Editor’s Note: Look of the Week is a regular series that looks at the good, the bad and the ugly, revealing the most talked-about outfit of the last seven days.
CNN –
What comes to mind when you think of Kim Kardashian? Flowing dark curls, flawless skin, or perhaps her exaggerated curves encased in earth-colored spandex. A shaved head and reading glasses from 2003? Probably not.
But that was the image that CR Fashion Book presented to the world on Monday for the magazine’s 10th anniversary issue. Photographed by American photographer and fashion favorite Nadia Lee Cohen, Kardashian (who was the publication’s first cover star in 2013) is almost unrecognizable in black and white – her thick hair appears to buzz short, manicured eyebrows thinned into thin stripes. On the cover, she’s wearing a smudged white DSQUARED2 tank top and Old Focals glasses.
It’s a far cry from the reality star’s typical style, which is perhaps why the hashtag “Kim Kardashian” is trending on X (formerly Twitter) – where the image has already been viewed over 22 million times. But despite numerous online comparisons to the horror film series “Chucky,” there may be a method to her madness.
The outfit is surprising, but not necessarily unstylish. The term “librarian chic” was coined in fashion circles on social media earlier this year after Miu Miu’s fall-winter 2023 collection featured slim oval frames worn with pencil skirts and button-up crewneck cardigans. Eyeglass chains—the practical solution for those who regularly lose their reading glasses—are currently available at Fendi for $620; while Bella Hadid, Doja Cat and influencer Gabbriette were all spotted wearing thin lenses. Kardashian’s buzz cut also instantly adds a touch of cool – lately the skinny cut has been worn by everyone from Emma Corrin to Florence Pugh.
“Ugly is attractive, ugly is exciting,” Miuccia Prada (founder and creative director of Miu Miu since 1993) told British newspaper The Telegraph in 2013. “(Finding ugly) may have been scandalous in fashion, but in other areas of art (painting and films) it is common.”
And to survive in the fickle, ever-changing entertainment industry, excitement – and evolution – is key. Over the last decade, there have been many versions of Kim Kardashian: Paris Hilton’s assistant wore hot pink Juicy Couture tracksuits, Ye’s muse wore head-to-toe Yeezy athleisure, and a law student wore oversized power suits for appointments at the White House. But everyone has bought into their personal brand, which extols a contrived perfection. During a 2015 Vogue España cover shoot, she considered dressing down and going makeup-free. Until now, however, Kardashian has never really embarked on such a subversion of expectations – coming soon after her first major acting debut in the TV series “American Horror Story.”
Her image, once Kardashian’s prized possession, has been turned upside down by stylists Carine Roitfeld and Cohen. Is it meant to help usher in a new era of her career? We will see.