Kim Kardashian: The Secret Behind Her Skims Success

When it comes to the Kardashians, there are still many who dismiss the reality TV family as “trash.” However, these people should slowly rethink. As the “New York Times” currently reports, Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand Skims is now valued at four billion dollars.

Kim Kardashian skims: a smart move

Last year, experts valued the company at just over three billion dollars. There are many reasons for the success of Skims. The brand was launched with just a few shapewear products in 2019 and earned several million dollars within minutes. But why actually? Focusing on shapewear first was a smart move by Kim Kardashian.

Because Kim Kardashian and her sisters Khloé and Kourtney shaped a new body image in the late noughties. If super slim models were still the norm in the 90s, the sisters suddenly emerged with their curvy figures, their self-confidence and their understanding of social media. Young girls and women suddenly also wanted a big butt and breasts, but at the same time they also wanted a narrow part à la Kim Kardashian. How do you do that? With shapewear, of course, Kardashian explained in 2019.

Her idea for Skims was apparently born early on, she said at the time. Because for years, according to Kanye West’s ex-wife, she had been tailoring shaping underwear herself to suit her own style and outfits. You saw a niche in the market to launch Skims – and your own needs.

“I’ve made so many mistakes with shapewear and had so many faux pas. A lot of my problems have come from not having a wide range of colors in the past,” she said in a 2019 Instagram video. So you could see much too light shaping underwear under their outfits. That’s the end of Skims, according to Kardashian, and she launched her underwear with an inclusive color range.

marketing genius

Kardashian primarily used her social media presence for marketing. She was approachable, explained her designs and was able to convincingly convey why customers should definitely buy her products. In any case, hardly anyone knows the basics of social media marketing as well as the mother of four children. Earlier this year, the company hired Italian actresses Simona Tabasco and Beatrice Grannò shortly after the two made a splash as Duo Infernale on the HBO series The White Lotus. Again: a clever move.

Four years after the original launch, Skims has established itself as a brand. And is now much more than just shapewear. There are swimwear, dresses, jogging suits and pajamas. But behind the successful company are not only Kim Kardashian and her team. Because her ex-husband, rapper Kanye West, still holds five percent of the brand.

In the past, Kardashian himself called the musician the “Ghost Creative Director”, i.e. the spirit behind the brand. It was West who shaped Kardashian’s fashion sense for years, introducing her to influential designers and helping her gradually shake off the “trash” image.

But today, West’s image in particular has changed. With his horrendous anti-Semitic tirades, he has made himself persona non grata. Hardly anyone in the fashion world wants to work with West anymore, and the German sports company Adidas also ended the cooperation last year.

So it’s quite possible that the five percent he owns Skims could become a problem for Kim Kardashian in the near future. Reality star Bethenny Frankel announced at the end of last year that she no longer wanted to buy from Skims so as not to support West. Some influencers made similar statements.

Now Kardashian can look forward to good news. Not only is the brand value huge, Skims recently received a different kind of quality stamp: Angelina Wiley said on TikTok that she had been shot four times and only survived because Skims’ tight body stopped the bleeding.

Sources: /

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