SKIMS

SKIMS was founded in June 2019 by Kim Kardashian and Swedish entrepreneur Jens Grede, with Emma Grede joining as a founding partner. The brand originally launched under the name Kimono Intimates but faced immediate backlash over cultural appropriation concerns regarding the traditional Japanese garment. The mayor of Kyoto, Daisaku Kadokawa, wrote to Kardashian asking her to reconsider the name and trademark. Kardashian subsequently announced a name change to SKIMS. Kanye West, Kardashian's then-husband, served as the brand's ghost creative director and designed the company's logo. Kardashian stated she had been designing shapewear for 15 years prior to launch, inspired by her own practice of altering clothes to achieve better fit.

The company began with a line of shapewear and has since expanded into loungewear, swimwear, underwear, and men's lines. Products are priced in the $30–$100 range and offer sizing from XXS to 5XL with 10+ skin tone options, significantly more than traditional competitors. Notable product launches include the Ultimate Pierced Nipple Push-Up Bra in May 2025, which built on the viral success of the original Nipple Bra from October 2023 that drew a 250,000-person waitlist. In 2025, SKIMS launched NikeSkims, a collaboration with Nike that sold out within hours of debut.

As of November 2025, SKIMS is valued at $5 billion after raising $225 million in new funding led by Goldman Sachs Alternatives. The company expects sales to top $1 billion in 2025, six years after launch. SKIMS operates 19 stores globally, including one in Mexico, and plans to open additional overseas locations in 2026. The brand became the official underwear partner for the NBA, WNBA, and USA Basketball in 2023, and partnered with League One Volleyball in 2025. [edit]