Kate And Kim: Fashion’s New Power Duo?

A decade ago, when Instagram was still in its infancy and body-con Hervé Léger remained the unofficial uniform of reality TV starlets everywhere, no one was taking Kim Kardashian seriously as a fashion industry player. Ten years, countless directional looks and one shapewear empire later, Kardashian West is as at home on the front row as she once was manning the tills at Dash, the now defunct family boutique.

But even after that Met Gala Mugler moment, after Kanye’s Sunday Service takeover at Paris Fashion Week, and after she sourced exquisite archive Alexander McQueen to attend an Oscars after-party, this week represents something of a high point in Kim’s journey towards repositioning herself as an industry heavyweight. Not only was it announced that her Skims brand will be the official supplier of Team USA’s smalls at the upcoming Tokyo Games, the itinerary for her current stint in Rome has included visits to Fendi HQ and sightseeing with none other than Kate Moss. Can you say insider?

Kardashian’s little sister Kendall Jenner may be a supermodel in her own right these days, but that genetic link is nothing when compared to the cachet that comes with pulling up to the Vatican with Croydon’s finest. The mogul selected a not at all nun-like white lace dress from Barragán’s autumn/winter 2020 collection for the tour (she packed a coat to enter the chapels), for which the designer drew inspiration from the Mexican Inquisition and the persecution of so-called heretics by the Catholic church. It was a characteristically considered choice from Kim, who loves a talking point outfit, but the real topic of conversation was her travel companion.

Moss’s daughter Lila accompanied the new friends on their intimate tour of the Vatican, and Kardashian later posted a stream of photos on Instagram that captured her and the British super deep in conversation, and sharing a laugh while admiring the view of the Basilica. As image transformations go, Kardashian now puts Victoria Beckham’s evolution from WAG to toast of London Fashion Week in the shade. What’s next, Mossy in a Skims campaign? Of all the weird things to have happened in 2021, Kate in flesh-coloured leggings would be the least of it.