Kim Kardashian West wearing her Skims loungewear. Photo: Courtesy of Skims
Kim Kardashian West is a very busy lady. A mother to four children; a lawyer in training; an activist for prison reform; the head of a global beauty empire; a member of the most famous family in the world outside of the royals, and someone who knows how to take good selfies. Then, of course, there’s the impending divorce from her husband, Kanye West. All in all, there’s a lot going on and she’s still only 40. It’s a miracle she still has time for Skims — even more impressive is what she’s achieved with the brand.
When we think about shapewear, images of constrictive, dowdy, beige girdles come to mind — tools to hide the body. Skims is all about celebrating and accentuating your curves, empowering the women who wear it. In fact, since its launch in 2019, the body-positive shapewear brand has been quietly revolutionising the global underwear industry with its inclusive messaging and diverse range of products that cater to all shapes, sizes and skin tones. It’s the Fenty Beauty of the shapewear world, taking on the likes of Spanx, which has dominated the industry for so long.
Recently expanding to include loungewear (Paris Hilton is a fan), lingerie, and lizardwear (yes, she really did dress North’s pet lizard in Skims) the brand is just as much about feeling good as it is about looking good — which is exactly what we need right now.
Photo: Courtesy of Ounass
Vogue snatched a few minutes from Kardashian West’s busy schedule to talk about her journey so far and her dreams for the future of her brand.
Skims is now in its second year — what was the impetus behind launching a shapewear brand?
“Overall, I really just wanted to give people options when getting dressed. From innovative shapewear that you can wear every day to the comfiest underwear that perfectly moulds to your body — I wanted to create a brand that could be relied on as a true solution for how people dress today. In doing this, it was especially important that we were size-inclusive and offered a range of colors.”
What was missing from the shapewear industry that you wanted to address?
“I used to cut up and sew different styles of shapewear together to create the silhouette I wanted because I could never find the shape I was looking for. Other brands would either flatten my curves, pinch into my skin or roll down. I would also dye pieces with tea bags to match my skin tone as there was such a limited offering of colors on the market. All this experimenting made me notice a gap in the market and realise that there hadn’t been any innovation in this space for so long. It felt like the perfect time to bring a fresh perspective to the shapewear industry that would feel relevant for today.”
How important are diversity and inclusivity for Skims?
“Diversity and inclusivity are in our brand DNA. We started Skims with those two elements being front of mind and today they continue to be the driving forces behind ensuring that what we create is for everyone and everybody.”
What is it you want your customers to feel when wearing Skims?
“Confident! And comfortable. All of our collections are made from materials that you can wear all day, every day. Being comfortable is really important to me and I’m a firm believer that when you feel your best, you look your best. You can always find me in Skims PJs or our Fits Everybody underwear because of how effortless and easy they are.”
What are you most proud of so far in terms of the brand?
“I love hearing how much our customers enjoy the product and seeing them in the clothes — I can’t get enough! To know that we’re giving people options and providing solutions that actually work is so rewarding and I’m extremely grateful.”
How do you hope the brand will evolve?
“My goal for Skims is to continue to expand our product offering and keep finding new ways to create solutions that work for all women, all the time. We’re creating the next generation of underwear, shapewear and loungewear by consistently bringing our customers newness and excitement with each drop, and I am so thankful for the dialogue we have with our community along the way.”
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Originally published on Vogue.co.uk
