PAPER Magazine explains Kylie Jenner's plastic cover look

Life in plastic, it's fantastic.
 By 
Noelle Sciacca
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

She's a Barbie girl in a Barbie world. Life in plastic, it's fantastic.  

That's the message Kylie Jenner seems to be sending with her latest PAPER Magazine modeling gig.


You May Also Like

The 18-year-old beauty mogul posted an Instagram image of the mag's April issue on Monday, showing the star on the cover in a bubble gum-pink plastic wig with exaggerated features. 


Jenner made sure to write a disclaimer -- yes, her eyes and lips were purposely blown up to abnormal proportions and are not real, lest her diehard fans run out to replicate the look.

The magazine's YOUth! issue --which is available on newsstands April 12 -- focuses on rising social media and Internet stars.

Many wondered if the synthetic, doll-like cover look was a satire of the industry's tendency to depict overly Photoshopped and filtered images as reality -- what you see is not what you get but let's all agree to show our best and hide the rest. 

Others viewed the editorial as a way to formally usher in the next Jenneration of digitally manipulated celebrities. 

PAPER’s Editorial Director, Mickey Boardman, set the record straight. He told Mashable, "Our concept for this issue was YOUth and we took inspiration from all things neon so we enlisted colorful personalities such as stylist Rushka Bergman and photographer Erik Madigan Heck to do something incredibly young, fun and bright."

Pops of bold color make sense but what about the hard hat hair and oversized facial features?

"We had these crazy plastic wigs that were helmet-like paired with an ultra-bright wardrobe," Boardman explained. "Kylie looked so cartoon that we thought it would be amazing to exaggerate and blur the lines of what’s real and fake. Or just over drawn!"

While the boundaries between reality and fantasy were successfully obscured fans drew very clear and comical comparisons of their own.








We can't blame Jenner for agreeing to this controversial look. After her sister Kim Kardashian West's revealing PAPER Magazine cover almost broke the Internet and inspired thousands of NSFW memes, she had to do something wild to try to top it.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.


Mashable Image
Noelle Sciacca

Noelle Sciacca is a Fashion Reporter at Mashable. Noelle writes on the intersection of fashion and the media. A graduate of Liberty University with a degree in Business Marketing, Noelle previously worked for SELF Magazine and Lucky Magazine. At Mashable, her aim is to make the most innovative, entertaining, and empowering fashion content on the web.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
'Pokémon Pokopia': How to make paper
Bulbasaur greeting Ditto in Pokopia

OpenAI explains how its AI agents avoid malicious links and prompt injection
OpenAI logo on phone screen


Best eco-friendly deals at Amazon's spring sale: Low-waste kitchen, bathroom, and spring cleaning swaps
Suri electric toothbrushes, Cleancult dish soap carton, LifeStraw stainless steel water bottle, and Blueland laundry pods arranged on blue, purple, and green backdrop

Here's a simple trick for getting over someone
forlorn woman sitting on sofa looking out the window

More in Tech
Amazon's sister site is having a one-day sale, and this Bissell TurboClean deal is too good to skip
A woman using the Bissell TurboClean Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner Mop and Lightweight Wet/Dry Vacuum.

The best smartwatch you've never heard of is on sale for less than $50
Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro in light green with blue and green abstract background

Reddit r/all takes another step into the grave
Reddit logo on phone screen


Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

NYT Strands hints, answers for April 3, 2026
A game being played on a smartphone.

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 2, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

The Earth is glowing in new Artemis II pictures of home
One half of the Earth is seen floating in space through the open door of the Orion spacecraft.
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!