Kat Von D is many things: a makeup queen, an outspoken animal rights activist, and an amazing tattoo artist. But one thing you might not know about Von D is that she also lives a pretty over-the-top lifestyle.
How luxurious? I did the math. And it turns out that for for somehow who publicly dragged Jeffree Star for his materialistic, status-obsessed life, Kat isn't that far behind him in the luxurybitch stakes.
Here's how much it costs to live like Kat Von D.
Custom-made cat claw gloves: $1,800
These custom-made cat claw gloves are handcrafted by Majesty Black. Kat has at least three pairs, each starting at $595.
Nine custom-made bomber jackets for yr squad: $2,700.
Kat had these jackets made for her makeup pro team. While I can't get a price estimate from the woman who made them, a friend who designs streetwear guesses that Von D would have spent around $300 per jacket getting these made (as they were a small order, not wholesale). Total: $2,700.
Natacha Marro shoes: $2,250.
No disrespect, but these look exactly like a pair of shoes I bought for $20 at The Alley in Chicago when I was but a wee scene kid. HOWEVER! These are custom "bubble shoes" by designer Natacha Marro, and Kat has at least three pairs — some in glitter, some in rubber. They are £590, about $750 USD.
All-red wardrobe for Paris: $2,115
Here we have the red cat claw gloves ($600), the red glitter shoes ($750), the iconic red heart Vivienne Westwood x Melissa collab shoes ($150, but you have to get them secondhand now), and a pair of red slingback bow Melissa PVC shoes (also about $150 secondhand). There's also a red latex headpiece, custom made by Torture Garden (link NSFW; around $190), and what looks like a red sequin smock by Julia Clancey ($275).
Private plane from LA to London: $100,000
I know: private is the only way to travel. Holy crap, tho.
Vegan leather jacket: $185
OK, so this is pretty cool: this jacket is by a Chicago brand that I'm really into, Straight to Hell Apparel. This is the Defector II vegan jacket, and is under $200. Nice.
Absolutely insane monster closet: $200,000
In this video, Kat explains that a lot of her clothes have been accumulated over a lifetime — which, understandable.
I reached out to a friend of mine who owns a high-end secondhand clothing store for pricing help, and even she was like "Holy shit, dude, that's insane." An inventory like this, assuming a limited number of recent high-end designer purchases, will run around $200,000 spent over a lifetime. Conservatively.
Buying everything you own all over again in a single shade of red: $50,000, why not.
Just gonna assume she didn't buy literally EVERYTHING — one-quarter seems about right, since I've never seen her re-wear anything.
Sphynx cats: $6,000
Kat has two hairless cats, Poe and Piaf. Sphynx cats are very cute, but KIND OF REALLY INSANELY EXPENSIVE. Von D purchased Poe from a breeder in 2014, and Piaf in 2011. Though breeder prices vary wildly, purebred Sphynx kittens run anywhere between $2,000 and $5,000 — I picked a median number — and you can expect to pay around $1,000 in vet bills over the first year of your hairless cat's life.
While everyone is free to make choices about the kind of pets they want in their lives and homes, I'd ONCE AGAIN like to remind everyone to please adopt from shelters if you want a pet. Purebred cats are cute, but there are animals who really need homes. End editorializing!
Bag collection: $4,650
In Kat's closet tour, I spotted six Vivienne Westwood bags. This is a seventh. Her bags are, she claims, all vegan — even so, the Anglomania heart-shaped bags are $450. The other bags, which were hard to price at speed, average at like $700 each. Total: $4,650.
House full of custom furniture: starting at $52,700
OK, so pricing this out was difficult. Here are the assumptions that I made here, and why I made them:
Almost all of Kat's furniture is either antique or custom-made. I know this because Jeffree Star shared a text from Kat it. Now, I couldn't track down the EXACT person who made her furniture, but I did find Fabulous and Baroque, which makes similar pieces. This was my primary (but not only) reference for how much major pieces cost.
I found this house tour from 2014, and with it a better view of what is in many of the rooms in Kat's house. That's the furniture I priced.
4 x red velvet living room chairs: $4,000
"Balloon" chair: $3,500
Red velvet sofa: $5,000
Red velvet settee: $1,200
Dining room table: $12,000 (conservative!)
Six dining room chairs: $21,000
Black 3-seater sofa: $5,000
Total: $51,700.
Custom '52 Chevy: $70,000
A 1952 Chevy in good condition starts at $40,000. Friends familiar with cars estimated Kat would have put in an additional $30-$40,000 again making the car modern, driveable, and fancy — this one has heart-shaped taillights and a custom paintjob.
Vegan Tesla car, you read that correctly: $80,000+
Kat 'grammed this "veganmobile" photo about a year ago — she has a Tesla with a non-leather interior. Per this story, the cruelty-free interiors are offered in the Model X SUV only, which starts at $80K.
Bra: $215
OK I AM NOT WEIRD I SWEAR, BUT: when I saw this picture, I immediately recognized the bra Kat was wearing under this sheer shirt. My BFF used to work for Agent Provocateur, so I immediately recognized the Demelza bra ($215, Agent Provocateur US). I don't own this one myself — I'm more of an Ariel girl — but Demelza is really, really pretty.
Alexander McQueen x Samsonite ribcage suitcase: $1,200
Again, this is something else I recognized immediately because I LOVE IT. The McQueen x Samsonite collab suitcase originally retailed for $1,200 (but, sneaky hint, you can now get it for around $800 secondhand).
AND THE GRAND TOTAL IS... $572,841!
Is it worth it? Who even knows! But for someone who publicly dragged Jeffree Star for his over-the-top lifestyle, Kat isn't that far behind him.
