8 Times the Fashion World Gushed About Kim Kardashian West

In a matter of days, Kim Kardashian West will receive the inaugural Influencer Award at the 2018 CFDA Fashion Awards, an honor which no other fashion personality nor fashion house has ever received. And though today we may be occupied—perhaps raising eyebrows—about Kim’s appearance regarding a different kind of house, we can’t say we didn’t see this acknowledgment from the fashion industry coming. Especially for the woman with over 111 million followers and who’s totally revolutionized the way we think about celebrity. In fact, fashion (but maybe the world at large) has been gearing up for this moment.

“Over the past decade, Kim Kardashian West has mastered the meaning of influence in the digital age,” said iconic designer and CFDA chairwoman Diane von Furstenberg, in a press release earlier this year regarding the Influencer Award—a prize that seems tailored to what the Calabasas dweller does best.

“Kim is the most important and powerful influencer in the world,” Tommy Hilfiger also echoed in the release. “Every time she wears, posts, or talks about a fashion brand, there is an immediate and significant increase in both awareness and sales.” However, we went digging a bit further for a few more of the eye-opening, admiration-filled, and some major fangirl moments the fashion world has had for Kim.

We won’t deny it: Opinions about her work may still be a polarizing topic, but her popularity is pretty much fact. Read on for eight instances in which the fashion world (as well as entertainment and tech) has totally praised the CFDA’s very first influencer star.

Olivier Rousteing

“I don’t care what anybody says about Kim. I love her. I love that she is a woman but has more power than so many men. And I love that she is so powerful but always takes care of the people she loves. And I admire her because she is the best in the world at communicating with people.”

— The creative director of Balmain to The Guardian

Anna Wintour

“Part of the pleasure of editing Vogue, one that lies in a long tradition of this magazine, is being able to feature those who define the culture at any given moment, who stir things up, whose presence in the world shapes the way it looks and influences the way we see it.”

“… Kim, through her strength of character, has created a place for herself in the glare of the world’s spotlight, and it takes real guts to do that.”

— The editor in chief of Vogue and artistic director of Conde Nast in her the letter from the editor in the April 2014 issue of Vogue

Sarah Jessica Parker

“[She] obviously has enormous influence, and she is more and more aware of what she wants and the images that she chooses to project, which she is in complete control of.

“… I think she is a young woman who is evolving all the time, and one shouldn’t make a decision about anybody. She is not baked and done—I’m not either—so let her experiment and delight in the choices she has to make, and let’s be kind to one another.”

— The actress to The Daily Mail

Jonathan Cheban

“I filmed here with Kim once … now it’s impossible to get a reservation.”

— The reality TV personality and “Foodgod” to Refinery29 referring to NYC Greek restaurant Nerai

Demi Lovato

“I learned to accept my body when the trend started becoming less about super-, super-skinny models that were completely unattainable for anybody to have.

“… Kim Kardashian—say whatever you want about her—but she has revolutionized what’s accepted with curves nowadays.”

— The singer, actress, and activist to Allure

Riccardo Tisci

“She’s intelligent, sweet, beautiful … She started coming to my shows, and some people criticized me. But I love Kanye, and now I love Kim, and I didn’t care what people thought.

“I was proud when she received the cover of American Vogue. Four or five years ago, no fashion house would touch her. But Kim represents the woman of today—she defines society today.”

— The creative director of Burberry to The Hollywood Reporter

Jennifer Lawrence

“When I found out that I was going to be interviewing her, I was like, Oh my God, my whole life has been building up to this moment. I wanted to get as much information as I could. I wanted to do my due diligence on Kim Kardashian. I went to Kris [Jenner]’s house and had dinner with the whole family.”

— The actress at a talk for The Wing

Kara Swisher

“When I talked to all these companies—Twitter, Facebook, Instagram—I said, ‘Who should I have to talk about mobile celebrity?’ And they all said Kim Kardashian, which was fascinating.”

— The executive editor of Re/Code, at the Re/Code Mobile conference in 2014

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