Skims
American shapewear, underwear, loungewear, and clothing brand co-founded by Kim Kardashian, Emma Grede, and Jens Grede.
Last updated October 7, 2026
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Overview
Skims is an American apparel brand focused on shapewear, underwear, loungewear, and related clothing. It was co-founded in 2019 by media personality and businesswoman Kim Kardashian, British entrepreneur Emma Grede, and Swedish entrepreneur Jens Grede. Kardashian's personal experience modifying garments and her long-standing interest in shapewear helped inform the brand's initial product concept, while Grede and Jens Grede contributed experience in brand development, fashion, and business operations. Emma Grede had previously co-founded the denim-focused company Good American with Kardashian's sister, Khloé Kardashian. The brand initially launched under the name Kimono Intimates. That name attracted criticism because commentators viewed it as an inappropriate commercial use of the word kimono and as insufficiently respectful of Japanese culture. Kyoto mayor Daisaku Kadokawa publicly asked Kardashian to reconsider the proposed name and trademark. Kardashian subsequently announced that the company would adopt the name Skims, which became the brand's permanent identity. Kanye West, Kardashian's then-husband, was credited in accounts of the company's early development with serving informally as a creative adviser and helping create the original logo. Skims' initial commercial launch generated strong demand. The company reported that its first release sold out rapidly, with merchandise reportedly selling out within approximately ten minutes, and it described more than two million dollars in profit from the launch. The company also stated that it sold more than three million products during its first year. Its early growth was supported by direct-to-consumer digital commerce, Kardashian's large social-media audience, celebrity visibility, and a product proposition centered on body-conscious design, a broad range of skin-tone shades, and extended sizing. The product range expanded beyond foundational shapewear into bras, underwear, bodysuits, dresses, shorts, tops, sweatpants, hoodies, sweaters, slides, and other loungewear and lifestyle products. Skims has emphasized sizes from XXS through 5XL and has offered shapewear in multiple shades intended to serve a wider range of skin tones. The brand originally sold primarily through its own website, but later expanded distribution through online retail channels and Nordstrom stores in the United States. Skims has also pursued high-visibility partnerships. It supplied branded athleisure apparel connected with the United States Olympic and Paralympic teams, collaborated with Italian fashion house Fendi on a capsule collection, and entered menswear with underwear, T-shirts, socks, and tank tops in 2023. In the same year, it announced a multiyear partnership with the NBA, WNBA, and USA Basketball, becoming an official underwear partner and receiving exposure through league broadcasts, digital platforms, and basketball events. The business attracted substantial private-market investment and increasing valuation estimates during its early expansion. Reported estimates placed its valuation above $1.6 billion in 2021, at approximately $3.2 billion in 2022, and around $4 billion in 2023. Reference material also reports approximately $1 billion in net sales in 2024 and a valuation above $5 billion in 2025; these are private-company estimates or reported figures rather than public-company filings. Skims remains an active, privately held brand whose identity combines celebrity-led marketing with inclusive sizing, body-focused product engineering, direct-to-consumer retail, selective wholesale distribution, and collaborations with major fashion and sports institutions.
History
Skims was established in 2019 by Kim Kardashian, Emma Grede, and Jens Grede. The concept grew from Kardashian's experience altering clothing and her stated interest in designing shapewear over many years. Emma Grede brought experience as a fashion entrepreneur and had previously co-founded Good American with Khloé Kardashian. Jens Grede contributed business and brand-building experience. Early accounts also credited Kanye West, Kardashian's then-husband, with informal creative input and the original logo. The company initially planned to operate as Kimono Intimates. The proposed name generated criticism because of its association with the Japanese kimono, a culturally significant garment. Kyoto mayor Daisaku Kadokawa wrote to Kardashian urging her to reconsider both the name and its trademark. Kardashian later announced the name Skims, separating the brand from the controversy and establishing a shorter identity suited to a broader apparel business. Skims launched as a direct-to-consumer brand centered on shapewear and underwear. Its early proposition combined body-contouring garments with a wider range of sizes and shades than many traditional foundationwear labels. The company reported that its opening inventory sold out in about ten minutes, generated more than two million dollars in profit, and contributed to sales of more than three million products during the first year. Celebrity association, Kardashian's social-media reach, influencer seeding, and limited-release product drops became important elements of the company's marketing model. The brand broadened its assortment into bras, underwear, bodysuits, dresses, shorts, tops, sweatpants, hoodies, sweaters, slides, and loungewear. It has promoted sizing from XXS to 5XL and shapewear in nine shades. Distribution evolved from the company's own website toward additional online channels and Nordstrom stores in the United States. This combination of digital commerce, selective wholesale, product drops, and high-profile collaborations allowed Skims to move from a narrowly defined shapewear label toward a wider essentials and lifestyle brand. Partnerships helped establish the company beyond celebrity fashion. In 2021, Skims supplied athleisure connected with Team USA athletes at the Tokyo Summer Olympics and Paralympics and the Beijing Winter Olympics. Later that year, it worked with Fendi on a capsule of branded shapewear, leather dresses, and swimsuits. The collaboration linked Skims' body-focused construction with a major Italian luxury house and reportedly produced substantial initial demand. In 2022, Skims received broader institutional recognition through inclusion on TIME's list of the 100 Most Influential Companies and through the inaugural Amazon Fashion Innovation Award at the CFDA Fashion Awards. In 2023, the business expanded into menswear basics and announced a multiyear partnership with the NBA, WNBA, and USA Basketball. These moves broadened the customer base and connected the brand with professional and national-team sports audiences. Skims has remained privately held. Reported valuation estimates rose from more than $1.6 billion in 2021 to approximately $3.2 billion in 2022 and about $4 billion in 2023. Reference material reports around $1 billion in net sales in 2024 and a valuation above $5 billion in 2025, although the company does not have the same disclosure obligations as a publicly listed apparel company. Its current identity is built around inclusive foundation garments, comfort-oriented basics, celebrity and influencer marketing, selective collaborations, and expansion into adjacent apparel categories.
- 2023
Menswear expansion
[1]The brand launched men's underwear, T-shirts, socks, and tank tops.
- 2023
Basketball partnership announced
[1]Skims became an official underwear partner of the NBA, WNBA, and USA Basketball.
- 2022
TIME influential-company recognition
[1]Skims was included in TIME's list of the 100 Most Influential Companies.
- 2021
Team USA partnership
[1]Skims supplied athleisure associated with United States Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
- 2021
FENDI x SKIMS collaboration
[1]The companies released a capsule collection spanning shapewear, leather dresses, and swimwear.
- 2019
Company founded
[1]Kim Kardashian, Emma Grede, and Jens Grede co-founded the business.
- 2019
Brand renamed Skims
[1]The original Kimono Intimates name was replaced following criticism over its cultural associations.
- 2019
Initial product launch
[1]The first release reportedly sold out in approximately ten minutes, and the company reported more than two million dollars in launch profit.
Products and positioning
Premium and fashion-oriented shapewear and essentials brand emphasizing inclusive sizing, varied skin-tone shades, comfort, body-conscious construction, celebrity visibility, and accessible luxury.
Foundationwear · 2019
Shapewear
Skims' core category consists of body-contouring garments designed to smooth, shape, and layer beneath clothing. The range is associated with extended sizing from XXS through 5XL and multiple shades intended to accommodate different skin tones. Styles include briefs, shorts, bodysuits, and other foundational silhouettes.
Intimates · 2019
Underwear and bras
The underwear assortment extends the brand's essentials positioning into bras, briefs, and other everyday intimate garments. These products are marketed around comfort, fit, coordinated color families, and a broad size range rather than only compression or sculpting.
Apparel
Loungewear
Skims' loungewear includes relaxed tops, sweatpants, hoodies, sweaters, shorts, and related casual pieces. The category broadens the brand from undergarments into homewear and everyday dressing while retaining its emphasis on stretch, comfort, coordinated neutrals, and body-conscious proportions.
Apparel
Bodysuits and dresses
Bodysuits and dresses connect Skims' shapewear heritage with visible fashion pieces. They are designed to be worn as standalone garments or layered, allowing the brand's smoothing fabrics and close-fitting construction to function as both foundationwear and contemporary apparel.
Menswear · 2023
Menswear basics
Introduced in 2023, the men's line began with underwear, T-shirts, socks, and tank tops. It represented an expansion into a new customer segment while applying the company's existing focus on foundational garments, simple silhouettes, and everyday comfort.
Collaboration · 2021
FENDI x SKIMS
The 2021 capsule with Fendi combined Skims' body-focused categories with luxury-fashion treatments. The collection included branded shapewear, leather dresses, and swimsuits and was presented as a contemporary interpretation of a previous Fendi design reference.
Marketing campaigns
- 2023NBA, WNBA, and USA Basketball partnership
United States · International basketball audiences
The multiyear partnership positioned Skims as an official underwear partner and included league media exposure, broadcast signage, digital promotion, and USA Basketball event visibility.
Outcome. The arrangement connected the brand with professional, women's, and national-team basketball audiences.
- 2021Team USA athleisure partnership
United States · International Olympic audiences
Skims provided branded athleisure connected with United States Olympic and Paralympic athletes at the Tokyo and Beijing Games.
Outcome. The partnership increased the brand's visibility in sports and national-team contexts.
- 2021FENDI x SKIMS
International
Skims collaborated with Fendi on a capsule collection of shapewear, leather dresses, and swimsuits.
Outcome. The collection generated substantial launch demand and extended Skims' reach into luxury-fashion collaboration.
- 2019Initial direct-to-consumer launch
United States
Skims launched through its own digital commerce operation with a high-demand shapewear and underwear release. The company used limited inventory, Kardashian's audience, and social-media visibility to generate rapid sell-through.
Outcome. The company reported a sellout in approximately ten minutes and more than two million dollars in launch profit.
Brand decisions
2023
Expand into menswearStrategyBackground
After establishing the brand in women's shapewear, underwear, loungewear, and apparel, Skims identified men's foundational apparel as an adjacent category.
Action taken
The company introduced men's underwear, T-shirts, socks, and tank tops.
Aftermath
The move broadened the addressable customer base and developed Skims into a more general essentials brand.
2023
Build a sports-platform partnershipStrategyBackground
Skims pursued wider cultural and media reach through professional and national-team sports.
Action taken
The company announced a multiyear official underwear partnership with the NBA, WNBA, and USA Basketball.
Aftermath
The agreement provided exposure across broadcasts, digital channels, league platforms, and major USA Basketball events.
2021
Pursue major brand collaboration with FendiM&ABackground
Skims sought to extend its visibility and product credibility through a partnership with an established luxury fashion house.
Action taken
Skims and Fendi released a joint capsule covering shapewear, leather dresses, and swimwear.
Aftermath
The collection reportedly achieved approximately three million dollars in sales within ten minutes, according to reporting cited in the reference material.
Reported estimated sales. Approximately $3 million (First ten minutes after the October 2021 launch)
2019
Replace the Kimono Intimates nameStrategyBackground
The original name was criticized for its relationship to the culturally significant Japanese kimono and prompted a public request from Kyoto's mayor to reconsider the branding.
Action taken
The founders changed the name to Skims before or around the public launch.
Aftermath
Skims became the permanent brand identity and supported expansion beyond a narrowly defined intimates label.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Skims enters the Spanish market in partnership with El Corte Inglés[2]
According to FashionNetwork, US brand Skims is entering the Spanish market in partnership with retailer El Corte Inglés.
Reported
SKIMS announces Team USA loungewear partnership[3]
SKIMS announced a partnership with Team USA to create a limited-edition collection of undergarments, loungewear and sleepwear for female athletes competing in the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. The collection was scheduled to be available for purchase starting July 12.
Reported
Skims announces Cotton Collection proceeds donation[4]
Skims announced that it would restock its best-selling Cotton Collection and donate 20 percent of the collection’s proceeds to Baby2Baby’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Program.
Reported
KKW Beauty and SKIMS offer birthday discounts[5]
KKW Beauty offered 39% off selected items, and SKIMS discounted its essential Underwire Bras to $39 for Kim Kardashian West's birthday. The sales were scheduled to end that night at 11:59 p.m. PST.
Sources5 sources
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