Kim Kardashian is copying Princess Di to safeguard her ‘legacy’, experts claim
KIM Kardashian is a modern princess.
She is social media royalty and a prominent figure in Hollywood’s elite circles.
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But according to PR and fashion experts, the billionaire reality star is trying to give herself a lasting image like that of Princess Diana.
The People’s Princess, who passed away in August 1997, left an inspiring legacy through her humanitarian work and influence on pop culture.
Since becoming a mother of four and deeply involved in criminal justice reform, people have pointed out that Kim, 44, is trying to channel that same energy.
Why? Because Kim wants to have a legacy as celebrated as Diana’s, experts believe.
read more about Kim Kardashian
Alison Lowe MBE, fashion consultant and course leader of MBA Fashion Entrepreneurship at the University of East London, said: “Diana, Princess of Wales, is an enduring icon.
“So it’s no surprise that Kim Kardashian wants to copy her style and emulate her ability to increase the visibility of social causes.”
Fans of the beauty mogul – who runs shapewear brand Skims and skincare label SKKN – have clocked her attempts at a royal rebrand in recent years.
This came into focus when she bought Princess Diana’s famous Attallah Cross necklace, which she wore to a charity gala in 1987.
Kim bought the glittering diamond and amethyst necklace for an eye-watering $200,000 (£154,161) at auction in January 2023.
The cross has a diamond weight of 5.25 carats and is composed of square-cut amethysts and circle-cut diamonds.
The reality star wore it for the first time at the 13th annual LACMA Art + Film Gala 2024 presented by Gucci earlier this week.
Alison said: “Diana’s fashion legacy continues, and her diverse and iconic wardrobe is still relevant today.
“This may have inspired Kim to own Princess’ Attallah Cross necklace.
“It could act as a way to reflect her own evolving story and a way to try to align herself with Diana’s qualities.”
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Stealing style
However, it’s not just the vintage necklace that Kim has used to recreate Princess Diana’s vibe.
The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star has also adopted a “timeless sophistication” in her recent fashion choices.
In fact, there have been a number of occasions in recent years where she has worn dresses very similar to those from Diana’s collection.
Who is Kim Kardashian’s stylist?
THE woman behind many of Kim Kardashian’s iconic looks is Dani Levy, who has collaborated with celebrities including Jennifer Lopez and Justin Timberlake.
Before landing her A-list clients, Dani would scour stylists’ websites and bombard them with emails, sending up to 60 a day.
She offered to work for free to get her foot in the door, but ended up getting paid gigs.
Within months, she had her first celebrity clients and crossed paths with Kanye West when she assisted Rihanna’s stylist.
Dani said: “One day he told me that Kim was in her second pregnancy and wouldn’t leave the house, and asked if I could come and dress her. I went, we met and she was amazing.”
After the divorce, Dani stayed with Kim and called her “family.”
She said: “My contract says I can work with whoever I want, but I’d rather work on one thing and give my 100 percent.”
In September 2022, she walked the runway at Milan Fashion Week in a maxi dress that was almost identical to the one Princess Diana wore to celebrate her 36th birthday in 1997.
For the Baby2Baby Gala in November 2023, Kim wore a long-sleeved black lace dress that was very similar to the Princess of Wales’ gown worn during a gala performance at the Royal Albert Hall in February 1996.
Kim also attended the Balenciaga fashion show for Paris Fashion Week in March this year in a similar style.
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For the OSCARS 2024 Vanity Fair Party, also in March, she wore a pointed one-shoulder dress similar to Diana’s at Victor Chang Research Institute Dinner Dance in 1996.
“Princess Diana used her style to express individuality, confidence and relatability,” says Alison.
“She often broke with traditional expectations to create a look that was approachable and elegant.
Kim may be trying to emulate Diana’s style because it exudes timeless sophistication and versatility. These are qualities Kim is looking for as she tries to break away from her reality TV roots
Alison Lowe
“Kim may be trying to emulate Diana’s style because it exudes timeless sophistication and versatility.
“These are qualities Kim is looking for as she tries to break away from her reality TV roots.
“She is reshaping her public image around her business ventures, legal studies and activism.”
Humanitarian work
Princess Diana was a prominent advocate for people living with HIV/AIDS and worked tirelessly to break the stigma surrounding the disease.
In April 1987, she made headlines when she shook hands with an HIV-positive patient without gloves at London’s Middlesex Hospital to challenge the mistaken belief that the disease could be spread by touch.
Kim has also challenged prejudice through her criminal justice activism in the US.
Since 2019, she has been advocating for wrongfully convicted prisoners or those with unfair sentences, even helping some get out of prison.
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In her reality show The Kardashians, she fights stigmas by filming herself entering prisons to talk to incarcerated criminals about how they reform themselves inside.
Alison said: “Celebrities like Kim are trying to emulate Princess Diana’s strong public image because Diana was an example of how to connect with people and turn that connection into influence.
“Diana has set a precedent.
“She was one of the first public figures to use her fame to draw attention to important humanitarian issues, and she did so with sincerity and dedication.
“Kim and many others have tried to follow Diana’s example by turning popularity into a force for good, using their platforms to address social issues or support philanthropic causes.”
Public divorce
When Kim and rapper Kanye West filed for divorce in 2021 after almost seven years of marriage, a media circus ensued.
Princess Diana knew this all too well.
She divorced King Charles, the eldest of Queen Elizabeth II’s children, in 1995 and later wore the iconic ‘revenge dress’, which was a far cry from the way royal stylists had previously dressed her.
She wore the sleek off-the-shoulder number to a 1994 dinner at the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Gardens – the same evening as…Prince Charles confessed his infidelity on national television.
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According to fashion editor Amber Graafland, Kim went for a similar style overhaul after her divorce from Kanye.
Before their divorce, the rapper worked as Kim’s stylist and dressed her exclusively in outfits he wanted to see her in.
After her legal separation, she began to “trust her own styling instincts” – just like Diana.
“After Kanye, Kim seems to have undergone a 360-degree U-turn,” she told Fabulous last month.
“The pencil skirts are back, we see a lot of pointy stilettos… and even her hair is back to the heyday of the noughties.
‘Only recently has she regained the confidence to speak her own mind and put pressure on other people.
“She has been forced to trust her own style instincts and is enjoying fashion again.”
