Kim Kardashian Opens Up About Social Media, Her Father & Growing Up in Front of the Camera | Vogue

So, I'm stealing you from set from this shoot, and I hope it's going well so far. It looks great so far. And it's one of your first times working with a Chinese photographer, with a Chinese team wearing so many Chinese designers, which I'm, of course, happy to see. Love to hear the experience so far. How has it been, and how is it different to other shoots you've done so far? It is my first time working with, well, do I want to say that just in case I don't have the best memory. I think it is. I think it is your first time working with a Chinese photographer. I was so excited about the styling, and the clothes, and the hair, and the makeup, and just seeing all of the mood board images and all of the references made me really excited just to try something different and to try something new. So far, it's been such an amazing shoot. It's been so fast. Just the way that he shoots on the Polaroids, not such a digital instant gratification, but you do get to see them as far as just even the color tones are just always so pretty when they're in those Polaroids. So I just, everything just always looks better on a Polaroid. I agree. We love that about Jiaqi because he's more of an art photographer, and kind of observing you guys shoot, it really feels like more of a, almost like a painting portrait sitting as opposed to always action, action, moving around, set, things going flying everywhere. I get that. It does. That's what it feels like, actually. And photography obviously has played a huge part in your life and career in a number of different capacities. I mean, on an editorial standpoint, you've worked with everyone ranging from super upcoming talent like Jiaqi, all the way through to some of the greats. Are there any shoots that stick out in your mind as total disasters or iconic shoots that you've always looked to as a favorite? I love always working with, like, Stephen Klein. To me, always just brings this energy. There's certain photographers where I just know I'm going to absolutely love it. And then there's certain photographers that I don't need my specific glam team because I always, like, I always trust in the photographer to use the team that they're comfortable with because I want a different version of myself. If I'm shooting a Skin Beauty or Skims campaign, that's, like, for me and that's me, so I want my team. But if I'm shooting for just a photographer for any project, I don't hire the photographer and I don't put it together for one of my brands. I want to see what they want from me and I want to see something different. And even if I don't really like it and I'm not comfortable with how I look at it, I know You're kind of playing into a character that's a narrative that the photographer is building around you. Yeah, and I also just feel really confident and comfortable working with whatever that vision is that they have for me. I appreciate that you're really experimental in that regard. It's interesting what you say, like the role of photography in your business, right, as your marketing tool, as opposed to photography as an art form, I think that's a really interesting distinction. Yeah, because I know, like, if I want to see what I want to see and I want what I want to put out, that'll be through Skims or through Skin. I'd say Skin Beauty is, like, exactly what I want and the face that I want to see with my makeup and exactly the glam that I want. With Skims, I will get a little bit more experimental. I love that, too. But for any other shoot, I mean, one of my favorite photographers is Nadia Lee Cohen and we completely just have a magical connection where we just get each other. So even if she tells me something or suggests something, I'll do it no matter what, just because I trust her so much and I know that it's going to be amazing. That makes sense. Yeah. But you've also always had cameras around for most of your life, you know, in different capacities, obviously not in the controlled studio environment. You have cameras when you're out, you have cameras for your show. How has your relationship with photography cameras shifted in your personal and professional life? Well, I think growing up, I mean, my dad always had a video camera on us. I have this, I have, like, archives of hours and hours of footage. That's all he would do. So I think growing up, like, always had a camera out, just videoing our every move and asking us so many questions. And to have that footage now, looking back, is so special and it's we have the best home movies, but then going into your 20s and 30s and 40s and always having cameras around, you just really get used to it. And I think it has, like, served me well when I've done projects that I wasn't so comfortable with, maybe in acting or doing even SNL. I had a comfort level already of having the camera there and not being bothered by that. Right, right. If anything, when I did my monologue, I was like, okay, it's the camera and me. And I'm not worried about anyone. And that's my, like, safe space. Oh, interesting. And have you ever wanted to be on the other side of it and capture stuff yourself? Because I know that you have pioneered the selfie, so to speak, but then to turn your lens on other people, is that something that you've ever been interested in? Not really. It's all about me. No, honestly, I haven't. I love to take photos and videos of my kids as much as possible. And I would see that my kids would resist it, you know, especially North. She would always just say, mom, come on, you know. And then I showed her my home videos that my dad took of me. Oh, interesting. And then she still was a little bit resistant. I showed her the archive of where I kept them and how I have every year of hers. And I would show her, you know, when she was one, two, three, all of her silly videos. And now she's like, take the videos. You have to put it in my folder, in the archive folder that you saved. They're so funny. So now she appreciates it. But it took me to really show her what that's like and to go through all the memories and to tell her, like, these are memories. It's not like I'm going to post it. Right. It's just like they're actually from memories. And then she really got it. Yeah. And the little kids love it. I feel like I just take photos of all the people and all the things and I never have documentation of myself. Yeah. So you need to take notes on that. You do, because that's the one thing is my dad videoed everything. So his voice is in everything. Right. So you have his voice for everything. And it's so rare that he's on. And that's the person we want to see, you know. And I noticed as well, I mean, of course, with your children and the young creatives that you mentor as well, I feel like what I've noticed of your career is that you've always been really loyal, right? People start with you and they work with you for a long time. People like Nadia or even people who work within your team, they've started in one part of your team and they migrate through different parts of your team and you're always very open. How do you bring your kind of creative experience and lessons and mistakes to mentor others? You know, I think sometimes we're so busy just trying to get it all done that you don't take the time to sit sometimes and really explain things and how you want it done. It's something I actually did today. It's like sometimes I have a hard time speaking my mind on things that are negative, but if like constructive criticism. So I actually took the time today to explain a few things to people on how I think the working relationship would actually be better if we communicated better. And it just felt so good to communicate that and to be heard. But then if it's like well-received, the relationship will be better and the team will move better. So I think taking the time to say the negative things, but also the positive things for that reinforcement of like, I love it when you guys like when we do this, we can get so much more done or hey, I think this slows us down if we do X, Y, and Z and I think just communicating. But I find comfort in a team that has been with me for a long time. I love working with people to have long relationships with and in my household and my, you know, space everywhere. I just think it's healthy. If there's creatives around that feel like they have run its course and have been with me for maybe five years and want to explore something else, I welcome that so much. And I think it's so important for people just to do whatever they want to do and help them get there. So I think just communicating would probably be the best thing, the good and the bad, just to figure it all out what works. And I think in China, a lot of our listeners really admire you're a businesswoman, but you're also mentoring a lot of women. I think you're very conscious about the women that you have around you. You also stand a lot for female independence, like financial independence as far as building your own businesses. I just think it's important to have independence no matter what, for my boys, for my girls, for the women in my life. I love to share my tips and the things that I've done right and wrong along the way because I think that having that independence, there's so much power in that. And I think not that you shouldn't depend on people. I'm also very much, you know, I think people can also get really into that message of like do everything on your own and be independent and you can do it. I think there's also a lot of power and understanding that it takes a village. It takes a village to raise kids. My sisters and I completely lean on each other all the time for advice. And if one sister needs something, the other one's there to help with their kids, you know, and that's how we always have lived our lives. And the same thing goes with the workplace and with all the people around, you know, it takes a village for me to say that for me to walk out of the house and do a red carpet and there's all these amazing pictures for me to say, you know, oh, it's just me. I just walked out of the house. Like, no, it's starts in the gym with my trainer and then chef and eating the right way and the glam team and hair and makeup and nails. And I mean, it's like the list goes on and on. So I also think that there's like power in supporting and acknowledging all of the people around you that have helped you along the way to get to the place of being independent. Was there a turning point in your life and career where you realized that? Because I feel like as young women, especially when you're innovative or you're hustling, there is a habit of being like, I can do it on my own. I need to show people I can do it on my own. And in some ways, like you say, it can be really isolating. And there is always a point when we realize the collectivism is really important. Like we are actually communal creatures. Was there a particular point for you in your career where you realized that? I think it has ebbs and flows, right? It can start by being very simple and living at home with your parents and for me, getting my first job. And I was working in a clothing store and I felt so independent. And I was buying the clothes on my own and I didn't have to beg my dad to buy me something. And I was working and I felt proud of myself. I think even though that's like a baby stage, you set these little goals and markers. And even if you don't think yourself fully, you can really make it happen. You can surprise yourself and make it happen. You kind of like help your own self-belief, but also like you could get into relationships and feel like then it regresses you and then you just become a little too dependent on that person. And then when it doesn't work out, you freak out for a second. And what am I going to do? And then you pick yourself up and you figure it out. And then you feel great and super independent. And then I'm never going to go back in that space where I ever have to depend on someone again. And then you can kind of fall again. It just kind of goes up and down of building your confidence and getting out there on your own and then feeling comfortable and getting that support and then getting a push to feel confident again and build yourself up. I think you're just going to start off as this confident person that was so independent and strong. In control. Yeah. It'll figure it out. Yeah. It's just never like that in anything, in work and parenting. And we're all just, I've said this a million times, we're all just winging it until we really figure it out. But I think as you get older, your confidence builds. And I always tell my girlfriends, not only for financial independence from their partners, but just for their confidence. Always have a little bit of financial independence, even if it's a little fun side project that you're doing just to give you a little bit of motivation and not always depend on someone is so good for your mental, is so good for your relationship. You have such clarity and who you are and people have kind of watched you grow up where there are times, there have been times, as you said, where maybe you weren't as sure and then you have greater certainty and you've had so many chapters and evolutions. I think in this era of social media, especially for young women or just young people generally, it can be really isolating, even though we're ironically so connected. And then people struggle a lot with their self-confidence, especially with retouching people's lives of airbrushed literally and figuratively. How do you view that? And how would you recommend young people kind of overcome these kind of smoke and mirror situations or find themselves in an environment that is so loud? Yeah, I mean, I think you just if you're really aware of what it is, like to me, Instagram is everyone's magazine of what they want to put out to the world and who they who they might believe their best self is. There's nothing wrong with that. It's what they want to give out to the world in their snapshots and magazine. Then I look at my daughter, like forces me to do these horrific TikToks dancing. It's like, it's so embarrassing. It's horrible, you know, but I'm like, she loves it. And like that platform, like you'll see, I never have makeup on. I look horrible. Like I'm just being forced by my kids to do these stupid dances, you know? So it's like, as long as you know what it is, I think that you just can never take anything too seriously. So if you're living on Instagram and living on, I mean, when I go on, I kind of just have that notion that I assume that everything's their glossiest version of themselves. And whoever's social I'm looking at, it's like their magazine. And then you'll see other even if it's stories, you definitely see more of your personality on Instagram stories. So if you're looking at like the social media breakdowns, like I just, you just can't take it too seriously. You just can't get so immersed in a device, no matter what platform it is. Maybe it's a little bit different since I grew up without social media and there were no phones. So I remember what that's like. It's easier to kind of disconnect totally and then come back to it. I don't know what it would be like, honestly, growing up, like how our kids grow up. And that's why I fight so much for now sports and all of the human connections and all of the playdates and all of the fun trips. And I like to have these like core memories that are just hanging out with your friends and being present in the moment. And I think I'm doing a really good job. My kids aren't addicted to their devices. So, you know, so far that's, you know, makes me feel proud. But in life, if you just know what it is and you just don't have any expectations and you go into something knowing who you are, even though it's hard as a younger person to really know who you are, but just there's a real life out there too. There's like a balance between everything. I appreciate that. Is there a photograph, not of yourself, maybe of a cover, some iconic image from history or something that your children took that really sticks in your mind or something that really has stayed with you emotionally, personally? I mean, any time I see, I really am fascinated with some of the like behind the scenes photos of like old Hollywood, whether it's like Elizabeth Taylor or like JFK, Jackie O, Marilyn, like whatever. I just love photos from that time. Even when Marilyn sang happy birthday to JFK, there's like some photos behind the scenes. Before she goes on. Yeah. That I just absolutely love. I love that era too. Like Cyd Charisse, Rita Hayworth. Because I guess there wasn't that much access, right? Yeah, yeah. Photography behind the scenes. It's just, you know, what they're wearing and their hair and makeup. It's just all been so fascinating to me. I learned recently that movie stars used to paint one side of their face green because it was their bad side. So they would just avoid the photographer being like, turn the other way. It's in like black and white photos. Oh my god. Or like, have you seen that with the color pencils they would do on negatives retouching? No. Because now we're always like, wow, their skin was so perfect. But they had manual face tune too. I didn't know that. There you go. You have to look it up. That's fine. Didn't know that. Anyway, great to see you. So good to see you. Thank you for the chat. So excited about these images. I don't think I've ever seen you photographed in this way, styled in this way before. I haven't. Because I haven't been. I'm really excited about it. You're going to be great. I think my favorite is the blue flowers and then the porcelain. That's my favorite as well. Both of those together. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I'm glad we're in alignment. Front and back cover maybe? There you go. Those two. Awesome. Thank you so much. So good to see you.