As the reality star faces once more charges of cultural appropriation, Naomi Campbell takes a shot at Kim Kardashian’s recent Vogue cover picture.
Kim, 41, has been accused of duplicating Naomi Campbell’s style for years, and fashion blog Diet Prada brought up the resemblance again on Wednesday after Kim’s Vogue photo was criticized.
In the photos, the reality star models traditional African haircuts and wears costumes similar to those worn by black icons, she has been accused of blackfishing or attempting to pretend to have black heritage.
Naomi, 51, expressed her displeasure by like the Instagram image comparing Kim’s cover shoot to previous shots featuring black musicians and wrote, “Kim and Vogue stated “Black History Month”.”
Kim’s Interview and criticism
Kim’s comments about lookalikes in the interview were also included in the article. She said in the interview: ‘I don’t know if I would ever say, “Oh my God, this person looks like me.” I think if someone has dark hair and tan skin people are going to say, “Oh, that looks like Kim.’ And that’s not fair, because there are so many people who are just themselves.”‘
As per sources, the interview continued: ‘One reason Kim can’t see herself in her legion of lookalikes, perhaps, is that she grew up used to not seeing herself in the popular culture of her youth.’
“Okay, there are other body shapes out there. There are other looks that people find beautiful,” Kim mentioned. “My reference for prom was Salma Hayek. I went to the MAC counter and brought pictures of her. It was like, I finally have someone to look up to”, she continued.
The timing of the spread, enraged users pointed out, was particularly awful considering that it was Black History Month in the United States.
‘They drop this on us in the middle of Black History Month,’ they wrote. ‘I’m sick of hearing that a Kardashian is “redefining beauty,” when Black women have been setting beauty and fashion trends for decades.’
‘This is Rachel Dolezal-level appropriation at this point; ‘She wants to be Naomi’; ‘That’s the first thing that sprang to mind when I saw those photographs’; ‘Well, we all know Kim has built an industry out of attempting to be Black.’ ‘From the body, men, and other sources…’
‘This is terrible on so many levels.’; ‘Blink if you don’t believe it.’; ‘all black women were killed.’ unavailable huh?’; ‘But…she’s not black.’; ‘They said “black history month but can we make it not black?”’
Fans Supoorted Kim
However, commentators defended Kim, noting that many fashion personalities recycle trends and that magazines are printed a month ahead of time, thus Kim’s cover photo would be in March’s issue.
They wrote: ‘I feel like this is a bit of a stretch’; ‘Rich people wearing the same designers, styled by the same stylists, inspired by the same icons – scandalous’; ‘Rich people wearing the same designers, styled by the same stylists, inspired by the same icons – scandalous’;
‘This is such a meaningless post… When does inspiration turn into appropriation? Even the angles of a photograph are now considered appropriation of a culture/race? Although she isn’t offending anyone because it’s all about fashion and beauty just because Naomi wore something doesn’t imply it’s exclusively for people of color?’
‘She’s wearing the clothes as if she’s a model.’ I suppose it’s just a fashion editorial That has nothing to do with race, but people are pushing these issues when they aren’t essential or relevant to a literal fashion piece.’
As per sources, she explained ‘Hey, maybe this hairdo would look better on you than it would on me.”
‘But I also want her to feel comfortable enough with me to do a hairdo with her and not make it a huge deal if that’s something she truly wants.’
Kim mentioned her ethnicity, saying, “There’s also a tradition of braiding hair in Armenia, and people forget that I am Armenian as well.”
Kardashian told the tabloid that she has ‘certainly learned through time,’ and that she has ‘tried to carry that culture of learning onto [her] kids as well.’
Kim and Naomi’s long relationship
Meanwhile, Kim and Naomi have a long relationship, with the reality star frequently accused of mimicking the supermodel’s style.
Kim responded to the allegations in 2019, gushing that she was ‘Team Naomi’ while posing in the same silk outfit that Naomi wore on the Gianni Versace Fall 1996 catwalk. She tagged Naomi Campbell on Instagram and wrote: ‘Naomi Forever.’
Kim had previously appeared in an Azzedine Alaa bodysuit, similar to the one Naomi wore in 1991, at the beginning of March.
Naomi Campbell donned a metallic Versace dress at the Fragrance Foundation Awards in 2015, and she wore it again in December 2018 to a Broadway event.
Kim also wore Naomi’s thigh-skimming glittery Versace ensemble at the Met Gala in December. It inevitably sparked suspicion that Naomi Campbell and Kim were working on a project together, however, this was subsequently clarified as purely ‘fangirling.’