same as the one in the video, but it’s pretty close! If it’s sold out, try this one instead. They have very limited stock!
What’s your favorite scene in the music video?
One of the best parts was the campfire that we were all dancing around. It was really fun. It was really beautiful, being in Malibu that day, where the sunset was DIVINE. I wish you could see it more in the video, but just being around everyone was really fun. The girls were really nice, and the best thing about the video was that everyone was genuinely having a good time. It didn’t feel like work. We didn’t know what the song was going to exactly sound like, we just had the beat, the rhythm so we could dance to it. Then Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez came towards the end. They were dancing around the fire with us and it was fun, like I said, it didn’t feel like anyone was working. And we were there for a looong time.
Note: Kimberly said the video was filmed on different days. On the timestamp 1:46 (not her) you can see the THUMS Islands in Long Beach, which I recognized immediately. Jhay Cortez filmed an IG story when he was filming the submarine scene (yes, that was real), which you can watch here. As the submarine emerges out of the water, you will see in the background the yacht that was used in the beginning. Catalina Island was the first thing that came to mind because of the buildings perched atop the mountains.
I was able to confirm it was filmed on Catalina Island because I came across this interview by W magazine, where Jhay is wearing the exact same outfit that he was wearing in the submarine. On the right side of the picture, you can see the Catalina Casino in Avalon.
Update: After this post was published I came across @p.thechemist‘s IG account, who was one of the art directors in the video. Below you can see Catalina Island in the background!
When watching the video, most people will ask themselves, “Where is this?” or “Was this filmed on an island?” The fact that the majority of the video was filmed in LA goes to show you the impressive and diverse topography of this city.
With some extensive research, I was able to track down a few people who worked on the set. Below you can see a few pictures of the transparent box that was used in the video. In one of the pictures, you can even see how they added fake plants on the beach to give it more of an island vibe. From the cliffs in the photos, I was able to tell that the beach scenes, including the clear box in the beach sequence, were filmed specifically at Point Dume State Beach in Malibu.
After watching ‘DÁKITI’, I went on to watch more of Bad Bunny’s music videos and man, his video productions are just on another level.
You recently starred in Baby Jake’s music video ‘Daddy’s Coming Home’, which is a completely different atmosphere from ‘DÁKITI’. From the beach in Malibu to the desert, what was your experience filming that music video?
I also got cast through Instagram. The casting director for that was Paris Mumpower. This was her first video ever directing, and honestly, this video was so much fun. It was such a good time. Everything, the styling, the team, who were mostly women and is always a beautiful thing… I liked that it was more acting, because I want to get into acting. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed that much in a video set. It was a small team of everyone who was in the video (besides the people who were recording and stuff). It was shot in Joshua Tree. It was a lot of fun, I had a really good time.
The outfit and the makeup are everything!
Very ‘60s. That’s part of my style too. The stylist was Tabitha Sanchez and she was amazing. I loved her.
What is Kimberly’s Rose?
Kimberly’s Rose is a 1/1 vintage brand. It’s basically all reworked vintage. Right now I’m doing just suits, but I want it to expand. I want Kimberly’s Rose to be a brand and something that represents me as a whole, so I might expand beyond clothing. I started it because I love thrifting. I’m from NY and we thrift a lot, but also being in LA and moving here with nothing, because I spent all my money in moving (here). A big part of staying up to date with style was me selling my clothes to vintage shops and then rebuying clothes (with store credit). All my friends would always tell me, “I love your outfits”, “Where did you get this”. Either I had it for years and I just found a new way to wear it, or I thrifted it. This idea actually came 3-4 years ago. I styled a friend for her birthday and she let me do full creative control, I took a suit and I had it reworked. So, I had this idea for a really long time but I never followed through with it, because of fear. Then when I was here (LA) and the pandemic hit, I was thinking of different things to do to expand myself and my creativity. It really came from my love from thrifting and having pieces already in my closet and finding new ways to wear them. That’s where me reworking stuff came into play because what might be ugly to someone, I can make it beautiful by just cutting it up and making it something new.
I design the pieces and I work with a high-end taylor because it needs to be perfect (laughs).
Do you have a favorite piece? A piece that holds special meaning to you?
It’s hard to say because I love all of them to be honest. I know it sounds cliché because it’s my brand, but every piece means a lot to me. In a way that I took my time with them and I sourced all the fabrics. One of the pieces that I love is actually not for sale. It’s in my lookbook (All-White Leather). It was one of the first pieces I made, and seeing it come to life was a big deal for me, so I wanted to hold on to it. I might sell it down the line, it’s just in my closet right now.
All the pieces are very special to me. It’s something that I didn’t know that I could do. It was me challenging myself to start something and finish it. It was also a big deal for me to stay true to myself in the process and not care what anyone else would think when I launched it. It was for me. I said to myself, “Don’t let fear get in the way of doing something that you really enjoy the process of.”
I love the aesthetic of the website.
My friend Lorenzo taught me, but once he helped me with the layout, I designed everything else myself. The e-commerce pictures, I actually took those myself.
The backdrop worked out beautifully it gives a vintage feel to the clothing and the clothing is all vintage. I loved the way it came out. I had a lot of fun doing it and I’m happy I did it myself because again, it challenged me in a new way.
I named it The Heart Collection because everything came from the heart. You see the beauty of something when it’s out, but it was a struggle, a long long journey. Being 9 pieces and it took over a year in the works: the lookbook, the creative aspect of it, getting everything done on time… It was a lot of work. I was also going through a breakup at the time. It took a lot from me to continue and not let my life and what was happening get in the way of this process. So that’s why I named it The Heart Collection, because no matter what I was going through, my heart was still in the collection. A lot of times I wanted to give up, but I had a really beautiful support system like my best friends. It just reminded me that I started this to not let fear take over, so I pushed through. That’s why I say I’m already so successful in it, because success for me was finishing the project.
What is next for Kimberly’s Rose?
I’m thinking of new ways to rework some stuff and source new fabric, which takes time. The goal is to launch in the next few months a new collection, but I don’t like to put a timestamp on anything because I want it to just flow. Whatever’s meant to be with it, will be. I don’t want it to feel like I’m working, I want it to feel like fun.
What do you like about living in LA vs living in NY?
Because I haven’t been here too long, it’s hard to say. But what I love about LA is that you can get a city vibe, and then you can escape and get a beach vibe. I don’t think I could live somewhere that doesn’t have a city lifestyle at all, but I love that you can escape it. If you have a stressful day, you can go take a walk somewhere and not be bothered by people. In NY it’s very hard to do that.
It’s also a lot easier to have a healthier lifestyle here vs NY.
What are your favorite places in LA?
I like to find different hikes and try new things. Since I’m new here, if somebody invites me somewhere, I go for it. I do like going to Venice Beach or to Malibu when I can to just get away. Or a rooftop is nice, you can’t really do that in NY so it’s nice to do that here. I really enjoy the fact that I moved here by myself. I enjoy meeting new people and doing new things and finding new connections. It challenged me in a way that I was living in a comfort zone in NY because I was born and raised there. Now I feel like I’m more social and I can expand myself a lot better out here, because I have to push myself past my comfort zone. If you’re going to make it somewhere, you can’t just hide. My personality has definitely grown being out here because I had no choice (laughs).
What’s your favorite food?
Spanish food (Caribbean food), which is so hard to find here!! I do love Cuban food, there are some Cuban restaurants like we were saying earlier, just not enough Puerto Rican restaurants. I do love that I can eat clean out here and it’s not hard to access. Just living out here has taught me how to eat better.
Note: The restaurants we talked about when we first met were Mofongos in North Hollywood, which she highly recommended, and El Cochinito in Silver Lake.
What are your self-care rituals? What do you do when you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed?
When I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed, I like to just isolate from people. I like to be by myself. I live alone, which is a beautiful thing. I love it. I’m very fortunate that I found a place where I was able to do that. I like to listen to meditative music and do yoga, stretch. I love drinking warm lemon water, which is something that I’ve been trying to do every morning. I also really love to read, if I’m feeling overwhelmed, I just read because it’s an escape. I read a lot of self-help books, but I do want to start reading more fiction, because again, it’s a story that you just get away from life. That’s what I like to do to decompress and relax in my space and zen out.
Tell me about your everyday makeup products.
A lot of people don’t know this, but years ago I used to be a freelance makeup artist for NARS. I love makeup, but I don’t really like doing it so much on other people, it’s intimidating. I give it to makeup artists, it’s a skill. I actually have my certificate, I went to school for it. I was good at it, I just didn’t have a love that I thought I would have for doing other people’s makeup.
Some of my holy grails… I love NARS products. It’s not because I worked there, I worked there because I loved them so much. I always use their foundation, their Sheer Glow Foundation is my favorite. Also their PRO Radiant Longwear Foundation is one of my favorites. I love blush of any kind. I will overdo blush any time. One of my favorite ones, my holy grail, is Peaches from Mac. I don’t know if they still have it, so if they don’t, I’m so sorry! Note: They still carry it!
(Lip Liners) I don’t stick to one. A lot of people compliment my lipstick and the colors that I have, I always mix three or four things. I love a good brown liner, so I always start with a brown liner and then some sort of creamy, velvet nude lip gloss or lipstick, and I’ll top it with a nice pinkish sheer gloss. So it’s like brown, nude, and then pinkish gloss. That’s my combo, but it doesn’t have to be from any specific brand. Two of the liners that I really like are from Makeup Forever: Truest Brown (discontinued) and Anywhere Caffeine. You can also use them for eyebrows or eyeliners because they’re multi-use liners. My holy grail gloss is Buxom Cosmetics “Hot Toddy.”
What is the eyeliner you’re wearing?
It’s from a brand called Maven Beauty. It’s a newer brand and I really like them because it stays on all day. I love it. They have a brown that I really like too.
What’s your skincare routine?
I always say skin starts with what you put in your body. Water, water, water, water (laughs). I only drink water. Also juices and coffee, but all day every day, I’m drinking water. Besides that, I do depuffing rollers. I try to keep them in my fridge and I try to use natural oils for my skin. I don’t stick to anything in particular, but there’s this one brand: Lola’s Potion. It’s a small brand, she sent it to me a few months ago. I blend her Youth Enhancing Facial Serum with my foundation sometimes, which is really nice. For eye cream, I use Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Cream, and there’s this other brand that my friend told me about called Skinergy Beauty. Their Dark Spot Corrector Cream is for dark areas but I use it on my under eyes sometimes and I like the way it works.
Note: After the interview, Kimberly DMed me with more of her holy-grail products, which are:
First Aid Facial Radiance Pads
Urban Skin Rx purifying Pumpkin Pore Detox Mask and Scrub. I use this mask here and there but I love it. It’s also a scrub and a detox mask and it’s one of my favorite masks ever.
For my lips, I use the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. Always, holy-grail.
Facial Cleansers: I always switch them up because I try to see what works for me. I don’t want my skin to ever get used to something. The last ones that I’ve been using that I really enjoy are:
I’ve had eczema since I was young. It doesn’t really come now, but every once in a while I’ll have minor flare-ups on my face, so I have to stay hydrated, and it’s also why I drink a lot of water and be mindful of what I eat, because certain things can cause a flare-up.
Nails
There’s this place called Rose’s Nails. I found this lady that does my nails and I love her so much. I go to her every two to three weeks, because I’m addicted to doing nails and I get bored really quick if I do the same color. But typically, I’ll always have either French tips or all red, or a sheer pink. Those are my three go-tos. Every once in a while I’ll do a baby blue, it’s one of my favorite colors.
Hair Care
For my hair, I use SheaMoisture Apple Cider Vinegar & Castor Strengthen & Shine Shampoo and SheaMoisture Apple Cider Vinegar & Castor Oil Conditioner. I only wash my hair about once a week, but I’ll wash it more if I have a photoshoot. I let the natural oils do their thing. I air dry and then I style it the next day.
For more information on Kimberly, follow her IG @KIMBERLY.NIEVESS and Tik Tok @KIMBERLYSROSEXO to stay up-to-date on her latest career endeavors! Don’t forget to also check out @KIMBERLYS.ROSE and her website!
