North West was spotted leaving Nobu Malibu after dinner on Wednesday night, and the look tied directly into the Molly Santana x North West Kimokawaii tour conversation that has kept her styling choices in the spotlight. The 13-year-old wore what looked like small silver studs above both knees, plus a black graphic T-shirt, a pleated mini skirt, studded knee-high boots, oversized futuristic sunglasses, stacked bracelets, and rings.
Nobu Malibu look
The sighting landed with extra force because the studs read like dermal piercings at first glance. That kind of detail is easy to mistake for permanent body modification, but it can also be a temporary accessory, which is the practical distinction here: one signals a lasting change, the other is just part of an outfit.
Bandages were visible on her forearm, and a close-up appeared to show scars on her hand from where she used to have piercings. She also had piercings visible on her other hand, so this was not a one-off styling choice but another step in a pattern she has already made public.
North West style pattern
In 2025, she first debuted her finger piercings, then in May shared selfies that appeared to show several metallic studs across her wrist and hand. A representative later told the Daily Mail that the wrist detail was actually a sticker, which is the clearest example of why the visual read on her accessories can shift fast from body modification to fashion trick.
North West has already addressed criticism on TikTok with the line, “This is for everyone that’s mad over a finger piercing.” She has also worn faux facial piercings, grillz, temporary tattoos, and bleached brows, so the Malibu outing fits a broader style playbook rather than a single isolated look.
Kim Kardashian on style
Kim Kardashian has offered the most direct read on that experimentation, saying, “She has a really unique style.” She added, “She puts me on to so many brands. She just loves what she loves.”
Earlier this year, Ye and Bianca Censori attended North West’s Complex pop-up celebrating her debut EP, N0rth4evr, and Ye stepped out with a stud on his cheek while Bianca Censori wore facial jewelry. That matters because the family has repeatedly treated fashion as a public language, and North West’s latest Malibu look keeps the same conversation moving in the open.
The immediate question is not whether the studs looked bold — they did — but whether they were real or just fashion jewelry. For readers tracking her style, that is the only detail that changes the story, and Wednesday night left it unresolved.
