At five years old, North West, the famous daughter of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, has captivated the digital realm with her cross-generational appeal. Without a public Instagram or YouTube channel of her own, she’s too young to fully understand what a digital footprint is. And yet, hers is already wildly popular.
We’ve watched North West grow on Instagram and “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” and magazines—here, she poses for her first solo cover. Her distinct fashion sense belies her age, and lately, so does her eye for makeup.
West, whether she knows it or not, is at the forefront of a generation that is highly connected, engaged with fashion and beauty and individualistic in style. Called Alpha, signifying a new beginning, this age group is unlike any the world has ever seen.
Combined with Gen Z, Alpha’s slightly older counterparts, post-Milennials’ numbers are strong. Already, they are significant consumers of beauty: According to NPD, 69 percent of Gen Zers use color cosmetics and 68 percent have a skin-care regimen.