Kim Kardashian at the 2021 Met Gala is the ultimate display of the power of personal branding
The businesswoman has chosen a Balenciaga style that completely covers his face and, even so, remains recognizable
Saying that Kim Kardashian is one of the inventors of the modern (and digitized) personal brand is obvious but deserves to be put on the table once again. There are the millions of followers who follow each of her personal and professional movements; there are the entrepreneurial adventures she embarks on that bring her millions of dollars in profits, and there are the billions of images that have shaped the story of Kim Kardashian. In a world in which reality seems to become liquid at times thanks to the intervention of the screens, characters who are only known from the digital environment and not from a face-to-face encounter can acquire an unreal quality in which the Identity construction remains in the hands of the protagonists and not of social interactions.
And in building her, Kardashian has emphasized, much emphasis, on the recognizable of her silhouette. The proof is that he has made it profitable by turning it into the bottle of her perfume and yes, also in the visual pillar of her personal brand, the sublimation of this being her look for the Met Gala 2021.
The ode to American fashion that underpins this year's gala and exhibition at the museum has resulted in a plethora of looks inspired by Hollywood's golden age, with heavy doses of classic and normative glamor. That is to say, a good handful of fitted dresses with a mermaid cut, wide necklines that reveal the shoulders; Long, flowing hair, controlled waves and shine, a lot of shine (if silver and sparkling fabrics are two of the great trends of fall-winter, it was clear that they had to appear on a date like this). The Met Gala 2021 has become the perfect backdrop for numerous celebrities to once again take out those ball gowns that they feel comfortable and confident in, with which there is no room for error. The quiet, solid hedonism to turn to when the night spirit is a bit rusty from lack of use. Not for Kim Kardashian.
Kim has been going to the appointment proposed by the New York museum for many years and has explored in most of them that sexy side to which, for example, Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Irina Shayk or Hailey Bieber continue to resort. The wet effect Mugler she wore in 2019 was the pinnacle. Perhaps because of that, perhaps because her inspiration in the film world was too safe territory for her, Kardashian's choice has been diametrically opposed to most of her; an uncheck full of surprise that, in reality, had already been announced for days on her Instagram account. Because yes, Kim has come to the Met Gala with a covered face and with a Balenciaga look that has not revealed any skin. But that has not stopped her from being recognized, the result of an exercise carried out for years that, in a way, revisits the myth of American success, personal growth and the path to fame that has so often starred in fictional narrative (and not fiction). Her starting point is very, very far from that of a hotel bellboy, but the construction of an empire is not the result of carelessness and chance.
One of the most prominent elements are the pointed-toe, high-heeled boots-leggings that disappear under a tight-fitting T-shirt dress (is there something that better represents American sportwear than a T-shirt?), Through which long gloves that look like merge with the full mask that chisels your face, in a one-piece jumpsuit. Although it seems impossible, under the mesh his nose and her lips can be perfectly distinguished. In the equation there is also a hairpiece that reaches the ground, and a square and open tail in two pieces. But the remarkable thing about a style signed by Balenciaga (like the last ones she has shared on her profile and with whom she has been photographed) is that it is not necessary to literally see the face of Kim Kardashian to know that it is her, because her features and his silhouette are absolutely
recognizable. There is no option to make mistakes, and she may be one of the few guests who can afford such audacity, because she is one of the few that has managed to turn each of her curves, gestures and movements (literal and figurative) towards a new exercise. of branding at the height of any iconic logo. Because if an anagram is not forgotten, Kim Kardashian entirely, either.
