What Kanye West Has Done For Kim Kardashian’s Fashion Cred

No matter what you think of Kim Kardashian, there’s one thing that’s not up for debate: her style has taken a drastic turn since she started dating fiancé Kanye West.She’s graduated from the land of body-hugging wrap dresses to the world of Givenchy, Lanvin,Céline, Azzedine Alaïa, and many, many more.

And we don’t just mean she’s wearing those names: the 33-year-old has spent quality time with many of the high fashion world’s biggest players. Both Kim and Kanye are in Paris for Couture Week right now, and just last night Kim had dinner with Azzedine Alaïa. And today, she went as the legendary designer’s date to his exhibit at Paris’ Galliera Museum. Not to mention the hours she’s racked up partying with Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci,supermodel Karlie Kloss, artist Marina Abramovic, and many others. (And let’s not forget the custom Hermès bag Kanye gave her for her birthday with original paintings by art-world heavyweight George Condo, a favorite of Kanye.)

Here’s the big question we have about Kim’s recent foray into the worlds of mega-watt fashion and art: Why are people taking her so seriously? As recently as a couple years ago, Kim was little more than a reality star who had a couple of promotional partnerships with brands like diet pill QuikTrim and a line of clothing for Sears.

Then, shortly after she and Kanye officially started dating in the early months of 2012, the rapper appeared on “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” Kim’s reality show, andmade a big show of cleaning out her closet, getting rid of her old clothes and replacing them with designer duds. He hasn’t been on the show since, which makes the entire thing that much more pointed.

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“Kanye has definitely inspired me to be a little bit more of an individual,” Kim said at the time of the great closet raid. “I think my style is evolving and changing, and I think it should, because that’s what life is about. He’s a fashion designer and he loves clothes, so I’m excited to collaborate with him and see what his take on fashion is.”

What’s interesting is that—despite his obvious influence in replacing Kim’s former clubwear-heavy wardrobe with high-fashion labels—Kanye’s managed to keep Kim’s signature sexpot aesthetic going, as she still goes for tight, curve-hugging clothes that communicate her status as higher-class arm candy, but still lets the world know that she’s a little bit “bad” so to speak (remember the Givenchy dress she wore while out in Paris that pretty much showcased both breasts?)

It also could be argued that West is sexualizing Kim in a way, clearly encouraging her to post stripper-like photos to Instagram one day, and making sure she’s photographed in full Lanvin the next.

Despite her abundant curves and bandage-dress past though, it seems that fashion insiders are actually paying attention to her now because of her affiliation with Kanye, not because of anything she herself has done. If she wasn’t dating West, wouldRiccardo Tisci be so willing to dress her? French editor Carine Roitfeld be excited to style her? Would Anna Wintour have allowed to her to attend the 2013 Met Gala after reportedly shunning her in years past? Would designers like Celine’s Phoebe Philo be sending her baby gifts?

We’re inclined to say no, and can’t help but wonder whether these insiders—known in small circles, but not necessarily America at large—are using Kim’s position in the public eye to get their own name out there. They wouldn’t have dared approached her two years ago, but now that she’s with Kanye, it makes it okay for them to align themselves with the reality star, since he’s clearly given her a type of fashion cred that money can’t buy.

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