Reality star, fashion icon and businesswoman Kim Kardashian West has been a prominent figure in pop culture for nearly two decades.

Despite all her achievements, she recently opened up about the challenges she faced while growing up, especially when it came to accepting her curvy figure.

In an interview with journalist Bari Weiss, Kardashian West revealed how her high school experience shaped her perceptions of her body.

During the 90s, ultra-thin models were the norm, and Kardashian West didn’t fit into that mold.

She said, “it was all about heroin chic in the ’90s.

I had huge b–bs when I was like 12 years old and I was always really curvy.”

The reality star went on to describe how people would even touch her body inappropriately, stating that “I would walk by in high school and people would smack my butt.

Everyone used to do that.

It was so bizarre.”

Kardashian West explained how she didn’t see body representation in the media until the end of her high school journey.

She shared with Weiss that “Nobody looked like me until the end of high school and then it was Jennifer Lopez and Salma Hayek, and I was like, ‘That’s it!

I see it, I see it.’

And it felt so good.”

However, even as she pursued a high-profile career, it became harder for her to find clothes that fit her properly.

Designers assumed that their clothes wouldn’t fit her and didn’t send her any, but Kardashian West persisted and asked them to send her the clothes anyway, promising that she could “squeeze” into them.

Kardashian West’s marriage to rapper Kanye West helped to solidify her space as a fashion force, and she began appearing on more magazine covers, with designers scrambling to dress her.

In the end, Kardashian West revolutionized not just pop culture but also the fashion industry.

Curvy models and entertainers are now seen as the norm, rather than the exception.

Along the way to becoming a pop culture icon, Kardashian West was influenced to create at least one very special business.

In 2019, she launched her shapewear brand SKIMS.

Kardashian West revealed that she wanted to create SKIMS in order to give people more options – and because she herself struggled to find the right shapewear for her body.

She could only find two colors of shapewear in store and would dye the garments with tea bags in the sink to get the right shade for her skin tone.

Kardashian West admitted that she is “proud” of SKIMS for being so inclusive and providing people of many different sizes high-quality shapewear options.

These days, SKIMS has evolved to feature not just shapewear and intimates but also activewear and loungewear, with multiple product drops every month on the SKIMS website.

Despite all the success and fame, Kardashian West’s story highlights how challenging it was for her to overcome body shaming and inappropriacy.

It also emphasizes the importance of embracing diversity and inclusivity in all aspects of life, whether it be fashion or media representation.

Kardashian West’s journey serves as an inspiration for many who struggle with their own self-image, and her story proves that anyone can shift the narrative and create change.