Get to Know: The McKing Sisters

An exclusive interview in conversation with: Jasmine & Jennifer KcKing from our Print Issue 04: The Lucky & Blessed Issue

Sisters Jasmine and Jennifer McKing were raised in a Congolese household where presentation was culture, not vanity. After early years blogging and styling, the London-based duo are stepping fully into design with BLACK STARR (@mckingbrand), a project that marries beauty, community, and unflinching advocacy around the crisis in the DRC. In this conversation with Sanxtuary, they talk sisterhood as infrastructure, the leap from styling to design, and why timelessness is a value, not a trend.

So, were you guys always close growing up?

Jasmine: Me and my sister’s childhood is an interesting one because we are the only girls in our family. We just have brothers and male cousins, so we had no choice but to be close. The beauty of our connection is we’re only one year apart, so that made things easier. I said, okay, this is my best friend. We can go through life together.

Jennifer: She wasn’t dealing with the little boys. She was kicking their asses. So I just fell in line. But like Jasmine said, we’ve always been close, and I feel like that’s my mother’s doing. Since we were one year apart, she would do extra stuff, like dress us the same and put us in the same things all the time. Jasmine was the only child, then I came, so Jasmine got mad. My mom had to get two of everything, so from an early age she instilled that sharing aspect: “Don’t fight over material stuff. You guys are together.” When we were in our teens, Jasmine would hate me taking her stuff. But my mom would say, “You’re not gonna be fighting over items. Items don’t mean anything; your sisterhood does.” That really switched both of us.

Jasmine: Yeah. We were like, okay, let’s team up!

And Jasmine, do you feel more protective of your sister even though you’re only one year apart?

Jasmine: Yeah, absolutely. There are moments I feel I need to protect my sister’s peace and energy. Especially in this industry, there’s not a lot of support. Luckily, we have each other. We always look over contracts,  we ask questions, “Should I do this?” My sister does the same for me. I’m the oldest, so it’s naturally in me to have that responsibility, to be protective and make sure people are okay. I sometimes feel like the mother and the carer, but at the same time, I’m just making sure my sister’s good. You need someone to have your back, and I definitely have my sister’s for a lot of things.

So going a bit more into your childhood, we saw a picture of y’all, it was so cute, when you were dressed the same. Was that the start of your passion for fashion?

Jennifer: Our childhood was full of fashion because our parents are Congolese. The culture is fashion. Our parents were very fashionable, and that translated onto us. My mom and dad always had us in unique outfits, matching or dripped in gold. It wasn’t even them trying, it was just natural because it’s part of the culture. Looking back, it was always meant to be. That was the start of our interest in fashion.

Jasmine: They were very iconic people growing up. I loved seeing my mom put her outfits together, her hair, nails, makeup. I admired it. They really influenced us. I love fashion because of my parents and the community itself. That’s how we are. We love to express ourselves through fashion, art, and creativity.

How long have you been styling professionally, and how did you get started?

Jennifer: We jumped into the deep end. We were in college and would share our style. In secondary school you wear a uniform, but in college that’s when you start expressing yourself. We had a blog at the time and would share our looks and how we styled ourselves. Then people started reaching out, “Hey, do you wanna style this?” It kind of got put on us, we didn’t really understand the world of styling at first, but once we got into it, we were like, oh, we could actually do this together.

Jasmine: When we started our blog, we noticed a shift. People were paying attention, interested, and wanted us to be part of their world.

Jennifer: It was before the influencer era. I used to work with brands, styling their pieces on myself and being paid for that. So that was a form of styling and promoting for my blog.

What made you switch to design from styling?

Jennifer: We always wanted to be designers, but we didn’t know how. We needed to understand what we wanted to do in terms of design. We were very into fashion growing up. Our dad was into designers, so he’d have lookbooks, vintage Gianni Versace and stuff. We’d be so inspired, but even though he loved fashion, he didn’t want us in that world. He didn’t understand why. So we had to take different courses, business management, real estate, to please him. We had to break our father’s heart and tell him we were pursuing fashion. We started developing our brand concept around 2017 in New York City. That city really brought out the mindset to do what we love, to stand on business and be unapologetic. That’s where the McKing brand was born.

Is it easier to maneuver fashion with your sister?

Jasmine: Yeah, it really is. I love my sister’s mind and what she creates. We handle things with grace. We see things in colors, that’s our superpower. We always want to improve and learn.

Jennifer: Especially since we have each other’s backs. That helps us. Being in this industry, we always have to remember we are Black women. When we started in London in 2014, there were no Black faces. The diversity we see today wasn’t there, we were literally the first Black girls in it. If we didn’t have each other, the weird things we experienced would’ve made us go crazy. Having Jasmine there was protection. We have each other’s backs. My sister won’t say much, she observes, and I’m social. But Jasmine’s really the eyes, watching your energy to see if you’re good vibes or not. That’s how she’s always been, and it’s helped us. But it can be difficult too. There were a lot of challenges we faced.

Jasmine: We did face a lot, but over time we learned and became stronger. In this industry, a lot happens behind the scenes that people don’t see. There aren’t enough safe spaces, especially for Black women. We always have to have our own backs. It can get really challenging, but I just say, “This is what I’m going to do. Protect me and my sister and overcome the obstacles.”

We’ve seen the hate you’ve once received online. The comments were often racially charged. How do you protect your confidence?

Jennifer: A lot of people don’t understand that I was one of the few Black fashion girls on the internet. We were just discovering this influencer thing. I didn’t really understand the hate, but I liked to find humor in it. I was receiving so much hate because I always put myself out there. I have bold features, and there wasn’t much representation of girls who looked like me. I was bullied by teachers, boys, and girls. So when it came to putting myself out there, I was like, you know what, the best way to handle it is to expose you, I’m gonna crack jokes because humor is how I heal. I didn’t understand why I was being called a monkey, and that wasn’t even the worst. Now people ask if my lips are fake. Back then I was bullied for them. But that’s being a Black woman: first they hate, then they imitate. I had to remember, they’re not mad, they just can’t f with me. I turned it into humor, because otherwise I probably would’ve gone under. The internet was mean back then, a lot more unfiltered.

As daughters of Congolese immigrants, how do you process seeing real-time footage of the conflict?

Jennifer: It’s difficult. We used to hear about it, now we see it. It’s a nightmare. I think, if my parents didn’t move, this could’ve been my reality. I have family there too. It’s devastating. But I feel like these things need to be shown so people understand how real it is. We get so caught up in the Western world that we forget how blessed we are, to live, to have water, a roof, family. It’s difficult for us because we come from it. That’s the main topic in every Congolese household.

Jasmine: This has been going on for many years. Now there are phones, so people can see, but we’ve always known the issues. It’s a genocide. People are losing their lives for minerals so we can have technology. These people have no hope. They wake up wondering if they’ll survive. It’s heartbreaking.

Where did you find the strength to create Black Starr? What made you want to turn fashion into activism?

Jennifer: I’ve always advocated for Congo. If you scroll back, I was speaking about the conflict in 2016. I was told to stop by people in the industry, they said I shouldn’t mix politics with my platform. But I wasn’t having it. If I have thousands watching me every day, the least I can do is shed light on someone else’s child who feels hopeless back home. Someone who doesn’t have a voice because they’re too busy fleeing wars. We stand for something, protecting women, advocating for Black women, community. No one else was doing it. People see what’s going on and stay silent to protect money, image, relationships. We said no, we have to address the elephant in the room. Especially as Congolese women. We wanted to give back and unite the community. That’s when Black Starr was born, for the Black stars that are not seen, dying every day so we can have phones and laptops. Kids separated from families as soon as they can walk. Me and Jasmine invested everything to make Black Starr happen, and make a statement and not be silenced. People only care when it’s trending. Don’t wait for trends, do research, help your community.

Jasmine: This industry loves to silence people. It’s projection and fear-based energy, “Why are you speaking?” A lot of times it comes from ignorance because they don’t know how educated we are.

Jennifer: They don’t. Then when they talk to us, they realise we know a lot about who we are and where we come from.

We loved the campaign, it was so mobilising. Did you get any backlash or fear about being labeled?

Jennifer: We knew this campaign would shift energy. It wasn’t just fashion, it was spirit. Do you stand for people or yourself? It showed the difference between those who see others and those in main character mode. We knew it would bring people toward us but also filter out the negative. Back then, people stood for something. Their art reflected the time, the Black Panthers, Freedom Riders. They were timeless. Do you want to be a trending topic or timeless? We want to be timeless. This campaign binds everyone together. We lived in America and learned about African Americans, we’re the same people. We wanted to build that bridge. That’s why the Malcolm X part was for y’all. A lot of Londoners, they’ve never been to America, so they talk out the side of their mouth. We need to focus on unification and how blackness travels across the globe. It’s a powerful spirit that can’t be killed. Society breaks us down daily. Why do it to each other? While creating this campaign, we made sure everyone was treated the same. The music was from Congo Boy, every model was Congolese. We created a safe space where they felt seen.

What does Black Starr mean to you, and what do you hope to achieve?

Jennifer: Black Starr shines a light on the real Black stars, the people who keep the world moving. It’s a way to give crowns to the unseen. We’re bringing the star back to the community. Black Starr wakes the community  up, to understand you’re worth more, and when we uplift each other, we all shine. With light comes wisdom, freedom, and vision. I want to unify the community and collaborate with Africans and African Americans. We need to come together.

Jasmine: It’s true. It’s a movement. Even how we create comes from knowing ourselves and our power. Unity is important because it’s about the collective, remembering who we are. We’ve lost our way and need to change that by doing things that are meaningful and support the community.

And last question, as our magazine is called Sanxtuary. What does your sanctuary look like?

Jasmine: Staying true to who you are, knowing yourself, and being unapologetic. Society and distractions can get to us, but when you create your own freedom and solitude, you can hear the voice of God. You see yourself clearly. It’s having peace of mind, being able to speak your truth. Your truth is your freedom. When you speak it, you show people you won’t conform. You’ve done the work, so you’re not afraid. I’m confident in that, in myself. I have peace of mind, protection, and love. I want to pour wisdom and do things that change this lifetime. That’s my version of sanctuary.

Jennifer: Like Jasmine said, it’s creating safe spaces within myself. That takes spiritual discipline and accountability. I rose to popularity quickly, and it’s easy to fall into ego. So checking your ego, grounding yourself, and doing internal work helps you create safe spaces for others. I like people to tell me how they feel so we can have those conversations. You pour into me, I’ll pour into you. My sanctuary is living outside myself and in other people’s shoes, to be better. We learn from others every day if we pay attention. Sanctuary is a cycle, a never-ending exchange of energy.