Photos & Interview by Kevin Hayeland
Kevin: So Cherish, I’ve been eyeballing those shoes ever since you walked in. Are those from a museum or something?
Cherish: Oh, well not necessarily, but everything that I have is a statement. You know, I should be in a museum. Yeah, you look like you’ve got a very eclectic look. Like a Burning Man look. Oh, why thank you I just got back! Oh two weeks ago? How was it? Oh man… It’s like, you know, a “Chasing Neverland” kind of feeling. I’ve never been. You know, I feel like everyone needs to go, it’s amazing. You wore those boots there? No, I have a costume. This is just like my day-to-day attire… Oh yeah I saw the costume! You had like a big… like an umbrella almost? It was a jellyfish. Oh a jellyfish. So you wore that for a week straight? No just one day. My outfits are very representative of who I am, so that was my day outfit for one of the seven days I was there. Were you modeling out there? No. We were just living and creating and breathing and dancing and… you know just being me with a bunch of people who were a LOT like me. You had a nice squad? Yeah well it’s beautiful because that place is where my imagination can come to life and it’s like I’m so that person already, and I got to meet a lot of people who are like me. There was only like one person where I was like “Ugh, this jabroni.” It was mostly like, “I know you.” I feel like at Burning Man there’s rich people and there’s poor people but there’s not real difference because everyone is just doing their thing. Yeah! Nobody asks you like “What do you do?”, or anything like that. It’s just a bunch of people loving each other’s company and it doesn’t matter where you come from. If you’re gonna be that person that wants to show what class you are or how much money you have, then Burning Man is not for you. You should go!
Kevin: But you’re a model though. Can I ask you a question about modeling: Have you ever walked out of a modeling gig?
Cherish: I’ve never walked out of a modeling gig. For me, it’s very professional when it comes to that situation. I won’t make a scene or anything like that… If I do feel uncomfortable, which I have many times, I’ll just be like “Hey, I don’t want to do this. I don’t feel comfortable.” which actually took me a long time to figure out how to do. When you’re younger and you’re in the scene it’s very hard to say “No.” So, I’ve learned how to say “No” but I would never cause a scene. I would just tell them, professionally, and then I will tell my agent or my friends
Kevin: Have you done underwater modeling?
Cherish: I have. I’ve done underwater modeling a few times. I did it once with Seven Magazine and they loved me so much because I’m such a trooper and I give my all. I don’t ever back out of a shoot. It’s like, chlorine in your eyes for 10 hours, and you can be damn sure, best believe I’ll be keeping my eyes open. I don’t quit, I give 100%. They called me back and I did a second shoot with them underwater.
Kevin: What’s your favorite type of M&M?
Cherish: Peanut-butter. I love peanut-butter, it’s the most amazing thing. Like Reese’s Pieces? Yes, but just like peanut-butter in general, just rub it all over my soul. Hm, sticky. Yeah sticky-icky.
Kevin: What’s something that’s non-sexual that turns you on? Is it peanut-butter?
Cherish: No, no, no, no. That does something else to me. Uhh, I’m gonna have to say little spoons. Like little sauce spoons? Yes. Find me a good little spoon and it’s like “Oh!” game over. Orgasmic. Are you serious? Yeah. I have a lot of little spoons. Oh, from like, around the world? Yeah. I think they’re so cute and adorable and I just love the delicacy of it… Yeah I used to collect spoons from different places. Oh, so you’re a spoon connoisseur as well? It wasn’t for me, it was for someone else, but yeah, I get the whole spoon thing.
Kevin: What’s something sexual that turns you on?
Cherish: Hmm… people’s souls. Like a good soul. Pretty hot. Sexy. Like when our souls talk and they just match… it gets me goin’.
Kevin: Alright, wanna do some word association here?
Cherish: Sure, bring it on. OK, “Moscow.” Uh… Ty Joseph. Shout-out to Ty Joseph at Exposures Magazine! Yeah, that’s where I met him when I was barely the ripe age of 18, I think I was sneaking into Moscow with my fake ID. You snuck into Moscow? I snuck into an 18+ club, so that tells you how long I’ve known Ty for.
Kevin: OK next word, “souvenirs.”
Cherish: Haha. Little spoons actually are my souvenirs.
Kevin: OK “Marilyn Manson.”
Cherish: Ooh. Growing up, one of the first concerts my parents took me to was Marilyn Manson. They knew him so we were backstage with him and everything. And then later on, growing up, I began to party with him actually quite a bit. And he’s quite the party guy. What can I say, the first time I ever tried absinthe was when me and Ty were at his Sunset Music Festival… With Marilyn Manson? Yeah at his trailer, and things got, uh… Things got funky. Whoa! So is it true that the wormwood makes you feel something? Or is it just drunk? Kind of. It was like a next-level drunk. I was coherent, but I also just wanted to kick my feet up every time I walked. It was a lot of fun!
Kevin: What’s the most fascinating place you’ve ever visited?
Cherish: Well I’ve traveled around the world quite a bit and I think the most interesting place was probably Beirut. Not Marilyn Manson’s house? Nah. It was cool, but not quite. Why Beirut? Because my friend said “Oh, come it’s gonna be an amazing trip, we’re gonna have so much fun!” and I’ve, of course, been all over the world, so I’m like “OK yeah, this is gonna be fun.” But there was bombed buildings, there’s a guy on every corner with an AK-47… I feel like that’s why it’s cool to party there, ’cause you never know when it’s your last party there. It’s true ’cause the parties, they were great. I had some great parties there. But it was still a bit of a culture shock. I asked this one girl “Are we safe?” and she was like”…No. Civil War can happen at any time just because two kids get in a fight. One’s a Muslim and one’s a Christian. Their parents get involved. It’s war.”
Kevin: What about LA? Do you like the LA nightlife?
Cherish: Well LA nightlife is a lot different. Back in the day, maybe a few years ago, when I was 21, we had a good group that we were with and we kinda ran LA. You and your friends? Who were they? Well, you know, the group members had their jackets and we knew who they were. But it’s all different now. So if you had to choose one place nowadays? The Petit Ermitage. It’s very beautiful, it’s very hidden so not a lot of people know about it… Like Chateau? It’s kind of like the Chateau, but less bougie and douche-y. Yeah it’s kinda hard to get in there. Not really. Well then we’ll go. You gotta grow some tits first. Do you think the LA nightlife is special in any way? Yeah LA nightlife is definitely special because I’ve had so many memories and I’ve marked my territory up and down Sunset Boulevard and Hollywood and everything in between. It’s who you know, it’s who you go with, ya know, it changes everything. Well that’s the Hollywood dream, to hang with all the cool people. It makes it more fun. Sure, ’cause then you’re living the dream. Well, cheers to the Hollywood dream! Cheers to living the dream!