Under Her Skims: How Kim Kardashian Created A Shapewear Empire
A parade of scantily clad celebs is just part of what’s led Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand to a $4 billion valuation.
In mid-November, Kim Kardashian’s Skims tried on high fashion for size when the ever-exploding shapewear brand announced a partnership with luxe Italian label Dolce & Gabbana. The expansive ensuing collection reimagined D&G’s classic silhouettes and signature leopard print as accessible but sexy “solutions for everyone” per the Skims motto, from barely there mesh bralettes and feline-spotted slip dresses to luscious silk robes and satin thongs. The crossover capsule proved wildly popular, with more than $3 million in revenue generated in the first 48 hours—even after the fashion house’s website crashed.
One might be tempted to chalk up the server-smashing success to sheer star power—Kim and her wildly famous sister, Kourtney Kardashian Barker, flaunted their famed curves as they tag-teamed an old world–themed campaign celebrating Italian culture and women. But that temptation would be short-sighted, as Skims is a paragon of stratospheric success, especially in the realm of celebrity-backed brands. The venture, which was co-founded by Kardashian, CEO Jens Grede and Chief Product Officer Emma Grede in 2018, had reached a self-reported valuation of $1.6 billion by 2021, the same year Kardashian first joined the Forbes World’s Billionaires list. Today, the financial outlet reports that the famous founder’s stake in the now-$4 billion company accounts for the lion’s share of her $1.7 billion net worth. While Kardashian’s life as a reality TV star and enterprising influencer brought millions, her Skims entrepreneurship yielded a fortune that’s counted among the world’s richest.
And there’s no slowdown in sight. Rumors of an IPO are swirling, and in 2024, Skims opened its first five brick-and-mortar stores in Houston, Austin, Atlanta, the Miami metro’s Aventura suburb and Washington D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood. After the imminent launch of a 5,000-squarefoot flagship spot in West Hollywood, more openings in stateside cities and international markets are sure to follow as the founders chase a lofty goal: “Kim and I can envision a future where years from today there’s a Skims store anywhere in the world you’d find an Apple store or a Nike store,” Jen Grede said in an interview with Bloomberg last year.
Wild ambition aside, the executives have clearly hit a stride with their current strategy, a large part of which involves enlisting a parade of the world’s hottest celebrities to model new Skims collections. A couple of weeks before the late-August release of Sabrina Carpenter’s first Billboard chart-topping album, Short n’ Sweet, the singer-songwriter sensation turned heads with a particularly sultry Skims campaign that sought to channel ’90s “nostalgia in all its glory,” the brand said in a statement. More recently, burgeoning Canadian pop star Tate McRae was featured in a holiday-themed campaign lensed by filmmaker and photographer Harmony Korine, who playfully captures looks punctuated by red lingerie and faux fur boots. “Tate McRae was the perfect fit. She’s captivating, beautiful and truly of the moment,” Kardashian said, emphasizing the timely casting decision.
Skims’ creative department, headed by Kardashian, has a knack for leveraging those moments. The brand helped put a bow on Charli XCX’s viral “Brat Summer” by further elevating the electropop sensation in a soaking-wet campaign. Star photographer Petra Collins brilliantly showcased the drenched “360” singer’s beauty in the brand’s bralettes, boxers and ribbed tanks, right as her acclaimed Brat album was having a moment with Gen Z. But as a brand founded on inclusive and body-positive principals, Skims’ noblest moment came during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, when TV host, actress and multitime Maxim cover girl Olivia Munn bravely showed off her mastectomy scar before modeling the viral new “Nipple Bra.” At this rate, we’ll be asking who hasn’t modeled for Skims by this time next year.
This article originally appeared in the Jan/Feb 2025 issue of Maxim magazine.
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