Kim Kardashian West: First Lady of Fashion
Kim for Vogue US May 2019
Kim Kardashian West was once a name that caused laughter in the fashion world. Now it sends goosebumps. Kim has become not only a chameleon of style but of pop culture itself, literally reconfiguring the idea of the “influencer” which was pioneered by her predecessor, Paris Hilton. From makeup, reality television, fragrance, selfie books, video games, athlesiure, shapewear, and even a now rising law career, Mrs. West takes after husband and mentor Kanye West in terms of evolution. But how did the reality television personality go from laughing stock to the Jackie O of branding, so much so she can pull pieces straight of the runway and archive looks that cost more than what people may see in their lifetime ?
In this retrospective, we go through the past decade of Kim’s style, reign, and caliber in fashion. From being everyone’s muse, ranging from Rick Owens to Carine Roitfeld, to becoming a fashion figure that stands unparalleled.
2012
Paris Fashion Week (2012)
2012 was where it all started for Kim, fresh out of a separation of her 72 day marriage, rapper and fashion icon Kanye West swooped up his dream girl and gave her a 180 makeover. It most notably started during Paris Fashion Week of early 2012, where Kim was spotted sitting front row at Kanye’s F/W 2012 fashion show wearing $6k Guiseppe Zanotti shoes designed by Kanye. Throughout the the year, we see Kim deviate from her Real Housewives-type of wardrobe, consisting of a rainbow of Herve Leger bandage dresses, sky high platform Louboutins, and clunky belts to a more stream-lined and monochromatic sense of putting looks together.
Kanye took to task involving Kim into his side of the fashion world, having her mingle with the elite, such as former Vogue editors Carine Roitfeld and Franca Sozzani. He even introduced her to designers and labels she had never heard of, Kim even said herself Kanye bought her the first Givenchy dress she ever wore in 2012. Kanye even nabbed her spots into exclusive functions and shows, like the Cannes Film Festival or the annual Chanel pre-Oscar dinner. This year was the birth of one of the most enigmatic couplings we have ever seen, every red carpet or street was not safe from the West invasion, the pair taking every opportunity to squeeze out a look and headline.
2013
Met Gala 2013
In 2013, as the couple officially consummated their love affair with the impending arrival of their first child, Kim made an effort to maintain her new luxe image while expecting. It is reported that during her pregnancy, Kim had over 13 different stylists, although mostly sticking to single color looks and avoiding busy prints (ironic, but we will get to that soon). Kim’s style during this precious time in her life highlighted a shift in pregnancy fashion, you can be sexy and expecting, one not having to cancel out the other. Ranging from Valentino to Prada, Kim tried various mediums to best settle into her growing body. Karl Lagerfeld even photographed her maternity shoot, somewhat foreshadowing her as the ultimate muse.
Her most notorious effort was at her debut Met Gala appearance. The theme being ‘Punk: Chaos to Couture’, Kim dressed by Givenchy’s then creative director Ricardo Tisci, opted for her to take unconventional route donning her a head to toe floral print with a slit. The look sent shockwaves and memes galore, even sending Kim into a crying frenzy the next day, but I personally respected the risk and so did true lovers of fashion.
Post baby, Kim needed a way to get back to her signature buxom style. Dying her hair to a sandy blonde, and wearing fitted but still objectively loose clothing gave her room to stay in brand. Paris Fashion Week was her grand premiere back into the mix, seated front at Givenchy and back like she never left. The comeback was more clean than her pregnancy, maintaining a color palette of white, nudes, light silvers, yellow, and blacks.
Arriving to tape Jimmy Kimmel
In the year of 2014 is where Kim finally breaks the glass ceiling as far being seen as an actual influence in the fashion community. Now finally back to her trademark look, but now tailored into something much more uniform. I garner as a new mom and business woman, she wanted ensembles that were simple and comfortable but still elegant, bodysuits and fitted skirts galore, also, it is important to note that was she started to blossom a relationship with the French fashion house of Balmain and its’ creative director Olivier Rousteing. For the Met Gala, not only was she invited as a guest herself but also donned a modern take on Old Hollywood made by the late Alber Elbaz for Lanvin which seamlessly defined that year’s lookbook as a whole.
Just when you thought the ascendance into fashion royalty would finally stop, the impossible happened: Kim Kardashian on the cover of American Vogue. The cover spread, photographed by the iconic Annie Leibovitz, tells a story of an American couple jet-setting around the world in the most lavish garments. The coverage and controversy from the issue was the perfect platform to launch the wedding of the decade. Storming the streets of Paris, Kim gave a kaleidoscope of looks leading up to her wedding, from a faberge Balmain dress to a suede Ermanno Scervino onepiece, the fashion show never stopped.
The most notable of that expenditure, was the wedding dress itself, a custom Givenchy haute couture lace number with a 15-foot veil train. In September of 2014, she assimilated fully back into her groove for Paris Fashion Week, and she and Kanye fronted the 2015 Balmain campaign lensed by Mario Sorrenti.
2015
Out in New York City
2015 marks the year of experimentation for Kim. I can tell she wanted match her husband’s rebrand as he launched his label YEEZY, he was on creative overtaking and ultimately so was she. Committing to mostly black year round, and a surprising bob cut, this was a grey and unfamiliar territory but she trusted her team of advisors. But then the makeover, that became a staple in her adaptation, was a platinum blonde cut she debuted while in Paris for Fashion Week. Hitting all the top shows, she made the blogsphere and fashion rags rush to give us tips on how to land the icy look.
With baby No. 2 en route, Kim now had a plan for what to expecting when expecting. She knew her body and what she was not comfortable with. A tricky work of illusion mesh and beadwork made it possible to hide her growing belly in a Cher-inspired Cavalli dress at the Met Gala, and when the bump grew larger, she actually dressed around it as if it were another accessory. Lacy in Givenchy and also pristine in Valentino, her red carpet looks mustered applause rather than laughter. Her street style was uncomplicated, shape dresses and large coats that any pregnant woman could emulate according to her budget.
2016
At the Video Music Awards
2016 was arguably one of my favorite eras, if not my number 1. This year was a cumulative style overhaul and really showcased Kim’s power as a style influencer. From denim chokers, plastic boots, corset tops, oversized tees, and athletic wear as daywear, this year was a fast-fashion frenzy because the garments were easy and affordable to duplicate and mass produce. I would say that this is what made her a style icon in the sense that her fashion was not too farfetched for the average Gen-Z consumer, glamour is what gets you cool points but a false sense of connectivity is the meat and bones for any lucrative brand of a celebrity.
Mrs. West was riding on high all through the summer, especially as she accompanied her husband on his Saint Pablo Tour across the country. Her vintage Galliano moment at the Video Music Awards quickly went viral and spawned a calvary of hair and makeup inspo as well as a lightning fast recreations by way of fast fashion sites. Her dominance was doing well until her plot-twisting week in Paris. While she and her sister were running the city with an iron fist; taking photos in vintage Alaia, perched at Balmain and Balenciaga, and documenting her week and carousel of looks heavily via social media. But the fun adruptly ended when a robbery took place in her Paris apartment as the thieves took off with jewelry and other expensive materials. The crime sparked global coverage and put a chilling loom on the fashion season, causing Kim to go into hiding for the rest of the year.
2017
At the 2017 Met Gala
The best way to describe this time in her state of mind was ‘less is more’. Following her shocking robbery, Kim heightened security measures and laid back on gloating of wealth and excess. Her looks returned to a cleaner state of mind, staying away from strong colors and moving towards mostly whites, grays, and blacks of course. She founded her signature jet black straight hair during this time and focused more on comfort over anything else. Her return to the public deemed a lot of sweats, denim, flannel, and velour. Her more serious ensembles were long heavy coats and blazers, but her most consistent looks were sweats and heels.
During this time, she had launched her beauty brand, KKW Beauty. Her attire was reflective of the restrained identity of the marketing of the new company. Moving away from the strict black inches and going towards soft beachy hair and then eventually returning to her platinum blonde from 2015. For New York Fashion Week we saw a new Kim, one that was more posh rather than ostentatious. This was also a marker in her interest in archive fashion as well, going from vintage Versace to Gucci as well.
2018
Photographed at KKW Beauty pop-up shop
During this interval of her look, she stayed within the parameters of YEEZY and was spotted modeling her husband’s new apparel out in Calabasas on numerous occasions. Towards the end of winter, we saw another eye-opening metamorphose, a bubblegum pink anime-inspired dye job while out in Toyko donning the latest YEEZY and Adidas pieces. When she came back stateside, she made the effort to continue the moment and leading up to the Met Ball, prolonged her foray into vintage fashion while also dropping hints as to who she was wearing to the event.
This year was also Kim’s beginning with designer Rick Owens, even wearing him to collect her well deserved Influence award at the annual CFDA Awards. During the time of 2018, Kim played with neons a lot, predominantly neon green while in Miami that year, even rocking a wig sporting the color to match a Lamborghini. Her most famous color was the neon pink, which she returned to when wearing a custom YEEZY dress while celebrating her sister’s birthday. This was simply a venture into fun, and playing dress up with fashion like it is meant to be.
2019
Out in Paris
One to always keep us guessing, Kim ventured into another career path: law. Now enrolled in law school and studying for the California bar exam, along with her prison abolition work, she needed clothing that curated her as someone serious. So monochromatic looks were back in a more pantsuit vibe. On the flipside, her personal style lended itself to something more avant-garde, she was heavily eyed by iconic couturier Manfred Thierry Mugler. Spotted making appearances in ultra-rare archival dresses, almost as if she had an athenaeum to her disposal. Mugler himself was just the tip of the iceberg, this was a premonition of vintage fashion that was making a headfast comeback. Kim was spotted in archive Alaia and Gaultier while in Paris, vintage Versace here and there, and meshed the throwback trend into her common streetwear.
During this time Kim also peaked an interest into emerging designers such as Maisie Wilen and Charlotte Knowles. Kim also landed her second American Vogue cover, this feature now accentuating her as an enigma all her own, a cultural figure that stands unparalleled. The crown jewel of the year was the Met Gala, Kim had proven herself a veteran at that point and stopped us all in a 3D true to life reimagining of Sofia Loren in a custom Mugler dress that measured up to 8 months of work and detailing. The ‘Wet Look’ was hand dyed latex adorned with replica crystal droplets emulating a California girl fresh out of the water.
Mugler’s comeback into the mainstream can be loosely attributed Kim’s fame, but she was the new muse, arguably the closet depiction of the ‘Mugler Woman’.
2020
Celebrating Christmas in Schiaparelli
The year started out like any other year, back to back serves, and Kim once again was bracing herself for new directions. She made a splash at Vanity Fair Oscar party in archive McQueen, served body in Balmain straight off the runway, and shared a cover of CR Fashion Book with her personal fashion icons Naomi Campbell and Cher.
In the dawn of Covid, Kim could possibly have seen it as an obstacle, her biggest variable is being seen and if that is compromised where can the fashion give ? She gave us cute Instagram photos but being the connoisseur of content she eventually found her footing. Reaching into a Western background for inspiration, the plains of Wyoming conjured a taste for leathers and browns, coinciding with new brand MOWALOLA’s overall vision. Even in the midst of the pandemic, Kim found her angles and gave us some junctures worth discussing, like her foreshadowing of 2021 in a head-to-toe covering Balenciaga gown for Halloween or even a She-Hulk variant by Schiaparelli.
2021
Wearing Balenciaga in New York
This year has been a rollercoaster in terms of Kim’s public identity, her style and marriage have fluctuated and it was documented in looks. One thing about KKW is that she always marries her business ventures with her fashion. SKIMS becoming the staple closet item across the world, even having the opportunity to dress the Olympic US team for the Toyko games, Kim saw a reasoning to scale back her appearance and draw focus to the pieces. With an impending divorce, all eyes were on her to estimate how much of an identity she had outside of her husband. She still stuck to her range and growing vintage collection as we slowly came back into a ‘post-Covid’ world. Coming to Italy after the divorce was unannounced and segued into the perfect way to enhance an uncontaminated viewpoint of her as a person of interest. Working with a new team and joining Kim Jones of Fendi for a secret project, she was inadvertently on a mission to be living her best life while being best dressed.
Following a short-lived return to singledom, it looked as though Kimye was not yet over. Joining Kanye in Atlanta for his DONDA listening party, it appeared as though she was once again his favorite doll. Sporting an all-red Rick Owens jumpsuit, she was there supporting her beau, in the later installments of the residency, she participated in the show and wore a Balenciaga Haute Couture wedding dress. The journey didn’t stop there, if anything it was already beginning. Kim and Demna’s relationship found itself as Kanye grew closer to the designer. Most notably wearing Balenciaga exclusively leading up to the Met Gala. Her dress was the biggest juxtaposition yet, an all-black gown covering her entirely, only presenting her shape and 4 foot long ponytail. A commentary on her public persona being so larger than life, you don’t even need to see her face to know who you are looking at.
Following the Met, Kim was slated to host Saturday Night Live, the week leading up to her comedy debut was drenched in Balenciaga, a new look almost everyday. On the big night she wore custom pieces remixed from past collections in her favorite pink, finally ending the night in a bodysuit and couture feather boa cape.
Overall, she is controversial, polarizing, and definitive of American culture and style. What’s next ? Well, we can only hope to keep up with the Kardashian.
