An examination of Kim Kardashian’s status as a fashion icon: exploring the power of her celebrity brand strategy By Eva Szurko / 19002689 FA6013 Critical Research Project BA (Hons) Fashion Communication Northumbria University
CONTENTS Introduction Methodology Chapter 1 Kim Kardashian as a brand; business ventures and marketing strategies via social media Chapter 2 Fashion ttrends created and influenced by Kim Kardashian Chapter 3 Kim Kardashian’s designer relationships Chapter 4 Kanye West’s influence on Kim Kardashian’s style and position in the fashion industry Conclusion Reference List Image Reference List Bibliography
Introduction Over the last 20 years, the power of celebrity has become undisputable and unavoidable, with a high proportion of social media content focused on celebrity-based material. Celebrities have become the ultimate identity creators due to fans constantly looking to them for inspiration, particularly within the fashion industry. From celebrity brand endorsements and celebrity-owned brands to trendsetters and trend creators, celebrities are rapidly gaining even more influence and continuing to play a progressively greater role in identity formation. A noteworthy example of this power is Kim Kardashian, a reality television star turned businesswoman, who has had undeniable cultural impact. From her reality television fame, Kim Kardashian has managed to use the power of celebrity brand strategy to create a billion-dollar brand based entirely on her personality, which, over the last 10 years has led to her gaining the title of fashion icon. In this essay I will discuss Kim Kardashian’s status as a fashion icon, how she gained this and the strategies she uses to maintain her brand including social media influence, appearances at the Met Gala and her business models. The Kardashian family are reality television’s most famous family, illustrating how entertainment, advertising and consumerism come together within the realm of celebrity. Newman & Bruce (2011) suggest that: “The Kardashian family have a: wholly modern business model for making money. It’s one that emphasises accessibility [and] harnesses three commercial components.” They identify them as: fan interaction through social media, best-selling products and endorsements and a popular reality franchise. Each family member has gone on to use this model to their advantage, for example Kylie Jenner with her beauty brand Kylie Cosmetics, Khloe Kardashian with her denim and clothing line Good American and Kourtney Kardashian with her health and lifestyle platform Poosh. They have maintained the fame gained from their reality franchise through social media interactions and used it to market best-selling products within their respective industries. However, arguably the most successful family member is Kim Kardashian West, a business mogul, trendsetter, influencer, billionaire, and fashion icon. Through her reality television fame, magazine cover features, social media presence and several incredibly successful business ventures, including KKW Beauty and Skims. McClain (2015) argues that “Kim, arguably the most famous, is nearly omnipresent … Kim has effectually converted her fame into a revenue-producing brand.” Her image has transformed entirely since Keeping Up With The Kardashian’s first aired in 2007 and has allowed her to become an icon inextricably linked with the fashion industry thanks to her talent for self-promotion, genius business models and key relationships with the likes of Kanye West, Olivier Rousteing, Demna Gvasalia and many others. Over the last 14 years she has successfully made the transformation from a socialite and reality television star and is now widely accepted as an influential fashion icon and an inspiring businesswoman. Methodology I conducted both primary and secondary research to examine Kim Kardashian’s status as a fashion icon and the power of her celebrity brand strategy used to build and sustain this title. This will be done by exploring Kim as a brand, her business and marketing strategies, trends influenced by her and her impact on the fashion industry as a whole. My research project has had ethical approval (see Appendix 111) and each participant has been treated with respect and kept from harm, following the correct procedures with a signed informed consent form. (see Appendix 11) My primary research was conducted through an interview with academic and author, Dr Lee Barron discussing the themes explored in the project, analysing Kim’s brand strategies and professional relationships in relation to her influence. (see Appendix 1) My secondary research included academic books such as “Fashion and Celebrity Culture” by Pamela Church Gibson and “Keeping Up The Kardashian Brand: Celebrity, Materialism and Sexuality” by Amanda Scheiner McClain, as well as online journals and articles from sources including Vogue, Forbes and The Independent. Chapter 1: Kim Kardashian as a brand; business ventures and marketing strategies via social media McClain (2015) theorises: “The Kardashian’s embody the transparent embrace of consumerism intrinsic in contemporary culture.” They do this by relying on the idea of reality television celebrity which is then sustained through social media interactions and attention from journalists. They manage to sell both themselves and their products through the no-filter and public essence of reality television, allowing fans
to latch onto a fantasy of a person and follow their lives. Furthermore, due to the efficiency and success of Kim Kardashian’s skills in branding and promotion, global media company Forbes estimated that she was worth $1 billion in April 2021. This has gone up $220 million since October 2020 as the result of the success of her two main businesses; cosmetics brand KKW Beauty and shapewear brand Skims. Combined with a number of endorsement deals, investments and her career as a reality television star, Kim has managed to turn herself into a brand that has earnt her a significant fortune and a prominent place in popular culture. With 261 million followers on Instagram and over 70 million followers on Twitter, Kim relies heavily on the power of social media marketing and often uses it to her advantage, always managing to stay relevant and a part of the conversation. Lueck (2012) speculates that she stands out as a reality television star turned businesswoman due to her high number of followers across social media platforms. She further quotes: “Acknowledging the phenomenon surrounding herself, the celebrity states: ‘I really do believe I am a brand for my fans […] Twitter is the most amazing focus group out there.’” She has learnt how to use the sites to her advantage by discovering what her fans wanted to see and using that to transform her initial fame into a brand. As a result, she frequently uses social media to post unreleased content from her marketing campaigns, photoshoots and clothing lines to create engagement before the actual content has even been released. Most recently she featured her sister Kourtney Kardashian and actress Megan Fox in her latest Skims Cotton collection campaign released on the 24th September 2021. Photos from (Figure 1) the shoot were posted on social media two days earlier and received over 8 million likes in less than 24 hours due to the pairs’ current relevance in the media along with their boyfriends Travis Barker and Machine Gun Kelly. Northman (2021) suggests this is a prime example of Kim’s social media knowledge, showing her understanding of the power of viral content as well as her ability to create it, earning her the title of ‘‘marketing genius’. Moreover, legendary supermodel Kate Moss featured in the Skims ‘Fits Everybody’ collection campaign in July 2021, a monumental partnership, with Kim stating, “Kate is THE fashion icon; she has a timeless influence that continues to define whole generations of culture and style.” (Newbold, 2021) Additionally, Kate Moss’s validation of the brand will unlock another customer type and further solidify the brands recognisable image and reputation. Prior to this, Kim appeared alongside long-time friend Paris Hilton in a Skims Velour collection campaign, a tribute to their early 2000s style. The paparazzi style photoshoot also starred the pairs iconic Louis Vuitton Monogram Miroir Alma bags, adding to the nostalgia created by the campaign. Academic Dr Lee Barron (2021) provides support for this strategy by stating that: “The issues central to celebrity branding are that the public persona and image of the celebrity matches the brand and the brand identity of the company (or service provider) that they are endorsing or working as an ambassador for.” In this example, we can see Kardashian using celebrities synonymous with her brand, by publicising herself and early 2000s icon Paris Hilton to endorse a collection inspired by this era. (Figure 2)
(Figure 3)
With social media playing an integral part of Kim Kardashian’s brand strategy, it is essential that she is constantly using various platforms to respond to fans, share news about her life and career and reveal unreleased pieces from both her own brands and ex-husband Kanye West’s YEEZY collections. Her social media presence is so influential that Cartner-Morley (2015) states that a Kim Kardashian tweet “has more impact on cultural mores than any number of obscure activists preaching the same thing.” In relation, Choi and Rifon (2007) state, “The success of reality television shows lead to a cultural obsession with reality television celebrities,” another factor contributing to Kardashian’s fame and success due to her exploiting this obsession to her own benefit. To support this, Berg (2021) suggests that cosmetic line KKW Beauty’s initial triumph comes from the use of a direct-to-consumer model that relies on social media marketing. As a result, her first launch sold out within 2 hours, selling 300,000 contour kits and prompting her to expand to eyeshadows, lipsticks, concealers and fragrances the following year. Kim manages to adapt her promotional strategies around the needs and interests of her consumers and in this instance, it was centred around their desire to look like her, built on (Figure 4) the popularity of the contouring trend popularised by the Kardashian family. Barron (2021) further theorises that: “These have combined appearances on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, media appearances and the extremely effective use of social media platforms to develop media celebrity into a hugely successful series of business enterprises now best exemplified by the KKW Beauty, KKW Fragrance, and Skims brands, which are significant cosmetic and fashion businesses.” Another key component of this strategy is her involvement in publicity stunts and her desire to shock her audience to ensure she maintains media relevance. A memorable example of this was her 2014 Paper Magazine ‘Break The Internet’ cover where she posed nude in a recreation of French photographer Jean-Paul Goude’s iconic ‘Champagne Incident’. Robinson (2020) explains that the photo was an effective effort to further fuel awareness of the Kardashian brand as companies often use news media presence and social media mentions to measure the success of a brand strategy. After the magazine was published and the images shared on social media, share of voice and media exposure rose rapidly for Kim, with Robinson (2020) also suggesting that the success of this stunt lies in the fact engagement was prioritised as they knew the images would get the audience talking and further extended the buzz by incorporating multiple social media platforms into the strategy. (Figure 5)
Chapter 2: Fashion trends created and influenced by Kim Kardashian Nouri (2018) states that: “Since the appearance of mass media, the notion of celebrity and admiration of media personas has been apparent. The influence from celebrities because of their saturation in mainstream media has made revolutionary impacts on fashion, beauty and lifestyle habits of the general public.” This theory is true of Kim Kardashian as her effect on fashion and beauty trends over the course of her career is undeniable and can be seen in all aspects of pop culture. When speaking of Kim’s influence over trends, Bobb (2020) says, “She is the godmother of all influencers, the woman who created the blueprint armed with confidence and an iPhone.” She has been responsible to creating numerous fashion trends including bodycon, neon and bike shorts, as well as contouring, brown lip gloss and stencilled eyebrows within the beauty industry. Her popularisation of loungewear and tracksuits styled with high heels, designer bags and sunglasses fuelled the success of her own loungewear brand, Skims, and her creation of the contouring trend did the same for KKW Beauty. Sicardi (2021) points out that the Kardashian family are such a big part of how we consume culture that “Kim Kardashian” appears as an example search term on Google Trends. She believes that this suggests that if someone could find out anything they would want to know about
her. Furthermore, Brunel University in London hosted an intellectual ‘Kimposium’, where they analysed her power over pop culture, a representation of her influence on a global scale. The Kardashian’s as a whole have had a huge influence on the fast fashion industry, with a number of brands including Fashion Nova, Boohoo and Pretty Little Thing constantly replicating their figure-hugging outfits for a fraction of the price. Journalist Sirin Kale shared that when Kim was seen at 2016 Paris Fashion Week wearing a black lace bustier, Boohoo produced an inspired piece for only £12. Additionally, when she was seen in August 2018 with a neon bag, a local handbag designer from Leeds was flooded with demands to produce a replica. Kale (2019) theorises that this following is due to her idolised lifestyle stating, “Dress like a Kardashian, and you can approximate a lifestyle otherwise beyond your reach, with low-cost retailers bridging the gap.” Whilst a lot of these looks are often skin-tight ‘sexy’ bodycon dresses and partywear, Kim can also be credited for the increased popularity of loungewear and tracksuits. Despite the Covid-19 lockdown and working from home culture having an (Figure 6) impact on this, Kim has been sporting casual ‘comfy clothes’ for years, modelling sweatpants and sportwear for Kanye’s YEEZY collections in 2018. She capitalised off this trend with her brand Skims, and again, fast fashion online retailers produced their own, cheaper, versions of loungewear and tracksuits. Bobb (2020) further argues that Kim’s influence on the fashion industry comes in either encouraging consumers to buy something she has worn or convincing them to wear a garment differently. By pairing this comfortable aesthetic with high heels and designer accessories she has persuaded fans to do the same, creating another trend within the fashion industry. Furthermore, in an interview for The Guardian Pamela Church Gibson proposed that fashion designs are often put through a ‘Kardashian filter’. In March 2017, Kim wore a Celine dress, a brand whose style is usually very loose and casual, yet she wore it with high heels instead of trainers (Kale, 2019). Similarly, Kim collaborated with designer Carolina Lemke on a collection of affordable sunglasses after popularising tiny 90s-style sunglasses over classic larger ones, a partnership that benefitted Lemke’s growth into America from the brands Israeli roots and allowed Kim to put her own spin on another element of fashion. (Figure 7)
Due to the atypical proportions of Kim’s body shape and her sought after facial features it is unsurprising that she has influenced trends in surgical procedures as well as fashion and beauty. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons state that between 2000 and 2018, ‘butt lifts’ increased by 256% after Kim’s Paper magazine cover became associated with an increased interest in the procedure. Additionally, a 2019 study by Aesthetic Plastic Surgery found increased interest in searches for lip fillers, lip implants, lip injections, butt enhancements and butt implants when analysed against celebrity news containing both Kim and her sisters (Sicardi, 2021). Kim’s name has also become synonymous with the beauty trend of contouring, using makeup to sculpt your face and highlight other areas to make it appear slimmer and more defined. After popularising this technique in 2008, she went on to use it for financial gain in 2017 when launching KKW Beauty’s first product: contour kits. Kim monetised a trend that she created and used it to increase her fame and expand her business model. However, not all of Kim’s trends have been accepted so eagerly, as Sicardi (2021) draws attention to the coining of the term ‘blackfishing’ during the period of Kim’s influence, explaining the ‘trend’ racial performance on social media when someone uses makeup, editing software or even surgery to appear ‘more black’. Culture writer Wanna Thompson created a Twitter thread in 2018 of “white girls cosplaying as black women on Instagram,” and after 30,000 retweets it was full of women who bared similarity to the Kardashian family (Sicardi, 2021). Sicardi (2021) further points out that in one image Kim looks pale with bleached blonde hair, whereas in another her skin looks darker and she wears her hair in Fulani braids, causing her to receive accusations of blackface and cultural appropriation. As a result, these aspects become trends with other white women who look up to her. Erika Hart, an Instagram influencer, explained how the Kardashian family as a whole have been able to capitalise off Black culture and due to their remarkable
influence, fans will want to imitate this (Sicardi, 2021). Chapter 3: Kim Kardashian’s designer relationships with Balenciaga and Balmain Despite becoming a designer herself, Kim Kardashian has also accumulated a number of designer relationships over the course of her career, all of which have contributed to her rise to success both within the media and the fashion industry. Barron (2021) states: “Kim Kardashian’s work and public/friendship relationships with Balmain/Olivier Rousteing and Balenciaga/Demna Gvasalia have changed Kim Kardashian’s status in the fashion world, without a doubt.” These relationships are often mutually beneficial for both parties as she gains a prominent position in the realm of ready-to-wear and couture fashion, bringing her further away from celebrity focused fashion and the designers gain a muse and a highly influential platform on which to showcase their designs. Kim has worked with several prominent designers for her frequent public appearances including Dior, Givenchy,Vivienne Westwood, Rick Owens,Vetements, Azzedine Alaia, Alexander McQueen and Jean Paul Gaultier, all of whom have helped to cultivate her developing relationship with fashion. Kim Kardashian’s designer relationship with Olivier Rousteing of Balmain was created when Rousteing began designing a number of iconic looks for her, including a pearl-covered dress for her bachelorette party in 2014, a silver, bejewelled dress for the ‘Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age of Technology’ 2016 Met Gala and a series of latex bodysuits and blazers for Paris Fashion Week in 2020. Additionally, Kim used her social media influence to post a custom-made Balmain outfit on Instagram, explaining its inspiration in the caption and promoting Rousteing’s new collection. Rousteing has famously referred to her as the “ultimate Balmain muse” and Barron (2021) argues that this “stresses a multifaceted relationship with the house.” Kim represents the modern woman, and Rousteing prides himself on choosing muses that embody this, describing her by saying; “She’s powerful, she’s representing the new world… she’s pushing boundaries when it comes to the female form.” (Lindig, 2015)
(Figure 8)
Most recently, her 2021 partnership with Balenciaga has been seen all over the internet and social media with looks featuring at the Met Gala, on Saturday Night Live, at ex-husband Kanye West’s album Donda listening party and photographed by the paparazzi when running errands. McClelland (2021) argues that both Kim and the fashion house benefit from this collaboration as the reality star manages to maintain her newfound status of fashion icon and Balenciaga have now secured first place in the Lyst Index Q3 report compared to fifth place last year. This could be seen as a shift from Kardashian’s infamous YEEZY influenced street-style consisting of high-fashion loungewear, as over the last 2 months she has been seen stepping out in thigh-high latex boots, a number of figure-hugging spandex bodysuits, oversized jackets and gloves. However, McClelland (2021) continues to point out that Balenciaga’s recent athleisure collections in keep with Kim’s current style and image. When presenting SNL in October, she modelled three hot pink looks throughout the day consisting of a velvet catsuit, a floor length anorak and a spandex catsuit with built in heels and a long shaggy coat. Allaire (2021) suggests that these looks, particularly the anorak, are nod to some of the sportier designs created by Gvasalia, and when combined with glittery accessories, embodies Balenciaga’s signature mix of glamour and casualwear. Additionally, many of the headlines about the episode were focused on Kim’s outfits, creating conversation about both herself and the brand. (Figure 9)
Barron (2021) suggests that the Met Gala is a platform that Kardashian uses effectively within the fashion industry, often showcasing her connections by displaying looks from Balmain, Balenciaga, Thierry Mugler and
Versace to name a few. From a floral Givenchy dress at her Met debut in 2013 to a nude wet-look Mugler gown in 2019, she has frequently created conversation with her gala style. The latter was the first design for Mugler since 2002, pulling him out of retirement after he officially retired from the runway, illustrating her influence amongst fashion designers. McKnight (2020) uses this as an example to support Robinson (2020)’s theory regarding publicity stunts fuelling brand awareness as Kim’s use of a corset reignited a century old argument and caused a lot of controversy in the media when combined with the existent narrative around her body shape. Despite attacks from journalists and on social media the look still brought Kim, Mugler and designer of the corset, Mr Pearl, a lot of attention, creating a mutually beneficial relationship between the celebrity and designer and further driving her brand strategy. (Figure 10)
Kim’s look at the 2021 Met Gala made another impressive impact, gaining both appreciation and criticism amongst the media after stepping out in a black full body suit underneath a black over-sized t-shirt dress with flared sleeves, covering her entire body – face included. The outfit was accessorised with two long black trains at the back and pointed, black high heel shoes, giving the reality star complete anonymity. The collaboration between Gvasalia and Kanye West made a statement, creating a dialogue on social media with many memes comparing the star to Harry Potters’ Deatheaters and Google searches for Balenciaga increased by 505%. Okwodu (2021) states that her look was unlike anything anyone had worn to the Met Gala before, contributing again to Kim’s brand strategy of staying relevant through her involvement in publicity stunts, ensuring she stays at the forefront of media conversation through shocking looks. Furthermore, by attending the event with Balenciaga’s creative director Demna Gvasalia, she managed to further solidify her relationship with the designer and draw attention to the fashion houses’ new era. Okwodu (2021) further argues that “the outfit and its mysterious aura gave the crowd something new and inventive”, however not all views were so admirable. As a Muslim woman, Lodi (2021) describes Kim’s outfit as “bizarre and distasteful” due to its similarities with the Muslim burka, which some people argue to be a symbol of extremism in the modern day. She (Figure 11) further described the trend as “terribly timed not to mention utterly tone deaf” due to the current state of violence in Afghanistan with Twitter users describing the look as “haute couture burka!” and paying “tribute to the Taliban.” Furthermore, widely known Islamophobic station Fox News awarded Kim with the second-best look of the night, a clear example of the reality star’s privilege due to her fame and validation within the fashion industry that comes from the Balenciaga name. Chapter 4: Kanye West’s influence on Kim Kardashian’s style and her position in the fashion industry O’Neill (2021) states: “The union of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West always represented something greater than the sum of its parts, a fact both parties always seemed acutely aware of. … Kim and Kanye’s relationship was fortuitously timed and beneficial for both parties.” When their relationship began, Kim had already reached a high level of fame but hadn’t managed to make her way into the fashion industry because of her reality television background, whereas West had just released his album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and despite his position within the music industry, rap music hadn’t made it in the mainstream media yet. West’s transformation of Kim’s style opened doors for her in the fashion industry leading to her first Vogue cover in 2014 and support from designers to solidify her newfound position. The power of their partnership is so significant that O’Neill (2021) further argues that: “The future reign of this generation’s supermodels – Kim’s sister Kendall Jenner, and her Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum girlfriends Gigi and Bella Hadid – would arguably never have happened if it weren’t for the initial legwork put in by Kardashian and West.” It’s clear that as Kim moved up in the fashion industry, she took the Kardashian
name with her and created opportunities for the rest of her family and those associated with them, with the sisters joining her sitting front row at fashion shows and all five of them featuring in a 2018 Calvin Klein campaign. In an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians Kim revealed: “Kanye’s definitely inspired me to be a little bit more of an individual. I think my style is just evolving and I think it should,” (Teather and London, 2021). When the couple first got together, West completely redesigned Kim’s wardrobe and used his connections in the fashion industry to gain her some attention. Her first Met Gala appearance was in 2013 as the rappers plus one where she wore a floral Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci look whilst pregnant with their first child. They went on to attend the event together until 2019, excluding 2017 and 2018 as West couldn’t attend, often dressed by the same designer, most notably a futuristic style silver Balmain look. West can be credited for her initial introduction to the Met Gala but when attending solo, it can be argued that she has proved her place at the event with a number of jaw-dropping looks. (Figure 12)
Kim’s 2021 Met Gala look made a cultural impact and as a collaboration between West and Gvasalia, the partnership showed West’s essential role in her position within the fashion industry with Okwodu (2021) suggesting that: “The Met Gala look he created for her reflects his love of minimalism, Gvasalia’s, and Kardashian’s innate glamour.” Gvasalia and West have also collaborated on pieces for the release of his latest album ‘Donda’ including looks for the rapper’s appearances surrounding the release and performances for his listening parties. For the finale of his Chicago listening party, the pair dressed Kim in a haute couture wedding dress to re-enact her and West’s wedding vows on stage. The dress was a part of Balenciaga’s first couture collection since 1968 and was initially seen in their summer show as Gvasalia wanted to move away from the street-style he had become known for (Okwodu, 2021). This moment was extremely beneficial as it brought a lot of media attention to all three parties for their roles in the show and only solidified Kim’s relationship with both West and Gvasalia. (Figure 13) Barron (2021) also draws attention to Kim’s part in Kanye’s Yeezy collections, modelling the looks in new and creative ways and often being the centre of his campaigns. He states: “Kim Kardashian’s role in the Yeezy season 6 campaign was very culturally prominent, especially as it featured Paris Hilton, who was a prominent figure in Kim’s (life).” West took advantage of Kim’s street style and fame as she modelled nine different outfits from the season 6 collection in one day when photographed in Calabasas. When seen in the YEEZY Season 7 collection in Tokyo, Kardashian showcased sweatpants with knee high boots, bike shorts, puffer coats and a tight mini dress, all following her established brand of glamorous loungewear. Barron (2021) argues that: “having such a prominent cultural figure such as Kim Kardashian has been important in establishing these fashion trends,” and as the collection campaign was centred around celebrity culture, and specifically Kim as a celebrity, the collaboration boosted her position within the fashion industry and proved her place in cultural prominence. The campaign went viral as it was shared via social media when people saw her walking around Tokyo and posted them on the internet, further proving her power in social media marketing. (Figure 14)
(Figure 15)
Aside from promoting the brand, in 2018 Kim was made part-owner of Yeezy as a gift from West for both Mother’s Day and a thank you for not doing business with another brand (Sawyer, 2018), helping to expand her business ventures within the fashion industry and adding to her knowledge of running a fashion brand. Similarly, Kim describes West as the “ghost creative director” for her shapewear band Skims (Frey, 2021). West designed the logo for the company and offered his creative opinion on models, photographers and packaging. Furthermore, their businesses are so intertwined that photographer Vanessa Beecroft shoots for both West’s music videos, tours and collections and Kim’s Skims campaigns. (Frey, 2021) It’s clear that despite Kim and West’s recent divorce their relationship has always been business driven and often mutually beneficial due to their particular specialities within popular culture and industry connections. West may have significantly contributed to Kim’s introduction into the fashion industry, leading her to become the fashion icon she is known as today, but her status in mainstream media has been an advantage to his career too. Conclusion In conclusion, in this essay I have examined reality television star and businesswoman Kim Kardashian’s status as a fashion icon through exploring the power of her celebrity brand strategy. Through textual analysis of primary and secondary research I have discussed the key factors in Kim’s success in the fashion industry including her business strategies, primarily social media marketing of herself and her two main businesses: KKW Beauty and Skims, and the creation of Kim Kardashian as a brand, transforming her image from a reality television socialite to a billionaire businesswoman and pop culture leader. Her position in the industry has been supported by a number of designer relationships, most notably with Demna Gvasalia of Balenciaga, Olivier Rousteing of Balmain and ex-husband Kanye West with his Yeezy collections. All of these partnerships have allowed her to evolve her image and secure a strong position in the world of fashion, as well as being mutually beneficial for both parties as her existent fame draws attention to the brands involved and their garments. Her years of prominence in pop culture have built her into the ultimate influencer, creating fashion and beauty trends that impact both fast-fashion sales and surgery enquiries. Furthermore, her business strategies have led her to capitalise on trends she has created, Skims with loungewear and KKW with contouring, allowing her to monetise on her fans desires to look and potentially live like her. 5060 words
References Allaire, C., 2021. Kim Kardashian Wore Three Hot Pink Balenciaga Looks to Host ‘SNL’. [online] British Vogue. Available at: <https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/kim-kardashian-snl-balenciaga> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Barron, L., 2021. Interviewed by... Eva Szurko. [email] 3 November 2021 Berg, M., 2021. Kim Kardashian West Is Officially A Billionaire. [online] Forbes. Available at: <https://www. forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2021/04/06/kim-kardashian-west-is-officially-a-billionaire/?sh=6a6b9a3e21bb> [Accessed 13 October 2021]. Bobb, B., 2020. Bike Shorts, Bodysuits, and Latex: Keeping Up With Kim Kardashian West’s Most Viral Trends. [online] Vogue. Available at: <https://www.vogue.com/article/kim-kardashian-west-style-trends> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Cartney-Morley, J., 2015. Kim Kardashian may have broken the internet, but Caitlyn Jenner united it. [online] the Guardian. Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/jun/02/caitlyn-jenner-vanity-fair-cover-kim-kardashian-unites-acceptance-transgender-issues> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Choi, S. and Rifon, N., 2007. Who Is the Celebrity in Advertising? Understanding Dimensions of Celebrity Images. The Journal of Popular Culture, [online] 40(2), pp.304-324. Available at: <https://onlinelibrary.wiley. com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1540-5931.2007.00380.x> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Frey, K., 2021. Every Way Kanye West Has Transformed Kim Kardashian’s Style Over the Years (and One Way He Hasn’t). [online] PEOPLE.com. Available at: <https://people.com/style/kim-kardashian-style-transformation-kanye-west-influence/?> [Accessed 31 December 2021]. Kale, S., 2019. ‘They can sell anything’: how the Kardashians changed fashion. [online] the Guardian. Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2019/jan/28/they-can-sell-anything-how-the-kardashians-changedfashion> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Lindig, S., 2015. Olivier Rousteing Reveals Why Kim Kardashian Is His Ultimate Muse. [online] Harper’s BAZAAR. Available at: <https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/designers/a12414/kim-kardashian-balmain-muse/> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Lodi, H., 2021. As a Muslim woman, I found Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala outfit bizarre and distasteful. [online] The Independent. Available at: <https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/kim-kardashian-met-gala-burka-muslim-women-b1920207.html> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Lueck, J., 2012. Friend-zone with benefits: The parasocial advertising of Kim Kardashian. Journal of Marketing Communications, [online] 21(2), pp.91-109. Available at: <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1352 7266.2012.726235> [Accessed 10 November 2021]. McClain, A., 2015. Keeping Up The Kardashian Brand. 1st ed. Maryland: Lexington Books, pp.7-11, 41-47. McClelland, M., 2021. Is Kim K Responsible For The Rise Of Balenciaga? - Grazia Middle East. [online] Grazia Middle East. Available at: <https://graziamagazine.com/me/articles/kim-kardashian-balenciaga-muse/> [Accessed 19 November 2021]. McKnight, A., 2020. The Kurious Kase of Kim Kardashian’s Korset. Fashion Studies, [online] 3(1). Available at: <https://www.fashionstudies.ca/the-kurious-kase-of-kim-kardashians-korset> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Newbold, A., 2021.You’re Not Ready For Kate Moss’s Skims Underwear Campaign. [online] British Vogue.
Available at: <https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/kate-moss-skims> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Newman, J. and Bruce, L., 2011. How the Kardashians Made $65 Million Last Year – The Hollywood Reporter. [online] Hollywoodreporter.com. Available at: <https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/ how-kardashians-made-65-million-100349/> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Northman, T., 2021. Kim Kardashian Is A Marketing Genius. [online] Highsnobiety. Available at: <https://www. highsnobiety.com/p/kim-kardashian-marketing/> [Accessed 13 October 2021]. Nouri, M., 2018. The Power of Influence: Traditional Celebrity vs Social Media Influencer. [online] Scholar Commons. Available at: <https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/engl_176/32/> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Okwodu, J., 2021. Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala 2021 look rewrote the red carpet’s rules. [online] Vogue France. Available at: <https://www.vogue.fr/fashion/article/kim-kardashian-met-gala-2021-balenciaga> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Okwodu, J., 2021. Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala Look Was Designed By Kanye West. [online] British Vogue. Available at: <https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/kim-kardashian-met-gala-2021> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Okwodu, J., 2021. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Reenact Their Wedding Vows in Balenciaga Haute Couture. [online] Vogue. Available at: <https://www.vogue.com/article/kanye-west-kim-kardashian-wedding-donda-event-balenciaga-couture> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. O’Neill, G., 2021. How Kimye Changed Fashion Forever. [online] Grazia. Available at: <https://graziamagazine.com/articles/how-kimye-changed-fashion-forever/> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Robinson, P., 2020. Kim Kardashian: 3 Things to Learn about Brand Strategy. [online] Meltwater. Available at: <https://www.meltwater.com/en/blog/kim-kardashian-brand-strategy-tips> [Accessed 13 October 2021]. Sawyer, J., 2018. Kim Kardashian Is Now a Part-Owner of Kanye West’s YEEZY. [online] Highsnobiety. Available at: <https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/kim-kardashian-yeezy-part-owner/> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Sicardi, A., 2021. The Kardashians Changed the Way We See Beauty — for Better or for Worse. [online] Allure. Available at: <https://www.allure.com/story/the-kardashian-effect> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Teather, C. and London, B., 2021. These throwback looks reveal why Kim Kardashian credits Kanye West with her major style transformation. [online] Glamour UK. Available at: <https://www.glamourmagazine. co.uk/gallery/kim-kardashian-new-style-high-fashion-wardrobe> [Accessed 8 December 2021].
Image Reference List Figure 1 Trope, D., 2021. Kourtney Kardashian and Megan Fox for SKIMS. [image] Available at: <https://dazedimg-dazedgroup.netdna-ssl.com/1080/azure/dazed-prod/1310/4/1314008.jpg> [Accessed 6 December 2021]. Figure 2 SKIMS, 2021. Kate Moss for SKIMS. [image] Available at: <https://cdn.onebauer.media/one/media/60ee/ b17f/2b16/7856/48ed/b1e4/kate%20moss%20skims.png> [Accessed 6 December 2021]. Figure 3 SKIMS, 2021. Kate Moss for SKIMS. [image] Available at: <https://cdn.onebauer.media/one/media/60ee/ b17f/2b16/7856/48ed/b1e4/kate%20moss%20skims.png> [Accessed 6 December 2021]. Figure 4 KKW Beauty, 2017. Kim Kardashian for KKW Beauty’s contour kit advertisement. [image] Available at: <https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/u0Ij5uj_rppRp68AC7y_YgAVKFE/fit-in/2048xorig/ filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-/2017/06/22/636/n/1922153/509ef824594bd15a6a2690.53592482_edit_ img_image_18019874_1498138667/i/Kim-Kardashian-KKW-Beauty-Contour-Kit-Sold-Out.jpg> [Accessed 6 December 2021]. Figure 5 Goude, J., 2014. Kim Kardashian for Paper Magazine. [image] Available at: <https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTg0MjQyL29yaWdpbi5qcGciLCJleHBpcmVzX2F0IjoxNzAwNTg0MjMwfQ.63nzfSL8rgH2tg1xbbxac_h8N1SfhVaW0l35muumLC0/img.jpg?width=1472&quality=80> [Accessed 6 December 2021]. Figure 6 Piasecki, M., 2016. Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian and Kanye West at Paris Fashion Week 2016. [image] Available at: <https://imagesvc.meredithcorp.io/v3/mm/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.onecms. io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F20%2F2016%2F09%2Fkim-kanye-2-2000.jpg> [Accessed 6 December 2021]. Figure 7 Carolina Lemke, 2019. Kim Kardashian modelling her sunglasses collection for Carolina Lemke. [image] Available at: <https://www.etonline.com/sites/default/files/styles/max_970x546/public/images/2019-04/ kim-kardashian-west-caroline-lemke-campaign-1280.jpg?h=bd3d16c1&itok=S31RkjYj> [Accessed 6 December 2021]. Figure 8 Backgrid, 2020. Kim Kardashian in a Balmain latex suit. [image] Available at: <https://imagesvc.meredithcorp.io/v3/mm/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.onecms.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F20%2F2020%2F03%2Fkim-kardashian-a.jpg> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Figure 9 Vogue Arabia, 2021. Kim Kardashian’s outfits for hosting Saturday Night Live. [image] Available at: <https:// en.vogue.me/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/kim-k-snl-promo.jpg> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Figure 10 Lane, J., 2019. Kim Kardashian in Thierry Mugler at the 2019 Met Gala. [image] Available at: <https:// akns-images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/201963/rs_634x1024-190703113618-634-KimKardashian-shutterstock_editorial_10230712e_huge.jpg?fit=around%7C634:1025&output-quality=90&crop=634:1025;center,top> [Accessed 6 December 2021].
Figure 11 Wargo, T., 2021. Kim Kardashian at the 2021 Met Gala. [image] Available at: <https://media.vogue.co.uk/photos/614011a28832e7bb9da714e6/1:1/w_960,c_limit/GettyImages-1340149063.jpg> [Accessed 6 December 2021]. Figure 12 McCarthy, J., 2013. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West at the 2013 Met Gala. [image] Available at: <https://hips. hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/kim-kardashian-and-kanye-west-attend-the-costumeinstitute-news-photo-1574525690.jpg?crop=1xw:0.73757xh;center,top&resize=980:*> [Accessed 6 December 2021]. Figure 13 Kardashian, K., 2021. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West for the Donda listening party. [image] Available at: <https://imagesvc.meredithcorp.io/v3/mm/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.onecms.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F20%2F2021%2F08%2F28%2FKim-Kardashian-2.jpg> [Accessed 6 December 2021]. Figure 14 Kardashian, K., 2017. Kim Kardashian for YEEZY Season 6. [image] Available at: <https://image-cdn.hypb.st/ https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2017%2F11%2Fkim-kardashian-yeezy-season-6-clothes-0000. jpg?w=960&cbr=1&q=90&fit=max> [Accessed 6 December 2021]. Figure 15 Prahl, B., 2018. Kim Kardashian for YEEZY Season 7. [image] Available at: <https://media.vogue.fr/photos/5c361489bc36eb524e6d0a87/master/w_1600,c_limit/kim_kardashian_tease_la_collection_yeezy_season_7_dans_les_rues_de_tokyo_4061.jpeg?lang=eng> [Accessed 6 December 2021].
Bibliography Allaire, C., 2021. Kim Kardashian Wore Three Hot Pink Balenciaga Looks to Host ‘SNL’. [online] British Vogue. Available at: <https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/kim-kardashian-snl-balenciaga> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Barron, L., 2021. Interviewed by... Eva Szurko. [email] 3 November 2021 Barsamian, E., 2018. Kim Kardashian West Reveals New Yeezy Season 7 Pieces in Tokyo. [online] Vogue. Available at: <https://www.vogue.com/article/kim-kardashian-west-kanye-west-yeezy-season-7-tokyo-japan-celebritystreet-style> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Berg, M., 2021. Kim Kardashian West Is Officially A Billionaire. [online] Forbes. Available at: <https://www.forbes. com/sites/maddieberg/2021/04/06/kim-kardashian-west-is-officially-a-billionaire/?sh=6a6b9a3e21bb> [Accessed 13 October 2021]. Betancourt, B., 2021. Kim Kardashian’s Love Affair with Balenciaga Continues. [online] Harper’s BAZAAR. Available at: <https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a38024952/kim-kardashian-black-leather-balenciaga-look/> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Bobb, B., 2020. Bike Shorts, Bodysuits, and Latex: Keeping Up With Kim Kardashian West’s Most Viral Trends. [online] Vogue. Available at: <https://www.vogue.com/article/kim-kardashian-west-style-trends> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Cartney-Morley, J., 2015. Kim Kardashian may have broken the internet, but Caitlyn Jenner united it. [online] the Guardian. Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/jun/02/caitlyn-jenner-vanity-fair-cover-kim-kardashian-unites-acceptance-transgender-issues> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Cashmore, E., 2019. Kardashian Kulture. 1st ed. Bingley: Emerald Publishing Limited. Choi, S. and Rifon, N., 2007. Who Is the Celebrity in Advertising? Understanding Dimensions of Celebrity Images. The Journal of Popular Culture, [online] 40(2), pp.304-324. Available at: <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/1 0.1111/j.1540-5931.2007.00380.x> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Frey, K., 2021. Every Way Kanye West Has Transformed Kim Kardashian’s Style Over the Years (and One Way He Hasn’t). [online] PEOPLE.com. Available at: <https://people.com/style/kim-kardashian-style-transformation-kanye-west-influence/?> [Accessed 31 December 2021]. Gibson, P., 2012. Fashion and Celebrity Culture. 1st ed. London: Berg. Gonzales, E., 2018. Kim Kardashian Just Debuted Yeezy Season 7 in Tokyo. [online] Harper’s BAZAAR. Available at: <https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/fashion-week/a18927787/kim-kardashian-yeezy-season-7-tokyo/> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Kale, S., 2019. ‘They can sell anything’: how the Kardashians changed fashion. [online] the Guardian. Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2019/jan/28/they-can-sell-anything-how-the-kardashians-changed-fashion> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Lindig, S., 2015. Olivier Rousteing Reveals Why Kim Kardashian Is His Ultimate Muse. [online] Harper’s BAZAAR. Available at: <https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/designers/a12414/kim-kardashian-balmain-muse/> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Lodi, H., 2021. As a Muslim woman, I found Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala outfit bizarre and distasteful. [online] The Independent. Available at: <https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/kim-kardashian-met-gala-burka-muslim-women-b1920207.html> [Accessed 8 December 2021].
Lueck, J., 2012. Friend-zone with benefits: The parasocial advertising of Kim Kardashian. Journal of Marketing Communications, [online] 21(2), pp.91-109. Available at: <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1352726 6.2012.726235> [Accessed 10 November 2021]. Magazine, W., 2021. Celebrate Kim Kardashian’s B-day With a Look Back at Her Red Carpet Style. [online] W Magazine. Available at: <https://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/kim-kardashian-style-best-looks> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. McClain, A., 2015. Keeping Up The Kardashian Brand. 1st ed. Maryland: Lexington Books, pp.7-11, 41-47. McClelland, M., 2021. Is Kim K Responsible For The Rise Of Balenciaga? - Grazia Middle East. [online] Grazia Middle East. Available at: <https://graziamagazine.com/me/articles/kim-kardashian-balenciaga-muse/> [Accessed 19 November 2021]. McKnight, A., 2020. The Kurious Kase of Kim Kardashian’s Korset. Fashion Studies, [online] 3(1). Available at: <https://www.fashionstudies.ca/the-kurious-kase-of-kim-kardashians-korset> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Newbold, A., 2021.You’re Not Ready For Kate Moss’s Skims Underwear Campaign. [online] British Vogue. Available at: <https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/kate-moss-skims> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Newman, J. and Bruce, L., 2011. How the Kardashians Made $65 Million Last Year – The Hollywood Reporter. [online] Hollywoodreporter.com. Available at: <https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/howkardashians-made-65-million-100349/> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Northman, T., 2021. Kim Kardashian Is A Marketing Genius. [online] Highsnobiety. Available at: <https://www. highsnobiety.com/p/kim-kardashian-marketing/> [Accessed 13 October 2021]. Nouri, M., 2018. The Power of Influence: Traditional Celebrity vs Social Media Influencer. [online] Scholar Commons. Available at: <https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/engl_176/32/> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Okwodu, J., 2021. Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala 2021 look rewrote the red carpet’s rules. [online] Vogue France. Available at: <https://www.vogue.fr/fashion/article/kim-kardashian-met-gala-2021-balenciaga> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Okwodu, J., 2021. Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala Look Was Designed By Kanye West. [online] British Vogue. Available at: <https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/kim-kardashian-met-gala-2021> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Okwodu, J., 2021. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Reenact Their Wedding Vows in Balenciaga Haute Couture. [online] Vogue. Available at: <https://www.vogue.com/article/kanye-west-kim-kardashian-wedding-donda-eventbalenciaga-couture> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. O’Neill, G., 2021. How Kimye Changed Fashion Forever. [online] Grazia. Available at: <https://graziamagazine. com/articles/how-kimye-changed-fashion-forever/> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Robinson, P., 2020. Kim Kardashian: 3 Things to Learn about Brand Strategy. [online] Meltwater. Available at: <https://www.meltwater.com/en/blog/kim-kardashian-brand-strategy-tips> [Accessed 13 October 2021]. Sawyer, J., 2018. Kim Kardashian Is Now a Part-Owner of Kanye West’s YEEZY. [online] Highsnobiety. Available at: <https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/kim-kardashian-yeezy-part-owner/> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Sicardi, A., 2021. The Kardashians Changed the Way We See Beauty — for Better or for Worse. [online] Allure. Available at: <https://www.allure.com/story/the-kardashian-effect> [Accessed 8 December 2021]. Teather, C. and London, B., 2021. These throwback looks reveal why Kim Kardashian credits Kanye West with her major style transformation. [online] Glamour UK. Available at: <https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/gallery/ kim-kardashian-new-style-high-fashion-wardrobe> [Accessed 8 December 2021].