STYLE HAVEN: Is Kim Kardashian The New Style Icon?

This week we saw Kid Kardashian and Kanye West grace the latest Balmain Menswear campaign and after months of seeing Kim K really try to transform into the next fashion maven, this campaign has got me wondering, is Kim Kardashian the new style icon?

Gone are the days of exaggerated makeup and flashy not fashion(y) outfits, after all those years of experimentation, Kim, post pregnancy, is all about high fashion and staying close to her new style persona. The new Kim seems to take style queues from Carine Roitfeld, portraying a balance between sophisticated and risqué. And while the makeup is still very much there, the application is a lot more subtle and on trend.

But is she a style icon?

While it can be argued that style icons get their title naturally and not through a series of trial and error and numerous stylists; they also get their style icon status because their persona has an influence on the fashion world. At 5 foot 3 inches and a fair share of curves, Kim is bringing her own spin to fashion. Clothes that at first seem to be designed specifically for the tall, thin models, are garnering a whole new personality with Kim's styling. Women are now proud of their curves and they, like Kim, want to show them off. And even with Kim keeping a comparatively lighter hand or her makeup, her influence on the shift towards facial contouring can not be disregarded. If style icons are meant to be remembered, then Kim's hold on the media makes it difficult for her to be forgotten.