If there’s anyone who manages to keep up with the many cycles of fashion, it’s Kim Kardashian. From not-so-humble beginnings as friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, Kardashian has been in the limelight for two decades now, achieving multihyphenate status, with her hand in almost every industry. Apart from dominating the media with her family’s infamous “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” (rebranded as Hulu’s “The Kardashians“), the 42-year-old has made quite the name for herself. She’s appeared on many a magazine cover, modeled across several brand campaigns — including Yeezy, Balmain, Stuart Weitzman, and Balenciaga — and enjoyed success with various business ventures, from SKKN By Kim to her most popular shapewear-turned-clothing company, Skims.
As the billionaire continues to craft her own lane, her attention-grabbing fashion sense stands in a league of its own. The socialite-turned-mogul has flaunted some of the most show-stopping, yet controversial looks. Matching oversize Louis Vuitton bags with Hilton helped to define Kardashian’s early aesthetic, but she really began commanding attention at her first Met Gala in 2013, becoming a meme sensation. Heavily pregnant with her first child, she wore a floral, high-neck long-sleeved gown by Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy that featured a thigh-high slit and built-in gloves.
The now-mom-of-four later redeemed herself in the public eye with more fashion-forward looks, thanks to her former stylist and ex-husband Kanye West. He introduced her to high-end brands like Balmain and Givenchy, with Kardashian tapping the latter to create her famous wedding gown for the couple’s Florence nuptials in 2014. Of course, she’s also embraced athleisure, regularly sporting West’s trendsetting Yeezy line and Balenciaga pantaleggings.
Kardashian also developed an affinity for archival fashion long before it became a trend. For the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, she cemented her sex appeal in a sheer black vintage Jean Paul Gaultier minidress, styled with wet-effect hair. And in 2019, she stepped out in a Thierry Mugler gown with cutouts that boasted similar allure. As the queen of bodycon, she wore a Spring/Summer 2003 Alexander McQueen marine-effect gown to the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. She also casually posed in a Fall/Winter 1995 Jean Paul Gaultier bikini illusion dress, perhaps igniting the industry’s renewed obsession with the brand.
Having worked with stylist Danielle Levi for many years, Kardashian continues to produce even more nostalgic style moments. Recently, she delivered an unforgettable 2022 Met Gala appearance wearing Marilyn Monroe’s famous “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress designed by Jean Louis, though the request to borrow the look was originally denied by Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum.
Ahead, scroll down memory lane as you track Kardashian’s impressive style evolution.
