Kim Kardashian’s wildly successful brand was once at the centre of a huge global scandal
It's now raked in over four million dollars
If you think of Kim Kardashian today, chances are Skims instantly comes to mind. The reality star-turned-business mogul has built one of the most recognisable shapewear and loungewear brands on the planet, and it seems like everyone from your best friend to A-list celebs is obsessed with it.
But Skims didn’t always have such a smooth journey to the top. In fact, when Kim first launched the idea back in 2019, she found herself in the middle of a major global controversy that had a lot of people totally offended and the internet absolutely fuming.
Let’s take a look back at how Skims went from scandal to smashing success.
The 2019 Kimono scandal explained
Back in June 2019, Kim announced the launch of her shapewear line, except it wasn’t called Skims. Nope, the original name was ‘Kimono’, and the branding leaned heavily into Kim’s personal stamp (as in Kim + kimono = Kimono). But what she might’ve thought was a clever play on words quickly blew up in her face.
The backlash was immediate and fierce. A kimono, of course, isn’t just a fashion word, it’s a traditional Japanese garment with centuries of cultural and historical significance. People accused Kim of cultural appropriation, disrespect, and trying to trademark something that deeply belonged to another culture. Even the mayor of Kyoto publicly reached out, per Quartz, urging her to reconsider the name.
On social media, it was chaos. Twitter and Instagram lit up with angry comments, and people were keen to call Kim out. Many felt it was yet another example of celebrities profiting from cultures they weren’t a part of, and the pressure mounted fast.
To her credit, Kim listened. She issued a statement acknowledging the backlash, per The New York Times, saying her “intention was never to disrespect Japanese culture.” Shortly after, she announced a total rebrand. The name Kimono was scrapped, and just like that, SKIMS was born.
It was a turning point. While the controversy was messy at the time, the rebrand actually gave Kim the chance to redefine the company and launch it in a more thoughtful way.
Skims is wildly successful
Fast forward to today, and Skims is nothing short of a phenomenon. After its official launch in September 2019, the brand sold out within minutes, raking in a jaw-dropping $2 million in just ten minutes. And that was just the beginning.
By 2022, the company’s valuation had skyrocketed to over $3.2 billion, and Skims has since made well over $4 million in sales. What started as shapewear quickly expanded into loungewear, underwear, swimwear, and even men’s collections. With collaborations ranging from Fendi to the NBA, Skims has become more than a brand, it’s a lifestyle at this point.
Kim’s savvy marketing has a lot to do with it. Instead of just relying on celebrity endorsements, she leaned into inclusivity, offering a wide range of shades and sizes that catered to women who often felt ignored by traditional shapewear brands. The message was clear, Skims wasn’t about hiding your body; it was about celebrating it!
It also helps that Kim has one of the biggest platforms in the world. With millions of followers across social media, every campaign gets instant attention. Add in the fact that celebs like Hailey Bieber, SZA, and even Oprah have been spotted in Kim’s garms, and the brand basically markets itself.
Skims is now positioned as one of the most valuable celebrity-founded companies ever, putting Kim firmly in the league of serious entrepreneurs.
These days, the brand reps 6.8 million Instagram followers. If influencing feeds and selling out online wasn’t enough, Skims is stepping into brick-and-mortar in a big way. The shapewear company just opened its first store in Las Vegas, located at the Forum Shops on the Vegas Strip, per the Las Vegas Review Journal.
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