When model-turned-musical power Kristina Menissov sets out to create, she doesn’t just drop a track—she curates an entire lifestyle. Following her recognition as Fashion TV’s Model of the Year and iconic covers with Vogue Mexico, Menissov is stepping fully into her artistry with her new Afrobeats-infused pop single, “Summer.”
Shot against the sun-soaked backdrop of Laguna Beach and Malibu, the music video serves as a masterclass in blending haute couture with unapologetic authenticity. Teaming up with legendary director Bakhodir Yuldashev and celebrity stylist Anna Gupta, Menissov bypasses standard industry tropes in favor of heritage, real community, and self-made luxury. Featuring custom Michael NGO looks over Impress Swim bikinis, her genuine inner circle of friends, and an ethos centered on absolute ownership, “Summer” isn’t just a song—it’s a visual thesis on what it means to feel confident, free, and completely in your element.
In this exclusive Q&A, Kristina breaks down the vision behind the video, honoring her Ethiopian heritage, stepping into her director era, and why real luxury means building your own beach.
Q: “Summer” is described not just as a track, but as a “high-fashion lifestyle and state of mind.” How do you visually translate a premium couture aesthetic into an Afrobeats-infused pop visual?
A: To me, Afrobeats is freedom. Couture is intention. I didn’t want to costume either one. We shot at Laguna beach.., at the most California location there is, where my skin glows like at a fashion campaign, but the movement is loose, joyful, and real.
Luxury is hand knitted Herwin Cardoza dress over an Impress Swim bikini and hitting the water like you don’t care.
It’s overdressed on the beach because why not?
“Summer” sounds like a breath of a fresh air. The visual had to look like a million dollars but feel like your best day off. That’s the new luxury: unbothered, undone, owned.
Q: You worked closely with stylist Anna Gupta for this video. What was the central creative vision for the wardrobe, and how did it reflect the track’s theme?
A: Hot Girl Summer, but make it heritage.
Anna Gupta’s vision was to finally accentuate my Ethiopian side. Our last videos celebrated my Asian side, for “Summer” we wanted to honor the other half of me. The bone structure, the braids, the bronze.
We pulled from The Archives Showroom and Herwin Cardoza, plus power outfit from my longtime collaborator Michael NGO — the Vietnamese-born designer behind looks for Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga and Demi Lovato. I’ve been an alumni model for Michael for years, so of course my own music video had to have Michael NGO over Impress Swim… luxury layered like identity.
With brands I actually live in: Impress Swim, Naked Sundays SPF, Alani Nu. Every look had to go from a concert to a beach party. Nothing was styled to impress a man. It was styled to impress us.
If I wouldn’t wear it to perform and then dive into the ocean, it didn’t make the cut.
That’s “Summer” by Anna Gupta’s eyes.
Q: The video features your real-life friends rather than hired models. Why was it important from a high-fashion storytelling perspective to feature your genuine circle?
A: High fashion sold aspiration through exclusion for 100 years. “Summer” sells it through inclusion. My friends aren’t sample sizes, but they’re samples of real life: CEOs, moms, creatives. When you see us laughing, you’re not watching a casting. You’re watching my community. Authenticity is the rarest fabric. Bakhodir shot us like we shoot for “Vogue” because why would I downgrade my lens just because I’m with friends? The luxury isn’t who’s in the frame. It’s that we own the frame.
Q: Having worked with iconic houses like Cartier, Balmain, and Givenchy, how does your extensive background on the runways of NYFW and Miami Swim Week influence how you carry yourself in a music video?
A: Modeling taught me how to be a canvas, meaning to never take attention away from the piece I’m selling.
That’s what I brought to “Summer”
I closed my ego. I stepped away from showing off my vocals, and focused on the feeling. I don’t want people watching the video and thinking about me. I want them thinking about how good they’ll feel listening to “Summer” in a convertible with their besties on the way to the party.
How confident, hot, and free they’ll feel owning their Hot Girl Summer era.
It’s not about me. It’s about every girl who watches it and feels like the video was made about her.
Q: Director Bakhodir Yuldashev captured some stunning footage along Aliso Beach and Malibu. What drew you to these specific locations for a project centered around luxury?
A: Luxury is no longer marble lobbies. It’s light. Aliso at 6:47pm has gold you can’t rent. Malibu cliffs feel like freedom with a turbo engine behind it. I chose places I have history in, where I’ve cried, created, and taught Kane to swim. When you shoot where you live, you can’t fake the energy. Fast fashion can place a store anywhere. You can’t place memory. We wanted “Summer” to feel like California: expensive, but effortless. Like you stumbled into a private party and became the guest of honor.
Q: You have been honored with the Fashion TV Fashion Summer Award for Fashion Model of the Year. How do you balance being recognized at the highest levels of fashion while establishing yourself as a serious musical artist?
A: I stopped balancing. I started integrating. Fashion TV recognized the model. EastWest Studios, Studio 1 recognized the artist. My job is to make sure they’re talking about the same woman. I don’t switch hats — I wear Cartier to the studio and bring my vocal producer to fashion week. Beyoncé didn’t ask to be a fashion icon. Rihanna didn’t ask to be Fenty. Serious artistry isn’t about separation. It’s about range. I’m not a model-turned-singer. I’m the entire department store.
Q: Your quote, “We’re not asking for a seat at the table. We’re building our own beach,” perfectly encapsulates the video’s mood. How does that philosophy manifest in the specific imagery of the video?
A: Literally: it’s a beach we chose, not a set a brand booked. No male lead. No label exec in the shot. Just women, water, and wealth we generated. One cut: barefoot on the beach with a speaker I own playing the playback. My girlfriends toasting with Alani Nu we partnered with, not champagne we were handed by someone. The “beach” is ownership. Plus I own the Final Cut, the masters, the looks, the mood. That’s the philosophy in 4K.
Q: How do you think your status as a Vogue Mexico cover model shapes the expectations your fans have for your music releases?
A: It raises the bar, and I love that.
Vogue Mexico showed me my face can carry a story without words. So when I release music, the visual has to match the sonic quality. Fans expect intention. Global. Editorial.
That’s why “Summer” isn’t 200 clips shot on an iPhone. We went full “Vogue” quality. Cinema lenses, couture, real locations.
Vogue gave me permission to be editorial. Music gives me permission to be emotional.
Together, the message is: she’s not dabbling. She’s directing.
Q: The color palette of the “Summer” video feels incredibly sophisticated. How involved were you in curating the visual tones and color grading of the final edit?
A: Obsessively, and then I learned to trust.
I’m half-Kazakh, half-Ethiopian. My skin is gold, bronze, olive. I’ve sat in too many chairs where the grade either washed me out or made me orange.
I told Bakhodir Yuldashev, The Director: honor the melanin, honor the luxury. Afrobeats lives in warmth. Couture lives in luxury. The grade had to hold everything and in the budget, hahah.
Golden skin. Vibrant water. And sun-kissed sand.
No teal-orange blockbuster filter. This is the new rich.
If it doesn’t make you want to book a flight to California, we failed.
Q: What fashion trend or specific look from the “Summer” music video do you predict your audience will want to immediately recreate this season?
A: Luxury over swimsuit.
Stop saving the best outfits for “one day.” Wear them today, whether you’re on vacation or heading to work.
For “Summer” we did bandanas, hand-knitted dresses, and always, always, always a swimsuit underneath. You’ll see it at rooftops and studio sessions. It’s the boardroom-to-beach uniform.
Second: SPF as an accessory. We made Naked Sundays look like jewelry in Caysey G’s hands. Because protected skin is the luxury.
And the real trend? Confidence you can’t buy, but you can book.
Hot Girl Summer is protected Girl Summer.
Kristina’s Socials:
Youtube: @kristinamenissov
Tiktok: @kristinamenissov
Instagram: @kristinamenissov
