Kim Kardashian has established herself as a fixture of the Met Gala over the past 13 years, but her entry into fashion’s most exclusive evening required a direct intervention from her then-boyfriend, Ye, according to a newly published biographical excerpt.
Before 2013, Kardashian struggled to pass the rigorous guest selection process for the annual fashion fundraiser. According to writer Jonathan Van Meter in an excerpt from the upcoming book Citizen Kim: The Woman Who Created the Future, published October 27, Ye attempted to secure an invitation for Kardashian in 2012 without success. Van Meter recounts attending meetings at the Vogue offices where long-time editor and gala chairperson Anna Wintour reacted negatively to the mere mention of the Kardashian name.
Although Ye was scheduled to perform at the 2013 gala, Kardashian remained uninvited by organizers. However, Wintour permitted her to attend as the rapper’s plus-one. At the time, Kardashian was eight months pregnant with the couple’s first child, daughter North West. She wore a skintight floral Givenchy dress featuring matching gloves and shoes, a bold look that drew widespread media attention and comparison by one critic to being upholstered like a sofa.
According to Van Meter’s reporting, the appearance generated unprecedented social media engagement and media coverage, surpassing any previous attendee in the event’s history. While general social media users widely mocked the floral ensemble, many within the fashion industry praised the bold choice, interpreting the outfit as a modern, subversive take on traditional attire.
Tracy Romulus, a friend of Kardashian, credited Ye with shifting industry perceptions. According to Romulus, Kanye called Wintour directly to advocate for Kardashian because he recognized her cultural relevance and potential before the broader fashion establishment did. Ye insisted that designers should embrace her as a major style figure, successfully fighting for her place at the event.
The massive digital visibility generated by her 2013 debut transformed her standing with organizers, making subsequent annual invitations a certainty as her social media following expanded rapidly. Following Kardashian’s breakthrough, other members of her family, including her mother Kris Jenner and sisters Kendall Jenner, Kylie Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, and Khloé Kardashian, subsequently secured invitations to the gala in later years. Ye and Kardashian married in 2014, divorced in 2022, and share four children: North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm.
