For years, the Jenner family was known primarily through Keeping Up with the Kardashians, but 2015 marked a major shift in the spotlight. Kendall, Kylie, Caitlyn and Kris Jenner each experienced defining moments that helped make the year especially memorable for the family.
The Kardashians were successful too. Kim Kardashian welcomed her second child with Kanye West, Khloe Kardashian continued her impressive fitness transformation, and Kourtney Kardashian navigated her highly publicized split from Scott Disick. Yet, when the year came to an end, it was the Jenners who seemed to be generating some of the biggest headlines.
From major fashion milestones and social-media influence to beauty businesses and groundbreaking personal moments, here are 10 reasons the Jenners stood out in 2015.
10. Caitlyn Jenner's Public Debut
One of the biggest celebrity stories of 2015 was Caitlyn Jenner's public introduction. Her highly watched interview with Diane Sawyer gave audiences an opportunity to hear her discuss her journey in her own words.
Caitlyn subsequently appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair in a widely discussed photo shoot photographed by Annie Leibovitz. The cover quickly became one of the most recognizable celebrity images of the year.
Her transition generated both criticism and widespread support, while Caitlyn became an important public figure in conversations surrounding transgender visibility and representation.
9. Kendall Jenner Walked in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
Kendall Jenner reached another major career milestone when she walked in the 2015 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. She shared the runway with fellow newcomer Gigi Hadid and established Victoria's Secret models including Adriana Lima and Lily Aldridge.
The appearance was particularly meaningful because Kendall was moving beyond reality television and establishing herself as a serious fashion model. Her family watched proudly from the audience as she took another major step in her modeling career.
8. Kendall and Kylie Were Named Among the Most Influential Teens
Kendall and Kylie Jenner were both recognized by Time among its influential teens of 2015. Their enormous social-media audiences gave them an influence that extended well beyond television.
Kendall's modeling career helped attract major fashion and advertising opportunities, while Kylie demonstrated how effectively a young celebrity could turn online attention into commercial success. Her beauty looks, particularly her signature lips, became major topics across social media and inspired countless trends.
7. Kylie Jenner Launched Her Lip Kit
Kylie's beauty transformation was one of the most discussed celebrity trends of 2015. Her changing appearance and signature lip look generated enormous attention online, creating the perfect environment for a beauty business.
Kylie capitalized on that interest by launching her Lip Kit, initially offering several shades. The products reportedly sold out extremely quickly, while demand was strong enough to overwhelm the website.
The launch demonstrated Kylie's ability to convert social-media attention into a recognizable consumer brand and established the foundation for what would become a much larger beauty empire.
6. Kendall Took One of Kim's Instagram Records
Kim Kardashian had long been one of Instagram's biggest stars, but 2015 showed just how quickly social-media records could change. Kendall Jenner captured the platform's most-liked photo at the time with a creative image of herself lying on the floor with her hair arranged into heart shapes.
The photograph reportedly collected millions of likes and became another example of Kendall's growing digital influence. Around the same period, Taylor Swift overtook Kim as Instagram's most-followed celebrity, showing that the social-media landscape was becoming increasingly competitive.
5. Kim Kardashian's Selfish Faced a Tougher Road
Kim Kardashian had built an enormous following around her carefully curated selfies, so publishing a book dedicated to them seemed like a natural extension of her brand.
Her 2015 book, Selfish, attracted considerable attention from fans and the media, but reported sales were more modest than might have been expected from someone with such a huge social-media audience.
The result highlighted an important distinction between online popularity and traditional publishing success. Even a massive digital following does not automatically guarantee blockbuster book sales.
4. Kylie Jenner's App Became a Major Success
The Jenner and Kardashian sisters entered the app market in 2015, giving fans another way to follow their lives, fashion and beauty routines. Among the family apps, Kylie Jenner's quickly emerged as one of the strongest performers.
Reports at the time suggested that Kylie's app attracted a particularly large audience shortly after launch. Her younger fan base and strong social-media presence gave her an advantage when it came to promoting digital content directly to followers.
The success was another indication that Kylie was developing into a powerful digital entrepreneur rather than simply being known as a reality-TV personality.
3. Kendall Jenner Became a Fashion Week Favorite
By 2015, Kendall Jenner was firmly establishing herself as a serious high-fashion model. She increasingly separated her modeling identity from her reality-TV background and earned opportunities with some of the industry's most recognizable names.
Kendall appeared in major Fashion Week shows for designers including Diane von Furstenberg, Marc Jacobs, Chanel and Michael Kors. She also became part of the highly anticipated Balmain and H&M collaboration and landed a campaign with Marc Jacobs.
Her growing list of runway appearances and fashion campaigns proved that Kendall's modeling career could stand on its own, independent of her family's television fame.
2. Caitlyn Jenner Received Glamour's Woman of the Year Honor
Caitlyn Jenner's extraordinary year continued when she received Glamour's Woman of the Year honor in 2015. The recognition placed her alongside other prominent women and highlighted the public impact of her story.
Her acceptance speech received significant attention, with supporters praising her openness and courage. At the same time, the award generated controversy and debate, demonstrating just how much public interest surrounded Caitlyn throughout the year.
Regardless of the criticism, the honor represented another major milestone during a year in which Caitlyn became one of the most talked-about public figures in entertainment.
1. Kris Jenner's Unforgettable Jennifer Lawrence Moment
Kris Jenner created one of the year's most unexpected celebrity moments when she shared a photo of herself relaxing in bed with Jennifer Lawrence. The picture was posted around Lawrence's birthday and immediately attracted attention online.
Lawrence has openly expressed her enthusiasm for Keeping Up with the Kardashians, so her friendship with Kris made the encounter especially entertaining for fans. The actress later explained that her friends had arranged a surprise birthday celebration and that Kris was part of the surprise.
The playful moment perfectly captured Kris Jenner's ability to remain at the center of celebrity culture. As the family's longtime "momager," Kris also benefited from the growing success of Kendall and Kylie as they built careers outside the shadow of their older sisters.
Why 2015 Was Such a Big Year for the Jenners
Looking back, 2015 was a turning point for the Jenner family. Caitlyn Jenner became a major public figure following her transition, Kendall established herself in the international fashion world, and Kylie demonstrated her ability to build powerful businesses around her social-media influence.
Meanwhile, Kris Jenner continued managing the family's growing entertainment empire. Together, these moments helped the Jenners become much more than supporting characters in the Kardashian story.
From fashion runways and beauty products to record-breaking social-media moments and major personal milestones, 2015 gave the Jenner family plenty of reasons to celebrate—and plenty of headlines for fans to remember.