Kim Kardashian is not your average trust-fund kid from Beverly Hills, California. Just because she is the second-eldest daughter of the late O.J. Simpson attorney, Robert Kardashian, and a step-daughter of 1976 Olympic Games decathlon gold medalist Bruce Jenner, doesn’t mean all she does with her days is sit around the pool and go shopping. Okay, maybe she shops, but only because it’s her job. Yes, I said job.

Despite growing up in a world of immense privilege in what is quoted on her official website as “an almost fairytale childhood,” Kim Kardashian has actually been working since she was 16 years oldwith her father’s company, Movie Tunes.

“I find it funny when people just see me as being one of those rich kids,” she said. “I stopped getting money from my parents when I turned 18-years-old. There’s more to me than that; I’m a sister, a daughter and…fashionista.”

With the inherited entrepreneurial spirit from her father and a passion for fashion, Kim started her own celebrity styling business. Her first styling stint was for best friend Brandy Norwood when she was asked to style for her promotional tour for Afrodisiac (Atlantic Records, 2004).

“I thought she was kidding but then I got a call from her record label saying that I only had a week to style Brandy and all her backup dancers for the tour,” she said. “It gave me an amazing opportunity to get into the business I loved, and I never left it.”

She now has a successful business as Hollywood’s go-to girl for closet makeovers, where she dissects celebrity closets and even sells their outdated clothing on eBay. “My first closet makeover was for my godmother’s closet,” she said. “I also sold $25,000-worth of her old clothes and she took that money and placed it on a down payment for a Mercedes.”

In June 2006, Kim and two of her younger sisters opened up their own upscale clothing boutique in Calabasas, California titled “DASH” after their last name.

“My sister opened up a children’s store three years ago and when a space became available next to it, we jumped at the opportunity to open up an upscale clothing boutique,” she explained. “It was a dream of mine.”

With her store already a hot spot among her celebrity friends, like Paris Hilton, Kim is also working on designing her own clothing line.

“So far, designing is the most exciting thing I’ve done,” she said. “I have a vision of what I want [the clothes] to look like in my mind and it’s fun to see it come alive on paper.”

Aside from her store and upcoming clothing line, Kim is also pursuing an acting career and even walked the runway at L.A.’s fashion week in March.

“I was approached by Nickelodeon’s Teen Channel, The N, to film four episodes for their ‘Beyond the Break’ series in Hawaii,” Kim said. “I was really nervous, but they got an acting coach for me and after we started filming, I became more and more comfortable with being in front of the camera.”

Prior to flying to Hawaii, Kim made an appearance in Fall Out Boy’s “Thanks for the Memories” music video.

“I’m friends with the guys and I think it helped prep me for the show,” Kim said. “Acting is definitely something I plan to explore, and I have several projects in the works.”

Since Kim compares her childhood to a fairytale, it would only make sense that she considers herself a princess, but instead of a royal horse-drawn carriage, Kim parades around L.A. in her white 2007 Range Rover Supercharged complete with pink “princess” logos on the wheel’s center caps, pink emblems and color matched pink Brembo brake calipers.

The wheels are 24×10-inch Platinum PT1s laced with Cooper Zeon XST 295/35R24 tires. The Range’s original grille was replaced with a custom white-and-pink grille by Strut and all exterior body components were painted white to match the overall exterior of this rolling status symbol. Platinum Motorsports also provided Kim’s pink Range with a fully customized exhaust system.

Listening to her favorite tunes in style (as only a princess would), her audio system boasts two JL Audio 500/1 and one 300/4 amps, two 12-inch W6-V2 subwoofers, and two pairs of 6.5-inch component speakers.

Kim’s customizations were gifts for hosting a “House of Hype” Grammy party where Platinum Motorsport, Strut and JL Audio were sponsors of the event. “They wanted to hook up my car to show at the gala,” she said. “It was like a total dream. I love making my cars look good.”

But what does princess Kim know about cars? A lot actually. “People are always impressed by how much car stuff I know,” she said. “My ex-husband loved exotic cars, and since then I’ve loved cars as much as I love clothes.” Kim actually asked to have the pink added to her Range Rover because she was tired of people asking if she was driving her boyfriend’s car and not hers. “I’ve always had the coolest cars, which sometimes seems like a guy should be driving them,” she explained. “I wanted a car no boy would ever want to drive and for people to know a girl is driving such a cool car.”

Given her impressive fashion sense and car knowledge, it was only a matter of time until Kim ventured into the world of car accessories. This summer, the hottest gals can ride around town in wheels Kim designed. “I collaborated with the guys at Platinum Motorsports and designed a line of rims that I’m calling “The Princess Line,” and I will also be designing car accessories for women,” Kim said.

Kim’s exquisite taste in fashion also goes hand-in-hand with her choice in cars as she paired with Platinum Motorsport on enhancing the timeless platform of her 2007 Bentley Flying Spur. She chose a full Mansory body kit, which includes a front spoiler with an integrated air grille, rear spoiler, side and rear skirts and an exhaust system with a Platinum Motorsport lowering module. The fenders are properly filled with 22×9.5-inch front and 22×10.5-inch rear Lowenhart LT8 Diamond Noir/ Chrome Multi-piece wheels dressed with Continental ContiSportContact 2 265/30R22 front and 295/25R22 rear tires. The two-tone interior was special ordered through Bentley and features reclining captain seats in the rear.

To unwind from her hectic days of styling, acting and designing, Kim jumps in her Range Rover and drives to her mom’s house, where the chaos there makes her forget about her own. “I love to be with my family; they relax me, really, and I love to bake there,” Kim said. For her more extravagant trips (like going to Malibu every weekend with the same set of friends since school), Kim opts for her Bentley.

With a busy future ahead of her, Kim Kardashian is proving to the world that they shouldn’t judge a book by its cover and that she’s in the business for the long run.

Catching Up with Kim Kardashian

1. What’s your favorite street to cruise?
Robertson Avenue in Beverly Hills.

2. What’s your status?
Single.

3. Do you prefer to drive slow or fast?
Fast–I have a supercharged Range Rover.

4. What kinds of cars do you like guys driving?
An exotic car, but not one the color of a Skittle.

5. Favorite road trip destination?
Palm Springs with my girls.

6. Most expensive ticket?
I always forget to pay them when I get one, so once I had to pay $2,500 for a bunch I didn’t pay.

7. Favorite designer?
Dolce & Gabbana.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Sphere: Related Content