Kim Chi (drag queen)
Kim Chi | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sang-Young Shin August 8, 1987 United States |
| Occupation(s) | Drag performer, visual artist, businesswoman, television figure |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Known for | Contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race (season 8) |
Sang-Young Shin (; born August 8, 1987), professionally recognized as Kim Chi, is an American drag performer, visual artist, businesswoman, and television figure. She rose to fame as a contestant on the eighth installment of RuPaul's Drag Race, marking the first appearance of a Korean-American drag queen on national U.S. television. Kim Chi is the founder of the beauty line Kim Chi Chic Cosmetics and is celebrated for integrating elements of Korean heritage with drag performance. This article consistently employs she/her pronouns.
Early life
Born in the United States on August 8, 1987, Sang-Young Shin spent a portion of her early years in South Korea. Her parents, who are divorced, reside in Chicago. As of 2016, Kim Chi lived in Chicago’s Andersonville district. She attended Okemos High School. By 2017, her mother became aware of her drag career only after Kim Chi achieved television recognition. Shin pursued graphic design academically and subsequently worked as an art director, while also engaging in sculpture, fashion design, and painting.
Career
Kim Chi’s drag career began in Chicago in 2012 under the stage name inspired by “kimchi,” Korea’s signature fermented dish, which also serves as a legitimate Korean female name. Describing her persona, Shin characterized Kim Chi as "a live-action anime character" featuring a "bionic doily" style that embraces all things adorable, quirky, playful, and exotic. Prior to her participation on RuPaul's Drag Race, Kim Chi assisted season seven contestant Trixie Mattel in obtaining one of her initial drag gigs in Chicago.
Competing among twelve queens on the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, which premiered in March 2016, Kim Chi made history as the first Korean drag artist showcased on American national television. She secured victory in the season’s opening challenge and sent the prize money to her mother as a symbol of her achievement. Advancing to the final three alongside Naomi Smalls, she ultimately finished as runner-up to Bob the Drag Queen. During the finale, she performed a lip sync to "Fat, Fem, & Asian," a track addressing stereotypes within gay dating culture.
Following her Drag Race tenure, Kim Chi collaborated with Sugarpill Cosmetics to introduce makeup items such as the Kim Chi Liquid Lip Color—a matte lavender mauve lipstick with a donut fragrance—and Kim Chi Electric Teal Eyeshadow. In November 2016, she launched Kimchiji, a set of emojis themed around her persona that included catchphrases and whimsical icons.
In 2017, Kim Chi was invited to Loyola Marymount University for an event focused on gender identity through drag performance—the institution’s first time hosting a drag queen. She also appeared at Arizona State University during Asian Heritage and Pride Weeks. That May, she participated in the Werq the World 2017 tour alongside notable queens including Bianca Del Rio and Alaska Thunderfuck.
Kim Chi featured in the December 2018 television special RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular. In June 2019, New York magazine placed her seventeenth on their list of "the most powerful drag queens in America," evaluating former Drag Race contestants. Later that year, she announced plans for her own cosmetics brand, Kim Chi Chic, developed in partnership with Bespoke Beauty Brands—founded by Toni Ko of NYX Cosmetics.
In 2025, Kim Chi broadened her brand by teaming up with Korean-American streetwear label Sundae School to release cannabis-infused edible products called "Kim Chi Over Flowers."
As of June 2023, she remains one of the most followed queens from Drag Race, boasting over 1.8 million followers on Instagram.
Singles
| Year | Title | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | "Single" | [1] |
Movies
| Year | Title | Character | Details | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Lipstick City | Chic | Short film directed by Shea Couleé | [2] |
Television
| Year | Show | Role | Additional Information | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | RuPaul's Drag Race (season 8) | Herself | Runner-up contestant | |
| 2016 | RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked | Appeared in 9 episodes | ||
| 2016 | Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul | Featured in 1 episode | ||
| 2018 | RuPaul's Drag Race (season 10) | Guest appearance | ||
| 2018 | RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular | Contestant participant | [3] | |
| 2019 | Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star | Guest Judge role | ||
| 2020 | RuPaul's Celebrity Drag Race | 'RuPaul's Drag Race' spin-off series | ||
| 2023 | 'Drag Me to Dinner' | 'Hulu' original program |
Music videos
| Year | Song Title | Performing Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | "Fantasy" | Acid Betty |
| 2016 | "The Realness" | RuPaul |
| 2016 | "Straight Outta Oz" | Todrick Hall |
| 2016 | "Expensive" | Todrick Hall |
| 2017 | "Me4U" | Danny L Harle |
| 2018 | "Pose" | Naomi Smalls |
Web series
| Year | Series Title | Role Portrayed | Remarks | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | "Cooking w/ Drag Queens" | "Herself"
Guest spot appearance |
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| 2016 | "Vanity Fair: 103 Years of Drag Queen Fashion" | "Herself"
Short video produced by Vanity Fair |
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| 2016 | "Bobbin' Around" | "Herself"
Guest role |
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| 2016 | "Ring My Bell" | "Herself"
Guest appearance |
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| 2017 | "$tranger$ for Ca$h" | "Herself"
Guest alongside Milk |
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| 2017–2018 | "M.U.G." | "Herself"
Co-hosting duties |
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| 2017 | "PMB" | "Herself"
Guest appearance |
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| 2018 | "Pardon My French Food" | "Herself"
Recurring character |
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| 2019 | "The Pit Stop" | "Herself"
Guest appearance |
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| 2019–2020 | Werq the World | Herself | Exclusive series by World of Wonder | Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
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| 2019 | Gaymer Guys | Herself | Guest role | Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
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| 2019 | Runway Rewind | Herself | Guest appearance | Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
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| 2022 | Binge Queens | Herself | Guest featured, produced by World of Wonder | Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
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| 2024 (rowspan=4) | Monét's Slumber Party | Herself | Guest appearance | [4] |
External links
- ↑ "Kim Chi Introduces Her Debut Single, "Single"". 2016-05-16. Archived from the original on 2019-12-31. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
- ↑ Shea Couleé (2017-07-07), Open TV Presents: Lipstick City by Shea Couleé, archived from the original on 2020-11-21, retrieved 2019-05-22
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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- 1987 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American LGBTQ individuals
- 21st-century American LGBTQ individuals
- Asian-American drag performers
- American drag artists
- Korean-American individuals
- Asian-American LGBTQ community members
- LGBTQ individuals from Illinois
- Drag queens from South Korea
- Contestants on RuPaul's Drag Race
- American entrepreneurs in cosmetics
- Make-up artists based in the United States
- Chicago-based drag entertainers
- American cosmetics businesspeople