Kim Kardashian may have walked the Met Gala red carpet Monday night without estranged husband Kanye West at her side, but that doesn’t mean his presence wasn’t felt. The SKIMS founder made waves on social media when she stepped out for fashion’s biggest night in a black bodysuit that completely obscured her face for the “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” exhibit, and the getup was reportedly heavily influenced by West, who notably attended the 2019 Met Gala.
Amid ongoing chatter that West was the mystery man at Kardashian’s side Monday night, a source confirmed to E! News that West, who recently released his 10th studio album titled Donda, was in fact absent from the event. The man seen at Kardashian’s side in a similar all-black, head-to-toe look was rather designer Demna Gvasalia, the creative director of Balenciaga, the luxury fashion house behind Kardashian’s Met Gala look. While West was not at the fashion event, the source said “his presence will be felt on the carpet,” revealing that West was the one to introduce Kardashian to the fashion house.
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“It was him who introduced Kim to Demna and was instrumental in the newly formed relationship between her and Balenciaga,” the source explained. “This look on Kim is like a new subculture and fashion statement. No logo, no face, but everyone knows it’s her… Kanye gave her the courage to push creativity and people’s imagination through art. It’s the ultimate confidence.”
Monday night’s Met Gala marked Kardashian’s first since she filed for divorce from West in February. Although Kardashian has walked the red carpet solo numerous times in the past, she and West attended the 2019 Met Gala together, with Kardashian donning a kin-tight dress nude dress as West wore a black jacket and pants. West also attended the event with Kardashian in 2016, 2015, 2014, and notably in 2013, when Kardashian wore a floral dress that hugged her growing baby bump.
The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star and the musician met in the early 2000s before eventually sparking romance years later. They welcomed their first child, daughter North, in 2013, before becoming engaged later that same year. They tied the knot in Italy in May of 2014, with Kardashian filing for divorce after six years of marriage. Despite the end of their relationship, the couple has continued to support one another, though they recently made headlines when West unfollowed his ex on social media.
