The Story Behind Kim K's 45th B-Day Dress Is More Controversial Than You'd Think—Here's Why

Erin Fitzpatrick's avatar
By
published
in News
Kim Kardashian's 45th birthday dinner dress with a gold corset
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Today, Kim Kardashian celebrated her 45th birthday with a dinner in Paris that turned into a full-blown fashion moment. She wore a dress from Givenchy's spring/summer 1997 Haute Couture collection, which marked Alexander McQueen's debut as the house's creative director. His appointment to the French maison the year prior was highly controversial at the time. McQueen was only 27 years old and was known for his rebellious reputation and provocative designs, which clashed with founder Hubert de Givenchy's polished, upper-crust aesthetic, meticulously honed over time with the help of Audrey Hepburn and Jacqueline Kennedy.

"It is, without doubt, the most unlikely appointment in fashion history," The Guardian wrote in 1996 about McQueen's ascension to the Givenchy throne. "Not only is he far from experienced, his ideology is a million miles from that of the moneyed and mannered couture customer for whom he will be catering." Given Kardashian's penchant for contentious fashion, it's no surprise that she'd choose a look from this specific collection for her milestone birthday. Scroll down to see the dress in 2025 compared to its runway debut, worn by Naomi Campbell in 1997.

Kim Kardashian, October 2025

Kim Kardashian celebrates her 45th birthday wearing a vintage Givenchy dress

(Image credit: Backgrid)

On Kim Kardashian: Givenchy S/S 97 Haute Couture

Naomi Campbell, January 1997

Naomi Campbell

(Image credit: Getty Images)
Erin Fitzpatrick
Erin Fitzpatrick
Associate Director, Fashion News

Erin got her start as aBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing intern in 2011—back when the site only published a single story per day. (We have since increased that number twentyfold.) She graduated magna cum laude from USC and lives in Los Angeles. In college, she also interned at Refinery29, where she was promoted to editorial assistant and then assistant editor. After nearly three years at R29, she came back to WWW in 2015, where she is now the Associate Director of Fashion News. From the Oscars to the Met Gala, she leads the site's entire red carpet coverage strategy. She specializes in celebrity and fashion news but also enjoys writing travel features and runway reports. She frequently contributes to WWW's social accounts and has a sizable following on her personal TikTok.