Kim Kardashian didn’t ease into 2026 quietly. The reality star and SKIMS founder kicked off the new year the only way she knows how, by turning a routine shopping trip into a full-blown fashion headline.
Spotted leaving Prada with multiple branded paper bags in hand, Kardashian transformed a luxury errand into a viral moment. But while her outfit earned praise from fashion fans, it also reopened an ongoing controversy tied to animal rights group PETA, sparking heated debate across social media.
What was Kim Kardashian wearing?
Kardashian stayed loyal to her reputation for never dressing down in public. For the outing, she stepped out in a dramatic Roberto Cavalli look that leaned heavily into early-2000s glamour.
She wore a crushed velvet bronze corset with a plunging V-neck and exposed metal clasps, paired with oxblood leather flared pants featuring slashed and woven detailing. Burgundy square-toe boots completed the look, keeping the palette rich, dark, and tightly coordinated.
While the outfit itself turned heads, it was the outerwear that truly set the internet alight.
The standout piece came straight from Roberto Cavalli’s Fall/Winter 2000 archives, a bold brown fur coat lined with leopard print. Kardashian layered the look further with a matching brown fur stole wrapped around her neck, fully committing to the statement.
Her styling remained otherwise minimal. Hair was worn sleek and straight, makeup kept bronzed and glossy, letting the outfit do most of the talking. Within hours, photos of the look spread rapidly online, with reactions splitting sharply down the middle.
Why did the social media react outrageously?
As images circulated, commenters quickly began tagging PETA, reigniting criticism around Kardashian’s use of fur. Some reactions were blunt, others sarcastic, but the message was consistent.
“Didn’t we leave wearing fur in 2009?” one user wrote while tagging the animal rights group. Another commented, “She said #FuckPETA,” while others joked about waiting for PETA’s response or referenced past criticism Kardashian has faced.
The timing made the backlash louder and harder to ignore.
PETA Was Already Watching Kim Kardashian due to recent events
The reaction comes just days after PETA publicly criticised Kardashian over a Christmas post featuring her children’s gifts. On December 25, Kardashian revealed that each of her 4 kids: North, 12, Saint, 10, Chicago, 7, and Psalm, 6, received a puppy. She shared photos of the 4 Pomeranian puppies with the caption, “Each kid got a puppy.”
PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk responded on December 28, stating that puppies are “not plushies” and expressing disappointment that Kardashian didn’t use her platform to promote adoption from shelters instead.
That statement was widely shared, and many online now see Kardashian’s fur look as either poorly timed or deliberately provocative.
Kardashian’s household is no stranger to animals. Over the years, she and her children have shared glimpses of their bearded dragon, Speed, along with multiple Pomeranians, including 2 added in 2019 and another named Sushi.
At the same time, Kardashian has long walked a complicated line between high fashion and public accountability. Vintage fur, in particular, has become a recurring flashpoint in celebrity culture, with some defending archival pieces as sustainable fashion and others rejecting fur entirely, regardless of age or origin.
Was all this Kim’s plan to attract attention?
Whether intentional or not, Kardashian’s first public appearance of 2026 ensured she remained exactly where she thrives, at the center of conversation. Supporters praised the look as bold, archival, and unapologetically glamorous. Critics saw it as tone-deaf in light of recent animal welfare criticism.
What’s clear is that Kim Kardashian isn’t backing away from fashion risks anytime soon. As 2026 begins, she’s once again proving that even a Prada run can double as a cultural lightning rod, and the year has barely started.