Armed with venture capital, Skims and Kim Kardashian write their 'second chapter'

Kim Kardashian was already a successful celebrity businesswoman when she launched Skims five years ago.

But more often than not, she simply had attached her name to a string of existing companies: QuickTrim supplements, Carl’s Jr. salads, Skechers Shape-Ups, Sugar Factory confections, Midori liqueur, Silly Bandz bracelets, Beach Bunny swimwear, and so on.

“We did every product that you could imagine — from cupcake endorsements to a diet pill at the same time, to sneakers or things that I didn’t know enough about for them to be super-authentic to me,” the reality television star told The Times in 2019. “Like it all made sense a little bit, but it wasn’t my own brand.”

Skims, Kardashian’s homegrown apparel company built upon her famous curves and her love of body-cinching shapewear, was on brand — and, finally, her brand.

Its first years were marked by explosive growth. The start-up is now a retail juggernaut with around $1 billion in net sales and Kardashian has become a savvy entrepreneur with an eye for spotting and setting trends. Skims has made a huge dent in the shapewear market previously dominated by Spanx while adding several new categories to its merchandise mix.

This year Skims is aggressively moving into its next phase, one that will see the Hollywood company enter the competitive bricks-and-mortar space for the first time.

Underscoring Skims’ growth is the heightened interest the retailer is drawing from investors. Last year it raised $330 million in venture capital funding, ranking it second among companies in the greater L.A. area and the only retail brand in the top 10, according to a recent analysis by CB Insights.

That influx of cash was particularly notable given the tough investment climate locally: The region saw a steep decline in venture capital funding from 2021 to 2023, when the amount of investment dollars fell 74%, the analytics firm said.

Co-founded by Karadashian, who is chief creative officer, and Jens Grede, the company’s chief executive, Skims pulled in nearly $1 billion in net sales last year, according to Bloomberg, roughly double its 2022 total.

The company is reportedly eyeing an initial public offering this year. Kardashian and Grede declined to comment.

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