Fluffy, Fabulous and Fit

Miss Kitty exposed

Latoya Grindley, Staff Reporter

She exudes character and style, and within minutes of being in her presence, you can't help but be captivated by her warmth and flamboyancy which many have come to know and love.

Khadine Hylton, who is more commonly known as Miss Kitty, has, over the years, comfortably claimed her space in television and radio. One of the most popular and well-known local media personalities, Miss Kitty also graces the stage at many events in the capacity of emcee, a task she thoroughly enjoys.

Sitting in one of the offices at her Nationwide base where her daily programme, 'Miss Kitty Live', is aired, she welcomed the Outlook team. Following pleasantries, we were then in for quite an entertaining, serious, and sometimes emotional talk with the Fluffy Diva.

She revealed that at no point did she think she would have been this popular. In fact, being a media personality was never on her agenda.

"I really didn't choose media and I did not set out to be popular either. What I wanted to do was law and then, hopefully, pursue politics."

While still intent on pursuing and practising law in the future, Hylton remains relentless in putting in the groundwork for immeasurable success.

Always on the go, you would question how she finds the time to do all that she does. It comes as no surprise that whenever she gets the chance to put her work obligations on the back burner, even if just for a few hours, she enjoys the time quietly.

"I like to enjoy quiet time at home; just being very low key, watching CNN and HGTV."

Born to parents who have been married for 32 years, Hylton says the experience of having both her parents around has contributed to her overall development, and her parent's union has shaped her opinion on her ideal spouse and marriage.

"Marriage is very important in society and while you hear that a single parent is playing both roles, the fact is there are limitations to that. Each gender has a role to play and you find that when one person has to be fulfilling both roles, the children are short-changed."

Miss Kitty is quite clear in what she wants for herself and her future family.

"I want a family where everyone in the household has the same name. If it doesn't happen, then fine, but that is what I am hoping for."

in no rush

In tune with her maternal instincts, which becomes even more apparent when she speaks of her nephew, Ms Kitty states she is in no rush to start a family. She is adamant in her opinion that women should never succumb to societal expectations for them to have children.

"I want to be a mother and not just a carrier. I want a father for my child and not a sperm donor. You should not just get pregnant because society says so. Remember, when you have that child, it is no longer about you, but all about them.Your needs become secondary."

While discussing children, it's inevitable to talk about her ideal partner. Without hesitation, she pulled out the file, listing the core attributes.

"I don't want a man who is fault-finding and unforgiving. I want someone who values me and builds me and does not allow his ego to supersede anything else. He should be able to apologise and say sorry. And I definitely don't want a lazy man!"

Not boxed into a physical type, she believes, within reason, that a man's attributes outweigh his physical features.

"Sometimes when you truly get to know a man, no matter how handsome he is, he just starts to look ugly and disgusting. He should be handsome, yes, teeth all right, breath smell good, but at the end of the day, his positive attributes are what I will connect with deeper."

While her popularity, success and busy schedule can be quite intimidating for some men, she is emphatic that that should not be the case, as in every relationship compromising is a must.

"You have men who are intimidated by a woman's success and independence. As independent women, we do get stereotyped as if we flaunt our success in our man's face. But worrying about me making time for a relationship is a non-factor. If we are in a relationship, we have to make it happen and make the time - that is love. And when we get together, it will be worth it."

her fashion style

Always keen on captivating the attention of others, the Fluffy Diva knows exactly what to do. Apart from her daring character, she also attracts attention by the way she dresses.

"Image is everything to me! Mi a hot girl from long time when mi use to dress up in my frill dress and socks. I represent being an all woman in the clothes I wear. You have to have confidence and I show women that you don't have to wear a tent. You have to take care of yourself, fix up yourself man!"

Cognisant of her body size and shape, the style-savvy diva shared with Outlook that she takes fashion risks, but only if they complement her body.

"I format the fashion to suit my body. If I see a particular style that may not be for my body type, I make it work by making adjustments. For example, if I see a sleeveless dress that I like on Kim Kardashian but my arms would be too big to go sleeveless, I may just add sleeves to that same dress. And there are skirts or shorts that I like, but if I think my thighs look a bit thick, then I will wear stockings. It is about turning your hand to make fashion."

Summing up her sense of style to being colourful and seductive, Ms Kitty's confidence was not always high. She credits the awakening to her mom and her first love.

"My mother first of all laid the foundation for me, helping to build my self-esteem, and encouraged me to believe in myself. Then there was the guy who I consider to be my first love, who allowed me to embrace my natural curves and figure. Growing up and even now, you would never see full-figured women on a magazine cover; we stayed in the background. Big, fat and sour are words that are used to denigrate full-figured women."

Hylton says this young man totally flipped the script for her.

"I used to dress in baggy clothes. I would cover up my breasts and thighs because I thought they were too big; at least that is how I was made to feel. But this handsome, nice, uptown boy came into my life and changed the formation. He asked that I started wearing skirts. I was hesitant at first, but I agreed and, for the duration of our relationship, I could not wear pants."

Realising the positive feedback she got from her boyfriend and others, she started to come into her own.

"I came into myself. Other than being smart and intelligent, I was also a size me, looking beyond the negative connotations of a fat girl."

ambassador for the fluffy

Embracing her full figure, Miss Kitty has been the voice and ambassador for plus-size women. With her coined slogan, "Fluffy, Fabulous and Fit", she is often agitated by utterances suggesting that she promotes obesity and unhealthy habits.

"Obesity is unhealthy, so is smoking. I say fluffy, fabulous and fit because you have to love yourself, you have to take care of yourself. To be excessively slim and anorexic is unhealthy, isn't it?"

She continued, "I say fit, too! Every year, I enter Reggae Marathon, I will go to the gym at times, especially when I am preparing for carnival road march. I can split and flick, I can do everything because I am quite flexible and mobile. You don't hear me telling people to just eat and be merry. I stress that they take care of themselves and be happy in their own skin. I have empowered many women to start investing in themselves."

Miss Kitty points to Louise Bennett-Coverley 'Ms Lou', as the only other woman of size that was popular in the public sphere who has left an indelible mark on Jamaica.

"She was never portrayed or seen as sexy. I want to be iconic just like her but, of course, with sexiness and fabulousity. Who doesn't want to look sexy? You don't want men to look at you like their mothers, but instead their wives or girlfriends."

With admiration for Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama, Miss Kitty has already taken her brand and name globally.

"For the first time in Jamaica's media history, there is a live simulcast of my 'Miss Kitty Live' programme in its entirety, in the Tri-State Area on Link up Radio in the United States and on Nationwide here in Jamaica. I was also featured on EVE's rap album recently, which was a great feeling."

She has plans to launch her foundation, which will seek to empower women, and to try her hands at acting.

"I am comfortable but not complacent. I want to go down as someone who made a positive change. I have good days and bad days, but at the end of the day, I have a passion for what I do. I stay true to myself and I encourage everyone to always strive for better."

latoya.grindley@gleanerjm.com