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Kim Kardashian’s shapewear label is staking its claim as a billion-dollar, culture-moving global brand
Just six years after its founding, Skims—the shape-innovating label by Kim Kardashian and Jens Grede—is leaving its celebrity origins behind and solidifying itself as a worldwide fashion powerhouse. With revenue projected to soar past $1 billion in 2025, Skims is no longer simply capitalizing on Kardashian’s star power; it’s building an enduring business with ambitions across multiple categories and continents.
Launched in 2019, Skims entered the market at a time when legacy players like Victoria’s Secret were losing ground and a new generation of direct-to-consumer brands promised comfort and inclusion. Skims, however, stood apart by prioritizing product development, fit, and a broader vision. The result: a 37% annual growth rate between 2022 and 2024 and consistent profitability—a rare feat in the crowded intimates space.
While Kim Kardashian’s involvement remains central (she’s still Chief Creative Officer and co-founder), the brand is less reliant on her image in day-to-day marketing. Campaigns now revolve around how Skims garments fit and function in real life, a shift mirrored by their casting choices. Skims frequently features top-tier athletes like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nick Bosa, global pop star Rosé, and timely faces from hit shows such as White Lotus, creating a brand that feels culturally current without being overexposed.
Skims’ retail footprint is expanding rapidly, both in the US and abroad. The flagship Los Angeles store, which just opened on the Sunset Strip, offers an immersive, tactile shopping experience and visually embodies the brand’s aesthetics through signature design elements. New locations are planned for Chicago, Mexico, London, and Dubai, each tailored to present the full Skims experience and connect with local consumers. According to CEO Jens Grede, these brick-and-mortar stores are key to deepening customer engagement and delivering the product in a way online shopping can’t provide.
This move into physical retail complements Skims’ robust e-commerce business and expanding wholesale partnerships with major retailers like Nordstrom, Ssense, and Bloomingdale’s. Recent additions to the wholesale roster include Switzerland’s Globus, Harvey Nichols Scotland, Beymen in Turkey, and Italy’s LuisaViaRoma. Skims now counts 57 points of sale worldwide, with nearly half its web traffic coming from outside the US—evidence of its growing international resonance. For more on Skims’ global strategy, see this overview from The Business of Fashion.
Core collections such as “Fits Everybody” and “Soft Lounge”—both painstakingly developed over years—set the tone for Skims’ comfort-driven approach. But the company’s ambitions now go well beyond shapewear. In March 2025, Skims made headlines by acquiring SKKN by Kim, bringing Kardashian’s entire beauty and skincare portfolio under the Skims lifestyle umbrella. This strategic move signals not just an expansion in product categories but a unification of Kardashian’s influence in both beauty and fashion. You can read more about the acquisition and SKKN’s integration into Skims on PR Newswire.
Even bigger is the highly anticipated NikeSkims collaboration, slated for a phased rollout beginning late 2025, with a wider global launch to follow. Despite production delays delaying the initial release, both companies see the partnership as an opportunity to blend athleticwear innovation with Skims’ cult-following in shapewear and apparel. The collaboration is expected to feature apparel, footwear, and accessories, potentially unlocking a new growth vertical for both brands. Updates on release dates and collection details can be found in coverage by Fortune.
What truly sets Skims apart from other DTC disruptors is its ability to meet consumers’ evolving needs—particularly around sizing variety, inclusive skin tones, and real-world comfort—while remaining in-tune with cultural trends. By building a foundation that’s more than one celebrity deep and avoiding the over-scaling missteps of its peers, Skims is positioning itself for long-term success.
As Kim Kardashian herself notes, “My mission has always been to create products that resonate deeply—whether it’s shapewear and lingerie that empowers or make-up and skincare that transforms. Uniting everything under the Skims brand streamlines that vision.”
For more on Skims’ retail expansion and brand evolution, you can read the Los Angeles Times’ story covering the launch of its flagship store.
Follow Skims’ official Instagram account for the latest campaign visuals and announcements, and join the conversation around its latest launches and cultural moments.
Skims’ evolution is proof that with the right strategy, a celebrity startup can graduate to global powerhouse—redefining how the world sees American fashion, inclusivity, and innovation in the process.