If you’ve spent more than five minutes on Instagram over the last decade, you’ve seen the work of Mert Alas. You might not have known it was him, but you saw the lighting—that hyper-saturated, almost aggressive glamour that makes human skin look like polished marble. And right at the center of that lens, more often than not, is Kim Kardashian.
Honestly, the internet loves a good conspiracy theory. Lately, the whispers have shifted from "Who is Kim dating?" to "Is she dating Mert Alas?" because of a few cozy photo booth shots from a SKIMS party in April 2025. People saw a handsome man, saw Kim looking happy, and immediately hit the panic button. But if you actually track their history, the truth is way more interesting than a tabloid headline. They aren't just "dating" rumors; they are the architects of a specific kind of 21st-century fame.
The Mert Alas Kim Kardashian Connection Is Not What You Think
Most people think fashion photographers are just hired guns. You pay them, they show up, they take the photo, they leave. With Mert and Kim, it's a legitimate friendship that has survived multiple eras of her life. We're talking about the guy who helped her "break the internet" before that phrase was even a tired cliché.
Mert Alas, one half of the legendary duo Mert & Marcus, has been Kim's secret weapon since the early 2010s. He doesn't just take her picture. He crafts her myth. When she did that infamous nude shoot for GQ where she was essentially wearing nothing but a leather jacket and a smile? That was Mert. The "Night Bird" shoot where she was climbing a tree in nothing but boots for the Mert & Marcus 20-year retrospective book? Also him.
Why the dating rumors are probably wrong
Look, fans lost it when Kim posted a red heart emoji next to a photo of her and Mert in a Mowalola cutout dress. The "internet detectives" went wild. But here is the thing: Mert is openly part of the LGBTQ+ community and has been for his entire public career. He and his professional partner, Marcus Piggott, were even romantic partners for years.
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So, when Kim calls him "the funniest person I’ve ever met" or thanks him for "throwing the ultimate birthday bash," she isn't soft-launching a boyfriend. She’s celebrating a best friend. He’s the guy who, according to Kim, will bring her ice cream when she’s sad but then tell her to "get it together" because they have a shoot to finish. That’s not a romance; that’s a creative marriage.
The Art of the "Unretouched" Look
One of the biggest misconceptions about the Mert Alas Kim Kardashian collaboration is that it’s all just heavy Photoshop. It’s actually the opposite. Mert is famous for a style called "Hyper-Realism."
He uses incredibly hard, direct lighting—often a silver beauty dish or high-contrast strobes—to create deep shadows and blinding highlights. It makes the subject look like a superhero. For Kim, this was pivotal. It moved her from "reality TV star" to "high fashion muse." Before Mert, the fashion world was skeptical of the Kardashian curves. After Mert put her in Vogue and Interview Magazine, the gatekeepers had to pay attention.
- The 2015 Interview Magazine Cover: Kim in bed, photographed via FaceTime (well before it was cool during the pandemic).
- The 2020 CR Fashion Book: Kim posing with her idol Cher and Naomi Campbell, styled like 60s biker babes.
- The 2023 "Ciao Kim" Dolce & Gabbana Campaign: A black-and-white masterpiece that looked like a 1950s Italian film.
Behind the Scenes of the SKIMS Era
Nowadays, their relationship has shifted into a business powerhouse. When Kim launched SKKN or new drops for SKIMS, Mert was often the first call. You can see his influence in the way the skin looks—oiled, textured, and expensive.
There’s a funny story Kim told while presenting Mert with the "Creative of the Year" award. She mentioned how he has a way of getting her to do things she swore she wouldn't do. Like nude shoots. She’ll say "no more," her publicist will leave the room for two minutes, and by the time they get back, Mert has convinced her to strip down because "the light is just too good." That’s the level of trust they have.
The "Wrong Mert" Incident
You can't talk about these two without mentioning the time Kim accidentally made a random 17-year-old Turkish boy famous. For years, she was tagging @mertalas on Twitter, which belonged to a teenager, instead of the photographer’s actual handle. The kid gained thousands of followers overnight. It’s a perfect example of the "Kardashian Effect," but also shows how much she was talking about Mert even back then.
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What This Means for Fashion in 2026
As we look at the landscape of celebrity branding now, the Mert Alas Kim Kardashian partnership is the blueprint. It’s no longer about just being pretty; it’s about a specific, curated visual language.
If you want to understand why Kim Kardashian still dominates the news cycle, look at the way Mert captures her. He doesn't shoot her as a person; he shoots her as an icon. Whether they are partying in Los Angeles or shooting a high-budget campaign in a villa in Italy, the goal is always the same: make it look legendary.
Actionable Insights for Creators
If you're a photographer or a brand builder looking at their work, there are three things you should steal:
- Consistency is King: They’ve worked together for 10+ years. That's why the "look" is so refined.
- Contrast Over Everything: Don't be afraid of harsh shadows. It adds drama that soft lighting can't touch.
- Trust the Muse: The best photos happen when the subject feels safe enough to be "brave," as Mert puts it.
The next time you see a photo of Kim that feels a little "extra"—the light a bit too bright, the skin a bit too perfect—check the tags. It’s probably Mert. And no, they aren't dating. They’re just busy making history.
To see more of their specific technical setups, you can look into the "Mert and Marcus" lighting tutorials which often breakdown their use of underexposed backgrounds and hard reflectors.