Kim Kardashian's Daring Ocean Dip in a Priceless Alexander McQueen Gown
Reality television star and fashion icon Kim Kardashian has once again captured the public's attention, this time with a series of stunning photographs that showcase her submerged in the ocean while wearing a historic piece from the late Alexander McQueen's archive. The 45-year-old shared the breathtaking images on Monday, pushing the boundaries of her already headline-grabbing fashion choices.
An Iconic Garment Meets the Sea
The centrepiece of this audacious photoshoot was a vintage gown from McQueen's Spring/Summer 2003 collection, known as the Irere line. Kim looked ethereal as she fully immersed herself in the dark water, with the elaborate gown floating around her. She shared the sizzling snaps alongside a reference image of the dress displayed on a mannequin next to the legendary Oyster Gown from the same collection, which she famously wore to the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscars Party.
While Kim maintained a serious and captivating pose, honouring the gravity of the iconic fashion garment, her sister Khloe, 41, saw the humour in the situation. Taking to the comments section, she playfully branded her sibling 'a freak' for being in the water after dark. 'You are such a freak for being in that water at night!' Khloe wrote. 'It’s SUPER DARK outside in those pictures!! Are you well?'
The Cultural Significance of the McQueen Dress
Kim's choice of attire is far from a simple vintage find; it carries immense cultural weight. The Irere collection was conceptually centered around water and transformation. As described by London's Victoria and Albert Museum, the 2003 show told a story of 'metamorphosis from shipwreck survivor to Amazonian princess, a tale of redemption and survival.' This thematic connection makes the ocean setting of Kim's photoshoot particularly poignant.
The gown's history is equally remarkable. Kim's Oyster dress, which she paired with the Irere gown in her social media post, was one of only two ever made. Her then-husband, Kanye West, located and purchased the design from the prestigious Beverly Hills archival store, Lily Et Cie. The second dress now resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where curator Andrew Bolton has described it as 'arguably the most important dress of the 21st century.'
A History of Controversial Vintage Choices
This is not the first time Kim Kardashian has made waves by wearing a historically significant garment. In 2022, she faced significant backlash for sporting Marilyn Monroe's iconic 'Happy Birthday, Mr. President' dress to the Met Gala, with critics alleging the dress was damaged in the process. To fit into the fragile garment, Kim revealed she underwent an extreme regimen, losing 16lbs in just three weeks through a strict diet of clean veggies and protein, while wearing a sauna suit and running on a treadmill.
Kim's latest fashion venture, while controversial to some for involving a priceless piece of fashion history, successfully merges high-art concept with celebrity spectacle, creating a moment that is both visually stunning and rich in narrative, perfectly in keeping with the legacy of Alexander McQueen himself.
