Kendall Jenner: ‘I work on myself constantly to remind myself of my worth and my beauty’

The model has been named the new ambassador for L’Oréal Paris. She talks about her newfound sense of confidence, and what the concept of ‘because I’m worth it’ means to her

Model Kendall Jenner at the backstage of Versace fashion show in Milan.

Sep 28, 2023 - 17:20CEST

Kendall Jenner turns 28 in November and can finally say she’s comfortable in her skin. It hasn’t been easy: she rose to fame at the age of 12, when she first appeared on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, the reality show starring her family. Since then, her life — be it going through puberty, her romantic relationships (her most recent with Bad Bunny) or her modeling career — has been fodder for the show.

She is the daughter of businesswoman Kris Jenner and trans athlete Caitlyn Jenner, and the sister of Kim, Khloé and Kourtney Kardashian and Kylie Jenner. Television royalty in the United States. It’s a lineage that guarantees her undisputed privileges, but also means that hundreds of articles are published about her life every week.

Kendall has spoken openly about her anxiety issues and the difficulties of dealing with the public spotlight. “I was always a kid that didn’t care what people said or thought about me,” she says. “I still feel I have aspects of that kid in me, but it has gotten tougher with time. I work on myself constantly to remind myself of my worth and my beauty.”

Model Kendall Jenner poses as an ambassador for L'Oréal Paris.

Jenner is one of the most famous women in the world. She has the seventh-most followed Instagram account, with nearly 295 million followers, but she is probably the most introverted member of her famous family. “I feel that we all need to work on ourselves to learn and appreciate who we are, and ‘I’m worth it’ is not about anyone else but ourselves,” she says, referencing the famous L’Oréal Paris slogan.

This past summer, Jenner became an ambassador for the French company, joining names like Kate Winslet, Viola Davis and Jane Fonda: “I am so excited to join the L’Oréal Paris family. I love that L’Oréal Paris has been championing and celebrating women’s empowerment and continues to challenge stereotypes with a modern vision of femininity.”

Jenner says she first started wearing makeup by rummaging through her mother’s drawers. She says that it should be used to accentuate a person’s “natural beauty.” “I feel that beauty is all about knowing yourself and I’ve learned so much about myself and beauty from within and really appreciating everyone’s individuality,” she says.

Jenner says that her makeup routine doesn’t just focus on cosmetics, but also on wellness. “I try to be as healthy as possible, so if I am home and not working, I would either meditate or work out in the morning, followed by a healthy breakfast, and then spend time with my friends or catch up on work and emails,” she says. “If it is the weekend I love to go and hang out with friends and ride my horse.” Jenner is also hooked on pickleball, a paddle sport that combines tennis, paddle tennis, badminton, and table tennis.

Fashion is another one of her passions. “I have so much fun playing with clothes and dressing up. More now than I ever have. I’ve never felt more myself and more comfortable than now. I feel I have found my most genuine vibe over the last few years, and it feels so good. I hope people see that,” she says.

Jenner has turned her looks, the work of her stylist Dani Michelle, into viral fodder on social media.

While Jenner may have had to work on her esteem, she has never felt shy in front of the camera. She made her debut as a model at the age of 14. Even at that young age, she knew that it was not a game, but her future career. “I feel that every job that I took, even at age 14, was in order to build my career in the modeling world. Once I decide on doing something I dedicate all of myself to make sure I am doing it to the best of my ability,” she says.

More than a decade has passed since then. In that time, Jenner has modeled for all the world’s major luxury brands. The list is impressive. She has worked for brands such as Marc Jacobs, Fendi, Miu Miu, Givenchy, Versace, and Burberry and posed for photographers such as Annie Leibovitz, Inez & Vinoodh, Karl Lagerfeld, Cass Bird, and Bruce Weber.

Social media has also shaken up the fashion industry. “With the rise of social media, models have more of a voice and even though there is more work to be done, the industry in general is becoming more inclusive,” she says.

Jenner has taken part in campaigns to mobilize the youth vote and often talks about mental health. She devours everything that comes her way, whether it’s lipstick, sneakers, or a tower of books (W Magazine dubbed her the patron saint of alternative literature), so, before we wrap up, she offers up a literary recommendation: “I love poetry, Devotions by Mary Oliver is always a good choice”.