Christine Quinn, The Reality TV “Villain” We Are Inspired By
Introduction by Max Wittert and Shirley Reynozo
Christine Quinn is probably already your favorite reality TV star, and is she isn’t get ready to love her! Christine represents so much too her audience, she’s keen on women empowerment, hustle culture, and the visibility of women in business. Although she feels as if she has been portrayed as a villain in the Netflix series Selling Sunsets Christine shares, “Confidence is not something I was born with, it was instilled in me after years and years of being told “NO”, so when I went into the show I decided I was going to say and do whatever the fuck I want to stay authentic and genuine to the girl who has had to suppress who she really is for years.” Her experience is a clear marker of her grit to elevate herself and inspire others to do the same.
What appeared to be an overnight ascension, Selling Sunset catapulted to the top of the Netflix charts, becoming their most successful swing into the reality television market. The show focuses on a group of women who work in Hollywood’s high-stakes real estate market, which hovers above the Los Angeles smog, in the hills–a holy mountain of money. Manning those diamond gates takes discipline, fearlessness, and on occasion, heels as high as the Hollywood Hills themselves.
Amid the botox, blowouts, and browbeating is the show’s crystal star, Christine Quinn: a formidable, flaxen Amazon whose pearl-adorned, platinum ponytail crowns her sharp tongue and tenacious will. The what seem like “extras” in comparison, often find themselves dodging the crosshairs of her ire. But as the co-stars draw back, audiences lean in–after the first season aired in 2019, Christine became Selling Sunset’s most-searched recruit tending #1 on Google, It makes sense why; she’s great TV.
As the show glides through sprawling drone-captured footage of Los Angeles, the real-life stakes of selling million-dollar mansions soars to new heights. Price tags in the tens of millions punctuate the interpersonal drama on show, and it’s up to the hard-working women of Selling Sunset to not just overcome their conflicts, but to hit real estate jackpots. Big spenders come with big demands, and nobody navigates it all like Christine Quinn.
Here at Galore we had the chance to sit down with Christine and talk about all things from her fans who watch Selling Sunsets, to her favorite designers and fashion trends, and editing her closet. We also talked about her book “How to Be A Boss Bitch”, which is set for May 17th of this year.
FEATURE INTERVIEW
Interviewed by: Yael Torres
Selling Sunset is a rare reality TV glimpse into women hustling in a merciless and intense business. That takes some guts, and audiences are watching you at your job. What does this visibility into your work life mean to you?
People with my background don’t get opportunities like this. Period. I never graduated high school. I don’t have a GED, and my parents couldn’t afford college. I always felt restrained by that. I wasn’t seen as qualified for jobs, so I couldn’t get hired. I would need professional experience. But in order to get experience, I would need to be hired. It’s a catch 22. But I’ve always been creative. I had street smarts, and I gained experience through hustling and building relationships. Now I have this great platform through the show and my work outside of it, resulting in amazing projects like my forthcoming book, “How to be a Boss Bitch.” It comes down to making yourself an undeniable force of nature. People can’t help but turn to watch. I had to carve my own path–one that I could walk along in open-toed slingbacks.
The show is such a great outlet for me. Of course there is gossip and drama–I mean, it’s TV. It’s entertainment. But anytime we can be shown as women working their asses off, achieving the same things that men do, that should be amplified to the same degree men’s achievements are. It’s always more work for us. Always. If I could roll out of bed and throw some coconut oil on my bald head and stroll into work, I would. On TV you have immense pressure to appear inexplicably–like you just materialize out of nowhere looking glamorous as fuck for the audience. And hustling is like that too. You can’t show the struggle, or the behind-the-scenes grind. So it’s great to be seen working, and setting that example for young women–that you can kind of bulldoze your way forward if you have the willpower, the vision, and a strong core built through pilates.
You’ve been referred to as “the most-talked-about-woman” on reality TV. How do you feel about your portrayal on the Netflix show? Is there anything you wish viewers could know about you, that they don’t get to see on Selling Sunset?
From the get-go, I was cast in the villain role. When women express strong opinions, or when they’re brazen, unapologetic, and push for what they want, they’re labeled as a “bitch,” or otherwise villainized. If that’s what being a bitch is, then I love being a bitch. It’s my favorite word in the alphabet next to “cash.” Maybe I should write a children’s A-B-Cs book next.
I think the antagonistic titles come from me vocalizing the things that everyone is thinking, but are too cowardly to say. They don’t want to be unpopular. But you can’t please everyone, so why not just say what’s true? I think that conviction is what makes me easy to label as the villain.
But so much of that is a caricaturization; it’s artifice. But I think ultimately people are attracted not necessarily to the words I say, but how I say them. I can call my dog a dumb bimbo, but if I say it with a smile and a treat in my hand, he loves it. Humor helps.
So for you, it’s about confidence, then. Can you talk about that?
Confidence is not something I was born with. I was told, “No,” for a lot of my life. I was put down for years, and I had to learn to resist that confinement–to push back. So when I got the opportunity to be on TV, I felt a wave of urgency, like everything I had been holding back just had to come flowing out. I said, “Fuck it,” and just kind of went with my gut, and tried to be authentic and genuine, to honor that girl who had been suppressed for so long. I know that must sound hypocritical–to want to be genuine but also a binge-worthy television character. But hey, I’m not just smart, I’m also really, really complex!
Seriously though, All of my business ventures are a chance for me to showcase my dimensionality. Doing things like the cover of Galore, a makeup collection, fashion ventures with brands and artists, writing a book, and doing interviews like this have given me an opportunity to get closer to expressing the entirety of my self, not just the Selling Sunset editing floor version. That someone else Frankenstein-ed for drama.
It’s clear you’re a fashion obsessive–how do you treat your closet these days?
I’m a closet editor-in-chief. I find myself continuously curating different looks, getting rid of faithful standbys while still making room for my favorites. I love the feeling of a living closet–one that’s got sentimental favorites, but continues to evolve. Funny enough, I actually have a separate Instagram called @xtinequinncloset where I sell some of the amazing pre loved pieces I’ve worn on the show to red carpet, or even causal looks, because I want them to have a second life with someone who can love them as much as I did.
There are accessories I hold onto especially, but the clothes themselves rotate, like guests at a party. It’s been fun having you, but you gotta go.
Are there any designers or trends that you follow religiously?
I am totally into Moschino and Versace, I think they really carry the fashion scene for me. However, in Season 4 and 5, I started working with a lot of emerging designers. I found through Instagram or online a bunch of fashion students who aren’t well known but have great designs that I believe needed to be embraced in the public eye. I remember when I wasn’t given a chance to prove myself capable, so I wanted to use both seasons as a chance to not only experiment with my street style looks and dresses on the show but give all these fresh and young minds the chance to showcase the talents coming into the industry.
You had a collaboration with ShoeDazzle last year in which you released a line of footwear. Are there more design projects for you coming up?
Yes! I’m thrilled to be working with ShoeDazzle again. I love being involved in that design process, from sketch to final set design. Choosing exciting prints and working with recycled denim, curating the chains and PVC embellishments, specifying the form, and getting the heel elevation right–it’s way more complicated than you’d think, but also so satisfying. We created this wrap shoe that coils up the leg like a snake. And trust me, I know a thing or two about working with snakes.
I think people are really going to respond well to a fluffy slipper design I have coming out–I wear them out, but they’re also a perfect house shoe. The collection is perfect for that “Hot girl Summer” and I know you are going to love the styles. My favorite colors of the collection are yellow, lavender, pink, green, blue, and of course black! It was a blast working with my all-female team. See? I can get along with women!
Pretty Little Thing has also also a company I love. The designs are so fun and flirty, but they’re not gonna break the bank But seriously–before I could afford Versace and Moschino, I would go there all the time. And I still do! I’d love to work with them, too. I would love to create a fashion like with them and become see myself in a creative director roll.
I’m the mean time, I’ll anticipate having my own line of fashion and swimwear, and my signature “bitchy perfume” which will drop again soon!
The release of your book “How to Be A Boss Bitch” is set for May 17th of this year. What can readers expect to learn about you?
The number one thing that I get asked all the time is not real estate, fashion, or style. It’s about confidence. Are you typing that in italics? Good. People have asked me how I’m able to communicate with important clients, or assert my needs with my boss, even when it’s a difficult conversation to have. When I was writing the book, this lightbulb went off in my head and I thought, “The book should be a guide on how to be a boss bitch, as told through the experiences I’ve actually had.” Readers can expect manifestation tips, how to set boundaries, and most importantly how to say, “No.” There’s a ton of material in there; it’s not just me talking about myself (that’ll be the next twelve volumes). I write about how to get hired, how to get fired, pussy power, financial advice, and everything in between. It’s not self-help; it’s Christine-help. Being authentic and expressing your needs is the most direct path to building Christine-level confidence. It builds on itself. A kickboxing class and leather pants can help, too, though.
Fans eagerly await seeing what you’re up to in season 5 of Selling Sunet. What can we look forward to this season, and will we be seeing cameos elsewhere, too?
This season, I have a new friend–a new confidant on my side. She’s a new girl, and we get along really well. You are gonna see a new friendship blossom–I’m not saying we kiss, but maybe we should for the ratings, and as Katy Perry once said “I liked it” The fun, passionate Christine gets to come out more because I’m close to someone who uplifts me. Last season, I was piled on by six girls, and not even in the way I like in the bedroom. I got really pushed into a corner emotionally, so for me this season is a breath of fresh air. It’s an exciting turn of events, to be sure.
I wish I could talk more about some of the other things I have lined up. But just know your patience will pay off. My dream gig though, would be to make a cameo on RuPaul’s Drag Race. That show is my religion; I’m such a fan of RuPaul and Michelle Visage. Being a guest judge would be a dream-come-true. I better start refining my contour technique right now, just in case I’m called upon.
I’m also a big fan of scripted shows, comedy, and hosting; I used to do a lot more acting. I think it would be kind of genius to cast me in a comedy, for instance. You can kind of see it, right? Also Dancing with the stars is my dream. And I’m obsessed with Tyra Banks!
Anything else you want to add?
“How To Be A Boss Bitch” comes out on May 17th and is now available for pre-order on Amazon or anywhere books are sold, as well as on Audible where you can hear me read the whole thing to you. Bedtime story vibes. My ShoeDazzle collection is launching April 4th, and season 5 of Selling Sunset comes out a few weeks later on April 22. Do I sound like a plug robot? Add that–Dominatrix Robot Barbie. Oh, and follow my instagram (@thechristinequinn) for my upcoming tour dates. Something you don’t get to see on TV is how good I smell, so definitely come to those dates too. I’ll be wearing my new scent, Bitchy.
Follow me on ig @thechristinequinn and @xtinequinncloset to own the very clothes you’ve seen me in on the show! Also @picsxchristine for my fashion inspiration.
“How To Be A Boss Bitch” comes out on May 17th and is now available for pre-order and on Audible.
CREDITS
Interviewed & Transcribed by: Yael Torres @torrescirca
Written and Edited by SHIRLEY REYNOZO @moyamusic_
Introduction by Max Wittert and Shirley Reynozo
Shoot Creative Director: Christine Quinn @TheChristineQuinn
Photographer: Bonnie Nichoalds @BonnieNichoalds
MU: Gilly Estrada @MakeUpbygilly
Hair: Glen Coco @glencocoforhair
Stylist: Kat Gosik @KatGosik
Styling Assistant: Makayla Pirghibi @MakaylaPirghibi
Styling Intern: Brooke Torre @bctorre
Look 1: BAG: Sussana chow NYC DRESS: PLT Heels: PLT Earrings: Milkwhite
Look 2: Lingere: PLT Robe: PLT Heels: Larroude
Look 3: Dress: Versace Necklace: 8 Other reasons Bags: Louis Vuitton Earrings: Anushka Mehta
Look 4: Top: Nana Jacqueline Bag: Brondon Blackwood Heels: Enrico Cuini
Look 5: Outfit + scarf: Juicy Couture Heels: Naked Wolfe Bracelets: 8 other reasons
Look 6: Bathing suit: Balmain Shoes: For Bitches
Look 7: Outfit: Alice and Olivia Heels: Larroude
Look 8: Outfit: Brielle Official Heels: Nakedwolfe Bag: Marzook
