The Kardashians: family phenomenon between bad style and fashion dominance

The family has been a constant source of entertainment since the early 2000s and, with some statements, has won a lasting place not only in the minds of fans. The Kardashians – everyone knows them, willingly or not. More than once, scenes from the show “Keeping Up With The Kardashians,” which premiered on television in 2007, have become emblematic of the seemingly unreal world of the rich and famous in Los Angeles, complete with meme potential. “You’re doing amazing, sweetie.”, “My diamond earring came off in the ocean and now it’s gone. – Kim, there’s people that are dying.” and “Kim, would you stop taking pictures of yourself, your sister is going to jail” – a glimpse into a list of iconic television moments from a family who first found questionable fame by releasing a sex tape and then built an empire that also includes the had a lasting influence on the fashion world.

Balmain, Balenciaga, Yeezy – the list of designer brands that rely on the Kardashians as brand ambassadors is long. A phenomenon that results in a lucrative business model with a win-win situation thanks to the enormous social media presence and reach of the family. Whatever the Kardashians are touching is becoming a trend, but that’s only been the case for a few years.

Uniformity and individuality

Especially at the beginning of the rise to fame, women tended to make a name for themselves with questionable outfit choices. Animal prints, tight bodycon dresses and wedge heels dominated reality TV stars’ wardrobes. Wide belts, bold prints, skater skirts and maxi dresses were also part of the Kardashians’ fashion repertoire until the early 2010s. The fashion influence of the family members on each other was also unmistakable. Sometimes subtle, other times obvious, individuality was rarely recognizable, especially at the beginning. Again and again the sisters’ outfits mirrored each other stylistically – on the one hand an expression of family cohesion, on the other hand the coordinated wardrobe underlined the carefully fabricated impression that the family already gave.

Between 2013 and 2015, the Kardashians underwent their biggest fashion transition to date. The stylistic focus shifted, taking a step away from eye-catching patterns and cheap-looking fabrics towards more glamorous outfits – the sisters nevertheless retained their penchant for tight-fitting clothing. With the founding of Kanye West’s Yeezy label, the Kardashians finally said goodbye to their exaggerated reality star image.

The influence of courage and reach

It remains to be seen whether the change in style can be attributed to better stylists or not, but as time went on the legendary family, which always made headlines and talked about, grew beyond itself in terms of fashion. Each of the sisters developed their individual approach to fashion without ever losing the connection to each other. Only Kendall Jenner’s style still stands out from her sisters today – the model, who arrived at the fashion Olympus in 2017 as the Victoria’s Secret Angel, likes to be more relaxed in private than her sisters, who present their curves with devotion in public.

This balance between individuality and family ties is also what attracts the fashion industry alongside the clan’s unimaginable reach. Not only can every age group be addressed with the generational diversity that the family now has, but also stylistically there is an equivalent Kardashian for every taste – the now established business women are not lacking in courage, such as Kim Kardashian’s appearance in a Mugler latex suit at the 2019 Met Gala proves it. What the sisters like, they support together – the Kardashians took turns wearing the same designers to events, including Balenciaga and Balmain.

Fashion is a family thing

In the Kardashian clan, fashion is a family affair – a strategy that works, even for renowned designers. The fact that not everyone likes the sisters’ style leaves those involved cold, another thing the family scores with. With unbroken self-confidence, the sisters set their fashionable point of view – and reap many times more encouragement than harsh criticism.

The Kardashians are a family of extremes, an image they’ve lived and never glossed over since the beginning of their show business career. This is probably one of the reasons for the global influence that the family holds firmly in their hands, not only in the world of fashion, despite all the scandals and controversies.

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