Keeping Up with Kim Kardashian
They made their debut together on an E! reality program starring Ryan Seacrest 10 years ago. For one thing, the premise wasn't original, as it has been with so many previous Seacrest productions. "The Osbournes", a reality series following the domestic antics of heavy metal artist Ozzy Osbourne and his family, had launched on MTV five years earlier, in 2002.
Seacrest's new program featured a similar idea to Osbourne's, only that none of the cast members had the same amount of fame. When they first came on the scene, they were solely recognized for their connections to renowned people. Since its debut in October 2007, the reviews of "Keeping Up with the Kardashian" have been harsh, labelling its cast "self-absorbed" and "desperate" for their superficiality.
Because of this, it simply served to fuel the Kardashians' desire to make the program a success. Adding further seasons to "KUWTK," it became the second most successful reality series of all time — and its outlandish star, the world's most famous person because of their fame (not to mention the wife of the most famous rapper, Kanye West).
Kim Kardashian West is now the highest-earning reality TV star globally, despite the skepticism and the insulting memes. The surprisingly prolific entrepreneur developed a personal brand with a sphere of influence that spanned many sectors by leveraging her significant social media presence. Kimoji, Kim Kardashian West (which gives a more intimate insight into her life on a freemium basis), and Kim Kardashian: Hollywood were three of her most successful applications in the digital world. Fashion designers such as Balmain's creative director Olivier Rousteing, Givenchy's former creative director Riccardo Tisci and the founder of a high-end fashion house (Kanye West) made her a vital front-row fixture and a style icon so significant that every outfit was worn or hairstyle changed would inevitably be covered.
While her net worth was previously unknown, Forbes reports that she made $51 million, a sum previously kept under the radar. On social media, the 37-year-old had no qualms about promoting her latest collaborations or showcasing her most recent purchases, no matter what.
Then there was the Paris terrorist attack of 2016. Her own Twitter tweets alerted the burglars to her whereabouts, and they broke into Kardashian West's hotel room and stole her jewelry. She had a wake-up call after that encounter. In an interview following our Los Angeles shoot, she says, "I certainly experience a lot more anxiety today, simply with people knowing your every move." A quarter of a year later, in January, the "queen of social media", as she's called, reappeared on all her social media accounts, posting nothing for the entire time.
After that, she returned with a new outlook on life and a more refined appearance. "Such a different person," she exclaimed on "The Ellen Show" in April, admitting that she formerly loved flash but now "doesn't care about that stuff anymore."
When we met Kardashian West during her photo session, there was nothing to suggest she wasn't the born-again minimalist she now proclaims herself to be, even though just a few years earlier, she released a coffee-table book of her selfies named "Selfish". She appears in a basic white tank top coupled with olive green joggers, and her hair is fashioned in a straight, unfussy shoulder-grazing haircut at Milk Studios in Los Angeles' creative beehive (and Kanye West's former office) North Cahuenga Boulevard.
Her children, North, four, and Saint, two, are clearly at the top of her priority list due to what she's learned over the last year. "My whole world is my kids. It's everything I care about... from absolutely every little thing that they do to what they wear, to all their hobbies," she says when asked what she's currently focusing on. I'm grateful to be their mother. As a result of having children, I'm unable to spend as much time with my friends.