Famed erotic publication label Richardson has launched "A9," the magazine's 20th anniversary issue fronted by Kim Kardashian West and captured by acclaimed photographer Steven Klein.
The editorial portion of the issue spotlights the reality TV personality/entrepreneur in a unique perspective inspired by Satoshi Kon’s Japanese adult animated psychological film Perfect Blue, which is also celebrating its 20th anniversary.
For the accompanying cover story, Kim Kardashian is interviewed by renowned author and screenwriter Bret Easton Ellis, as they delve into topics ranging from sex, sex tapes, on being a sex goddess and a mother, Donald Trump and more.
Read a few takeaways below, as issue "A9" is now available to purchase for $35 or $45 for the special edition which includes freebies, directly on Richardson's online store, Richardson flagships in New York and Los Angeles, as well as select retailers worldwide.
On her friend Paris Hilton and the infamous sex tapes...
"Well, I thought that for Paris it was explosive and a super lot of attention for her too, in a positive way. But once you go through it and you have those conversations with your parents and grandparents and everyone that you’d be really embarrassed about it with, I think you get to a point where you’re like, 'Okay, we’re dealing with this legally, and it’s time to move on.' Everyone deals with things differently, and I seem to deal with things—whether the sex tape, the robbery, even the death of my dad, who was the most important person in my life—I push to just overcome it. I just don’t have a victim mentality. That’s never been my personality. I’ve always been like, the victor—I can get past this, and this will not define me."
On being a sex goddess and mother both at once...
"I was somebody who gained sixty or seventy pounds in my pregnancies and felt so unlike myself and so unsexy... The internet was making fun of me, comparing me to whales! Shamu and I were in a 'Who wore it better?'-side by side... I’d say eight months later I had probably my best body ever. I felt like, 'I did this. I lost all this weight on my own. I feel better than ever!' I just put my body through that, and so it was empowering when I did a nude shoot. It’s actually funny, at home I’m much more conservative than my public persona is. My public persona is wild, sexual."
On talking about sex...
"I’m actually uncomfortable when I talk about sex, and I’m more conservative when it comes to that. But I’m vain like that. I can go on a set and be fully naked in front of fifty people doing a shoot, but if I’m one on one, intimate in bed, I’m like shy and insecure. I definitely have two different personalities like that."
On her meeting with Donald Trump which granted clemency to Alice Johnson...
"I mean, the president has said himself, if anyone has an issue they should come and speak to him about it. But I am aware that Kanye speaking out in favor of Trump got me through the door—got him to pick up my call. I’ve always had different opinions than Kanye. But when I went there, and when I saw what could be done, I realized that I could get more done if I just stayed focused on the issue I was passionate about instead of complaining. I never like to tell other people what to do, because people have such deep feelings and, you know, when I see things like what’s going on with immigration, my heart breaks. But I don’t think that you always have to agree with everything. My passion is now clemency and prison reform."
You can read the cover story in its entirety by purchasing Issue A9 here.
Lastly, Richardson will be dropping a limited capsule including tees, a hoodie, bomber, accessories and more in celebration of Issue A9 on October 26.
Also, in case you missed it, Kim Kardashian is now a part-owner of Kanye West’s YEEZY.
