Kim West facts for kids

Kim Elizabeth Boome (born February 4, 1959 – died September 21, 2022), known as Kim West, was a British fashion designer. She became famous for using latex in her clothing designs. Kim West was one of the first designers to make latex fashion popular for everyday wear.

Early Life and First Designs

Kim West was born in Gloucester, England, in 1959. She did not go to fashion school. However, she loved designing clothes for herself from a young age. In 1984, she created a dress using latex. This dress got a lot of attention. Soon, people started asking her to make latex clothes for them too.

Making Latex Fashion Popular

Early Success

Kim West's unique designs quickly became popular. Famous people like Adam Ant, Samantha Fox, and Tony James wore her clothes. But Kim West wanted her designs to be worn by everyone, not just celebrities.

In 1986, her latex cowgirl dress was featured on the front cover of the Telegraph magazine. At that time, latex was mostly linked to special fashion styles. Many readers of the Telegraph were surprised by the cover. Later, a photoshoot for Tatler magazine even received a complaint from a religious leader, Cardinal Basil Hume.

Opening a Shop

In 1987, Kim West opened her first shop in Kensington Market in London. Her clothes started appearing regularly in popular magazines. Even though latex fashion was becoming more accepted, it was still seen as unusual. One newspaper even commented when pop star Kylie Minogue wore one of Kim West's outfits.

The effort to make latex fashion mainstream was helped when well-known figures wore her designs. People like Janet Street-Porter, swimmer Sharron Davies, Helena Bonham Carter, and Isabella Rossellini were seen in her clothes. Her designs also appeared in movies, such as Mona Lisa. Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell used Kim West's clothes for dance groups.

New Techniques

Kim West was the first designer to print patterns onto latex. This was a very difficult and costly process. Latex is a stretchy material, which makes printing on it tricky.

In 1988, she partnered with Jessamy Calkin to open a shoe shop called Heels of London. They sold shoes to celebrities like Madonna. Kim West also created clothes for another famous designer, Vivienne Westwood.

Television Work

In 1992, Kim West closed her clothing business, Kim West Clothing. She decided to make a documentary for Channel 4. This film showed a new side of young men that had not been seen on television before. The people featured in the documentary were surprised by the public's reaction. One person said, "The day after [it aired] we went to London, the reaction was just incredible, people were stopping us in the street."

Later Life and Re-launch

In 1994, Kim West moved to Los Angeles. She returned to London in 2000.

In 2009, Kim West Clothing was re-launched online. By this time, latex fashion was much more accepted. When the Telegraph newspaper reported on her re-launch, there were no complaints. The article said, "Twenty-five years after she pioneered the idea, Kim West is launching a new collection of latex clothing for the discerning female."

In a 1992 television interview, Jonathan Ross asked Kim West if women would be wearing latex to the supermarket by the time she was 60. She confidently replied, "Absolutely." Kim West remained a unique designer. She was known for making latex clothing that people could wear every day.