Kim Kardashian West thanks Kanye West in People’s Choice Awards fashion icon speech

Kim Kardashian West thanked Kanye West for his role in her journey to becoming a fashion icon during the 2021 People’s Choice Awards Tuesday night.

The show, which hands out countless awards in different categories such as film, television, animation, music and social media, honored the “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” star by making her the fashion icon of 2021.

Before she took the stage at the award ceremony, Kardashian West was introduced by Tracee Ellis Ross, the previous fashion icon recipient, who narrated a tribute video showcasing some of the entrepreneur’s most unforgettable looks. 

Then, Kardashian West walked onto the stage wearing an all-black ensemble, complete with a skin-tight dress, stilettos, tights and matching sunglasses. 

“Oh my gosh to be receiving this award from a fashion icon herself, Tracee, I am so honored,” the reality television star gushed before continuing her speech.  

“I am honestly so humbled to be here,” she shared. “I started off as a closet organizer and a stylist, so the fact that I am winning a fashion icon award — it’s like a pinch-me moment. I have those every single day that designers are willing to work with me.”

Prior to Kardashian West becoming a household name, the entrepreneur got her start as Paris Hilton’s stylist. During her speech, she recalled a time when designers were not willing to collaborate with her. She specifically thanked designer Zac Posen for inviting her to her first Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards years ago.  

She joked that some designers started to support her after they were probably “talked into it by getting a call from Kanye (West).” 

“Thank you to Kanye, even, for really introducing me to the fashion world,” she added as the crowd cheered. 

Kardashian West filed for divorce from West in February. They share four children together: North, 8, Saint, 6, Chicago, 3, and Psalm 2. 

Toward the end of her speech, she explained, “I fell in love with fashion and I’m so inspired by so many people. This is like a dream that I get to wake up and wear these amazing clothes and try new things.”

After saying she was humbled by the recognition, Kardashian West encouraged her fans to “take a risk.”

In the introduction package, Ross perfectly summed up Kardashian West’s style by calling it risky, bold and sometimes risqué.

The Skims founder typically makes her most daring fashion statements at the Met Gala each year. 

When she attended the event for the first time in 2013, she walked hand-in-hand with her then-boyfriend, West, down the Metropolitan Museum of Art steps wearing a floral Givenchy dress. 

To showcase the theme of “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination” at Met Gala in 2018, Kardashian West rocked a skin-hugging, slinky gold gown that featured crosses. 

 To the 2019 Met Gala, the reality star donned a wet look by Thierry Mugler in honor of the theme “Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion.”

Most recently, Kardashian West took her unique Met Gala looks a step further by attending the September event wearing a Balenciaga ensemble that completely covered her body in black fabric, from head to toe. 

There’s no denying that Kardashian West definitely listens to her own advice and “takes a risk” when it comes to fashion.