I Lined Up For Hours To Meet Kim Kardashian At Westfield Parramatta
KimK did a meet-and-greet at Parramatta Westfield this weekend. We sent a writer to join the cray.
I wake up early on a still-dark Saturday morning, and make my way to my car. A long string of buses and trains won’t get me from North Bondi to Parramatta in time to meet Kim Kardashian, so I drive, without a plan, hoping for the best. It’s 3.30am.
Kim Kardashian is in Australia with the Kanye West tour, taking the chance to launch the spring season of the Kardashian Kollection at a one-off official meet-and-greet, exclusive to Sydney. I make it to Westfield at 5am, pull over, and gleefully run up towards a group of people assembled outside. Three figures, capped in pastel blankets and sheets, are moving down the outside of a line of Kardashian fans. These are The Blanket People, they’ve been lining up all night, and they’re now writing numbers on hands in permanent black marker to assemble some sort of order among the chaos.
The first 200 people in this line who fit the terms and conditions will meet Kim Kardashian, and receive a signed photograph of her. As the Blanket People leader explains, the black numbers are in no way official — but if we all honour the system, it might just work.
I get there just in time. I’m number 172.
Anointed by The Blanket People, these two lucky ladies made the cut.
The crowd consists of some very young Kardashi-fans, a few cool mums, and the occasional group of twenty-something friends who are dressed as if they’re ready to audition for the show. It’s 5.50am when number 200 is given to a friendly blonde named Charlotte. Charlotte, from Strathfield, is with her BFF Natasha, who is number 201. They face being split up. This is a nightmare.
At around 7am, the crowd begins to shuffle forward, and the hardcore punters further up the line discard their yoga mats, camping chairs and a power board they’ve been sharing. Security has officially arrived. They are calm, fair and honour the system of the Blanket People.
In a victory for commonsense and parking fee aversion, the chosen 200 will be processed, given a neon pink wristband, and released, to meet back at the stage at 2.30pm. But as the doors are opened, something terrible happens: while the Ts & Cs of the event stated you needed to present a Westfield receipt for your chance to meet KimK, security announce that you also needed to bring the item itself. Many people had arrived with one, but not the other; one girl is left begging those in the line to let her ‘borrow’ their mascara, to validate her receipt. There is a new hope for Natasha, and everyone else marked after the first 200.
I was luckily in possession of the cheap sunglasses I’d purchased specifically to participate. I was successfully processed, and moved on.
Some punters line up at center stage immediately, to wait until Kim arrives seven hours later. Others go to get ready; they brought bags for bathroom makeovers worthy of meeting the selfie queen. Among those who had come from far away, the cinemas provide much needed quiet, dark refuge. The film of choice is Step Up: All In.
I arrive back at Parramatta at 1.40pm, after returning home for a nap. The Blanket People have shed their blankets and changed into an assortment of dressy clothes. Two of them — Greg and Tali — have had shirts printed with Kimye’s Vogue cover on the front.
Greg and Tali were Bound 2 get Kim’s attention in these shirts.
Greg and Tali have come all the way from Melbourne. On the back of the T-shirt, they’ve printed the date they met Khloe, and today’s event date — like a band shirt tour list. When Kim takes the stage they yell so loudly she looks up, winks, mouths that she recognises their shirts from Twitter, tells them they look fabulous, and returns to her signing.
Greg and Tali can’t even. I’m a little impressed too.
Later, when Greg finally gets up on stage, this happens.
Kim is very polite and patient and consistent, trained in the art of being photographed every second of every day. She thanks everyone for coming, takes a video of the crowd, takes a selfie, and begins the signing, waving and smiling as fans are moved across the stage.
No cameras, phones or any personal effects are allowed on stage. If you want a photo, you take it from the line or work out a complicated system of phone swapping with relative strangers who look like they are in the right place to get a good shot of you both.
My interaction with Kim is like this:
Kim: “Hi.”
Me: “Hi. It’s really nice to meet you, I’ve been watching your show in preparation for a Kardashian Trivia Night I’m hosting in the city on Wednesday night.”
Kim: Nods and smiles. Hands me a signed photo. “I like your necklace.”
Me: “Thanks”
I spoke with some openly weeping fans, after their encounter. One in particular was truly overwhelmed.
“This is historic,” said Taylor. “This bigger than Beyoncé performing at the Super Bowl. This is iconic.”
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Elisha May’s Kardashian Trivia takes place at Good God Small Club on Wednesday September 17, from 8pm. Her signed photo of Kim Kardashian will be available to win.
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Elisha May is a Sydney based journalist, Good God trivia host and FBi Radio presenter. She thinks she is funny as @hielishamay on Twitter.
All photos by Elisha May.