Who'd have predicted seven years ago (June 25, 2019 to be precise), when we ran a News story on Kim Kardashian's new shapewear brand Kimono, that the brand would evolve into SKIMS, a global success story and one of a small handful of truly commercially viable celebrity-founded brands.
Quickly shaking off the Kimono moniker following public backlash and accusations of cultural appropriation, SKIMS has evolved into a $5bn global fashion empire. After years as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business, the brand is rapidly scaling physical retail, going from its first store opening in December 2024 to 31 worldwide stores in just two years, with its latest expansion now extending to DoorDash.
From George Clooney and Rande Gerber's Casamigos, Gwyneth Paltrow's goop, Dan Aykroyd's Crystal Head Vodka and Brad and Angelina's vineyard... there's no shortage of celebrity ventures. However, SKIMS leads an elite few talent-founded brands to achieve truly global success - joining the Olsen twins' The Row, Beats By Dre, Rihanna's Fenty, Kylie (Jenner) Cosmetics and Hailey Bieber's Rhode.
And the brand's success story is far more than just a celebrity headline.
As the US reality star lands in London this week ahead of London Fashion Week to launch SKIMS' first UK flagship store, we reflect on the momentum and viral cultural relevance the brand has achieved, combining celebrity influence with one of SKIMS' most defining strengths, its commitment to inclusivity (long before that became an industry buzzword). SKIMS championed body and complexion diversity where many established brands fell short, building a strong connection with younger consumers. This is clearly reflected in our social sentiment data, with our unique algorithm recording 71% positive sentiment on TikTok compared with 45% on Instagram.
Since 2019, we've previewed almost 50 News stories on the brand's diverse campaign stars and ambassadors (from Usher, Lana Del Rey, Kate Moss, Sabrina Carpenter, Jude Bellingham and Hailey Bieber to Nicola Coughlan, Rosé, Neymar, Cardi B and Charli XCX), and we've reported on SKIMS collaborations with Nike, NBA, Fendi, Team USA, Dolce & Gabbana, The North Face, Roberto Cavalli and Swarovski among other high-profile partners.
This masterclass in marketing strategy is clearly mirrored on social media with talent mentions and hashtags topping our brand metrics, bolstered by the significant head start Kim brought, with a global audience of 344m followers already at her fingertips.
Needless to say, viral campaigns and personal appearances from Kardashian help keep SKIMS firmly on the radar (she even took to the tills at an LA pop-up this summer!), and this week's UK visit and launch promises photo opps, headlines and plenty of social coverage.