The Poosh founder celebrated her 45th birthday on April 18 and received a sweet tribute from her husband, Travis Barker

PHOTO: XAVIER COLLIN/IMAGE PRESS AGENCY/SPLASH NEWS / SPLASHNEWS.COM

Kourtney Kardashian is giving herself more grace as she grows older.

As Kourtney Kardashian celebrates her 45th birthday, she’s embracing a new outlook on life, according to a source close to her. They describe her as someone who continues to improve with age, focusing on what truly matters as she enters this new chapter.

The source explains that Kourtney has shifted her priorities, letting go of things that once caused stress and finding contentment in the present moment. They emphasize her increased self-compassion and overall happiness with life, highlighting her journey towards greater peace and fulfillment.

Kourtney Kardashian and son Rocky as posted by her husband Travis Barker on Instagram

It sounds like Travis Barker has played a significant role in Kourtney Kardashian’s current state of happiness and contentment. According to the source, their relationship has brought her a sense of inner peace, leading to a noticeable shift in her demeanor. Kardashian has been focusing more on family time, prioritizing moments with her loved ones over work commitments.

Travis Barker commemorated his wife’s birthday with a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, sharing cherished memories of their time together. The photos captured intimate moments between the couple, including tender interactions with their youngest son, Rocky Thirteen Barker. These snapshots offer a glimpse into the strong bond shared by the proud parents as they navigate life together.

Travis Barker, Kourtney Kardashian and their son, Rocky, as posted by Barker on Instagram.

“Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife, soulmate and best friend forever. I love you, I love our life together,” he captioned the post. “Thank you for being the most amazing wife a person could ask for. Here’s to many more years of adventures together ❤️‍🔥.”

A few days earlier, The Kardashians star revealed that she also celebrated her birthday early with loved ones and several different cakes. She shared an Instagram carousel — captioned “mood 🎈” — with photos from the celebrations.

It seems like Kourtney Kardashian’s birthday celebration was filled with sweet surprises, including an array of themed cakes that reflected her personality and memorable moments from her life. One cake featured an orange glittery topper with a playful message, reminiscent of her sister Kim’s humorous comment from their reality show. Another cake displayed the phrase “Just Living Life,” a nod to one of Kourtney’s classic catchphrases. Additionally, there were cakes adorned with vibrant decorations, including blue icing with the words “Aries Baby” and a chocolate cake topped with strawberries and berries, making her special day even more delightful and memorable.

The Branded Marriage of Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker

The latest wedding in the family became a walking ad for Dolce & Gabbana. Is this a new model for celebrity matrimony?

The recent wedding festivities of Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker weren’t just any ordinary nuptials; they marked the couple’s third time tying the knot, with ceremonies ranging from a playful Las Vegas event to a more intimate legal affair in California. However, their most recent celebration took place in grandeur at a castle in Portofino, Italy, evoking the ambiance of a lavish theatrical production with its Gothic altar reminiscent of Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo + Juliet.”

What set this wedding apart was the prominent role played by fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana, which seemed to have dressed nearly every member of the Kardashian-Jenner family in elaborate ensembles characterized by lace, tulle, and dramatic silhouettes. Despite the brand’s past controversies and criticisms, including derogatory remarks directed at the Kardashian family, their influence on the wedding attire was undeniable.

The choice to collaborate with Dolce & Gabbana for such a significant event raises questions about the brand’s reputation and the Kardashian-Jenner family’s relationship with it. It’s a convergence of high fashion and celebrity culture, blurring the lines between personal preferences and brand endorsements, and sparking discussions about the underlying implications of such partnerships.

Jessica Testa We’ve seen brand partnerships play out at celebrity weddings before — usually in the bride’s outfits, or the Champagne served at the reception, or the hotel used as the venue — but never like this. The Milan luxury house effectively turned the weekend into an ad campaign in real time. Was it effective?

Vanessa Friedman Not only an ad campaign, but even better: an ad campaign created by other people! Together, the Kardashian-Jenners invited (and dressed) by Dolce have many hundreds of millions of followers, all eagerly consuming their every Instagram post: Kris (47.9 million followers) wearing leopard chiffon (presumably available now at the Dolce boutique) as well as Dolce makeup (ditto) lounging on leopard-spotted cushions (presumably part of Dolce Home) on a leopard sofa. According to Launchmetrics, which collects data on brand performance, the wedding weekend has already earned “$25.4 million in Media Impact Value” for Dolce, thanks in large part to Instagram posts from the Kardashian-Jenners.

It was the ultimate in sponsored social media, except the designers told the Business of Fashion that they were simply “hosting” the event, the way friends do for one another. And it is true, there is a long history of designers and celebrities scratching each other’s backs on special occasions (especially weddings), to the benefit of both. It’s just not usually this … all-encompassing. Or unabashed.

JT pointed out the strategic move by Dolce & Gabbana to feature archival outfits, earning style points for both the Kardashian-Jenner family and the brand itself. By showcasing vintage pieces, Dolce & Gabbana positioned itself as a pioneer of the Y2K aesthetic, which is currently enjoying a resurgence in fashion trends. However, despite the clever marketing tactic, the wedding still felt heavily influenced by the brand, bordering on the line of being a sponsored event, even if technically it wasn’t.

VF echoed this sentiment, noting the Kardashian-Jenners’ adeptness at monetizing their public image, a skill mastered by matriarch Kris Jenner long before it became common practice. The lavish wedding affair, reminiscent of Kim Kardashian’s marriage to Kanye West in 2014, further exemplified this trend of intertwining celebrity status with high fashion and luxury endorsements. From Valentino brunches to Givenchy couture, these events blur the boundaries between personal milestones and brand promotions, reflecting the evolving landscape of celebrity culture and its impact on society.

The celebration was followed by what was, until now, one of the most product-placed weddings of them all: Gwyneth Paltrow’s nuptials with Brad Falchuk, soon after which Goop published a “sourcebook” for every item involved. It does make me long for the days when Jennifer Aniston married Brad Pitt in pretty much secret, releasing only one tasteful black-and-white photo to the ravenous hordes. Or Jay-Z and Beyoncé, who kept the details under wraps until long after the fact.

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The floral lace and tulle veil was hand-embroidered with an image of the Virgin Mary above the words “family loyalty respect.”Credit…Cobra Team/BACKGRID

JT highlights the varying approaches celebrities take regarding privacy surrounding their weddings, contrasting Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas’s discreet affair with Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra’s more publicized nuptials. This difference reflects the diverse ways in which celebrities navigate the intersection of personal milestones and public attention, often leveraging endorsement deals and social media to share their experiences with fans.

VF delves into the symbiotic relationship between the Kardashian-Jenner family and Dolce & Gabbana, noting the benefits for both parties involved. The brand gains significant exposure and endorsement from the family’s high-profile events, serving as a form of redemption following controversies such as the China debacle in 2018. Despite past missteps, Dolce & Gabbana’s association with the Kardashian-Jenners signals a public reconciliation and reaffirms its status among the fashion elite.

One last question, though: What did you think of the clothes themselves?

JT Kourtney’s embroidered Virgin Mary tulle veil was remarkable, apparently inspired by a tattoo on the top of her new husband’s skull. I love when brides wear something unconventional that reveals their personality — though I’m really not sure what aspect of her personality she was revealing in her lingerie-inspired minidress. It all seemed less like a wedding and more like a costume party. The theme being Italian excess, maybe? (Khloe wore a gold halo crown befitting a saint in a Renaissance painting; Kendall Jenner wore a long skirt set similar to the dress Monica Bellucci fabulously wore to Cannes in 1997. You get the idea.)

What did you think?

VF Costume party is the right term. The trio of tiny Dolce corset dresses Kourtney wore at: first her Vegas wedding, then her pre-wedding Italian celebration (the black goth number from 1998 with a Virgin Mary embroidered on the front, worn with a sheer veil and opera gloves) and finally her actual nuptials seemed calculated to play to the smartphone rafters. Mssrs. Dolce and Gabbana can make elegant, lovely clothing, but this was the campy Sicilian widow side of their aesthetic. Here’s hoping this is the tipping point for both the styles and the whole branded wedding situation.