Kim Kardashian has taken her talents to Marc Jacobs.
The 42-year-old reality star is the new face of the fashion house, starring in the Marc Jacobs fall/winter 2023 collection campaign. In images released on Wednesday, August 9, Kardashian models the label’s latest designs, including a fluted denim jacket, a polka dot catsuit and the brand’s beloved Tote Bag.
Kardashian also donned the croc-embossed Kiki Ankle Boot, which is fitting considering the moniker is her nickname. Her pair came in white and were equipped with a 3-inch platform heel.
Kardashian’s gig with Marc Jacobs further solidifies her reign in the fashion industry.
Last year, she creative directed Dolce & Gabbana’s spring/summer 2023 collection, which was unveiled during Milan Fashion Week in September 2022. The capsule — dubbed Ciao, Kim — included Kardashian’s favorite archival looks from the ’90s and early 2000sModels owned the runway in corset dresses, silver frocks, sheer jumpsuits and more as a black-and-white clip of Kardashian eating spaghetti played in the background.
Kardashian opened up about the significance of the line during a June 1 episode of The Kardashian’s sharing, “This is a big deal to me. It’s the first time that I’m really gonna be independent on doing any kind of fashion product.”
She continued, “I feel like I have a good pulse on what people want to wear and that’s a good thing to me, because not too long ago, I felt like I couldn’t even dress myself.”
For years, Kardashian was styled by ex-husband Kanye West. Her newfound fashion independence sparked anxiety, which was documented in season 2 of The Kardashians. “Even now I’m having panic attacks like, what do I wear?” the SKKN by Kim founder explained during a May 2022 episode of the Hulu show. “Then for the Wall Street Journal magazine, I won the innovator award for Skims. And I was like, ‘How do I wear something that hasn’t been pre-vetted first?’”
Despite the Dolce & Gabbana collection being a major victory for Kardashian, the project caused tension between herself and sister Kourtney Kardashian.
During season 3 of The Kardashians, Kourtney, 44, revealed she was upset with Kim for planning a collaboration with Dolce & Gabbana that seemed to take inspiration from her and husband Travis Barker’s May 2022 nuptials. Kim, for her part, argued that she tried to wait and she specifically didn’t choose items that Kourtney wore during her wedding weekend.
Kourtney in return asserted, “This is definitely not about a brand. It was about my wedding — I didn’t feel truly supported. It is like a free for all and there are no boundaries. It felt like there’s no decency to ask me how I felt about her doing this so close to my wedding.”
While Kim argued that she “shouldn’t have to ask for [Kourtney’s] permission,” she eventually apologized.
Prior to Kim’s work with Dolce & Gabbana, she was tapped to be the face of Balenciaga in February 2022. Kim had been rocking head-to-toe Balenciaga ensembles for months before starring in the label’s ad and became synonymous with Balenciaga’s pantaboot.
Kim’s relationship with Balenciaga was later scrutinized after the company released a controversial spring/summer 2023 campaign in the fall of 2022 that featured children posing with BDSM-inspired teddy purses and included a print out of a child pornography ruling.
Kim condemned the ad, sharing via Instagram in November 2022 that she was disturbed. “The safety of children must be held with the highest regard and any attempts to normalize child abuse of any kind should have no place in our society — period.”
She doubled down on her stance during a December 2022 episode of the “Angie Martinez IRL” podcast, saying, “I completely denounced it.”
Balenciaga’s creative director, Demna, broke his silence on the issue that same month, explaining, “I want to personally apologize for the wrong artistic choice of concept for the gifting campaign with the kids. I take my responsibility. It was inappropriate to have kids promote objects that had nothing to do with them.”
