First there was Princess Diana, then there was Kim Kardashian. Both women dominated the aesthetic of an era, and their faces and bodies were constantly splashed across newspaper front pages and in glossy magazines. Their love lives, children and mental health were dissected in forensic detail, and the power of their brands mixed with the adulation of their fans meant that almost anything they touched turned to gold.
But whereas Diana’s tragic and untimely death held her star power in amber, Kim is beginning to experience something that was once inconceivable: a slow slip away from cultural relevance as a new generation loses interest in what she has to offer.
“The Kardashians are just not where the energy is at the moment,” says author and PR expert Mark Borkowski. “There are just too many young gunslingers in town and people want the new. It is the ravenous nature of the beast, and particularly when we are talking about under-30s – a group who might be interested in the Jenner sisters but won’t care much about the older three unless they do something really outrageous.”
Kim Kardashian (centre) and sister Khloé Kardashian arrive in Venice, Italy, in June 2025, ahead of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s wedding. Photo: AP PhotoThe numbers bear this out. In 2022, for example, Kim was on the cover of six magazines, including the ultra-prestigious American Vogue, and also led campaigns for Dolce & Gabbana, Stuart Weitzman and Balenciaga. Her underwear label Skims doubled its sales and she launched her own skincare brand.But last year something odd started to happen. Kim’s drop in relevance began with the editorials. Other than Vogue France, she hasn’t been on the cover of a single major magazine since 2024. Compare this to 11 years ago, when she was breaking the internet with her bottom-first feature in Paper Magazine. Equally, she failed to front any fashion campaigns in 2025 that weren’t linked to collaborations with one of her labels.
“I’m just not sure Kim Kardashian is all that aspirational these days,” says stylist Anna Smith. “She didn’t have ‘the cool factor’ when she first started out – which was why she was never on the cover of Vogue or invited to the Met Gala – and then, for much of the 2010s, she dominated the cultural conversation, but the truth is that in terms of fashion branding she is starting to fade away again.”
Kim Kardashian attends the SNL50: The Anniversary Special event in February 2025, in New York. Photo: Getty Images/TNS
It makes sense. After nearly two decades in the spotlight, people have reached an oversaturation point with the Kardashian-Jenner brand. Their current show on Hulu has been described as more curated and less chaotic than the original – largely because every storyline has already been played out – leading to less of a buzz around big reveals and fewer headlines.
Kris Jenner, meanwhile, is said to be worried about her future on the show. Declining ratings have reportedly led Kim to consider leaving to focus on Skims instead – but Kris is said to be pleading with her daughter to stay to ensure they maintain their celebrity status.
Kim – ever the savvy brand expert – may well be right to let the show that made her name trot off into the sunset. “If the audience has had enough of them then the Kardashians probably need to refresh their content, as fashion moves on and trends change and if you keep on doing the exact same thing you always have you will inevitably become less relevant,” says Borkowski.