Kendall Jenner quickly surpassed a series of models in the world to earn millions of dollars from her career.
Kendall Jenner first won the title of “World’s Highest Paid Supermodel” in 2018 when Forbes released an article stating she earned a total of $22.5 million that year. This news immediately shocked the modeling world, spreading to the influencer community and the entire social network.
The modeling profession was once dominated by veterans who devoted their lives to it, or so they believed. And then a new generation of models was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧, dubbed “Instamodels” thanks to their huge number of followers on social networks, led by Kendall Jenner. This young model has had a career of great achievements along with countless controversies. But there’s no doubt that her reign signals the ceding of full-time models to social media influencers.
Kendall Jenner’s passion for modeling first attracted national attention when she was just 14 years old. Her mother, Kris Jenner, helped her join the ranks of Wilhelmina Models in 2009. Jenner quickly landed her first contract with Forever 21, then appeared on the cover of American Cheerleader magazine for the first time in 2012. .
By 2013, Kendall Jenner proudly entered the high fashion industry. She posed with Miss Vogue Australia, appeared on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, and signed a contract with Society Management.
In 2014, Kendall Jenner caught the world’s attention when she first appeared on the Marc Jacobs fashion runway. The model, who had just turned 18 at the time, wore a see-through shirt, causing a stir in the media, but also brought her countless photo and performance contracts. That’s why Kendall Jenner later declared that she “likes to expose her breasts”.
That same year, Jenner walked for Chanel, Balmain, Tommy Hilfiger, and many other fashion houses. She became the official face of Estée Lauder and appeared on the covers of Interview and LOVE magazines. Although she has repeatedly stated that being part of the Kardashian family has hindered her career, many people believe that reality TV shows have brought her fame. Especially in an era where models are hired for their social media following.
In 2019, Jenner told Vogue Australia: “A lot of people think that because I have ‘backing’ it’s easy for me to achieve these things, but in reality it’s quite the opposite.”
Kendall Jenner’s passion for modeling is documented in the documentary Keeping Up With the Kardashains. There was a time when she got caught up in a scandal and stopped midway through a catwalk training session in 2011 for the sole reason of being “bored” and was criticized for not being as dedicated and serious to her job as other models. Although her name is always associated with reality TV shows, Kendall Jenner’s career continues to flourish.
In 2015, Jenner once again walked for Marc Jacobs, as well as Vera Wang, Alexander Wang, Fendi and other brands. She continuously appeared on the covers of magazines in the United States and abroad, then signed a contract with the Calvin Klein brand, becoming the face of the #MyCalvins campaign. She also appeared in the Victoria’s Secrets show, wearing a blue embroidered lingerie set.
In the years that followed, Kendall Jenner appeared so often that there wasn’t a magazine or a street full of billboards that didn’t see her face. For example, fellow Instamodels and her family, sisters Hadid, Cara Delevingne and Kaia Gerber also dominated the fashion runways at that time.
Jenner’s career encountered its first scandal in 2017 when she appeared in a controversial Pepsi advertisement. In the ad, Jenner holds a can of Pepsi to a police officer and inexplicably, the problem of racism ends. This ad caused waves of backlash and Jenner had to apologize on her TV show, and her sisters said that the “first scandal” was an opportunity for her to learn.
The following year, Kendall Jenner was announced as the highest-paid model, and the mixed reactions were only temporary. Since then, she has dominated almost every major American magazine, and become a key face in fashion weeks. Although there are many influencers who have become the new faces of the fashion industry, Kendall Jenner still has 196 million Instagram followers, so every step and gesture affects her facial expressions. are all embraced by fashion fans. Kendall Jenner is also a trendsetter as she continuously tops the best-dressed list at red carpet events as well as her liberal street fashion style.
In addition, a large part of Jenner’s income comes from the business sector. She recently launched the brand 818 Tequila and was appointed Creative Director for FWRD. Kendal Jenner has so far firmly established herself at the top of the modeling industry.