{"id":683046,"date":"2025-11-13T09:15:49","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T06:15:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=683046"},"modified":"2025-11-13T09:15:49","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T06:15:49","slug":"what-is-skimss-secret-recipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=683046","title":{"rendered":"What is Skims\u2019s Secret Recipe?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Fashion<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

What is Skims\u2019s Secret Recipe?<\/h1>\n
By <\/span>Madeleine Schulz<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

November 13, 2025<\/p>\n

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    Photo: Courtesy of Skims<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n
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    Skims is now a $5 billion brand, thanks to the completion of a $225 million capital raise.<\/p>\n

    The round, announced on Wednesday, was led by Goldman Sachs Alternatives with participation from BDT & MSD Partners\u2019 affiliated funds. \u201cThis milestone reflects continued confidence in our long-term vision and coupled with disciplined execution, positions Skims to unlock its next phase of growth,\u201d Jens Grede, co-founder and CEO, said in a statement. \u201cToday\u2019s announcement validates the hard work of our incredible team and partners who have helped us reach this exciting new chapter, becoming a global omnichannel retail brand,\u201d co-founder and chief creative officer Kim Kardashian said. \u201cWe can\u2019t wait to take Skims to the next level as we continue to innovate and set the standard for our industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

    With the funding, Skims plans to fuel its physical retail and international expansion; the brand says that within the \u201cnext few years\u201d it plans to be a predominantly physical business. The money will also be used for product innovation and category expansion, building on Skims\u2019s recent commitment to both via its NikeSkims launch earlier this year. The company said Wednesday that it expects to surpass $1 billion in sales in 2025.<\/p>\n

    Six years since its founding, investors are optimistic about Skims\u2019s growth. \u201cSkims stands as a solutions-driven apparel innovator, pioneering new categories and redefining everyday wear. We look forward to partnering with management to pursue significant opportunities and deliver disruptive, sustained growth,\u201d Beat Cabiallavetta, global head of hybrid capital at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, said in a statement.<\/p>\n

    In a tough market, Skims is driving significant growth that extends beyond the brand\u2019s famous founder. Through a mix of product innovation, fast-thinking marketing \u2014\u00a0with a few viral stunts thrown in \u2014\u00a0and strategic hires, Skims is positioning itself for success.<\/p>\n

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    Kim Kardashian at the NikeSkims launch.<\/p>\n

    <\/span>Photo: Kevin Mazur\/Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

    A product-first foundation<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    The basis of Skims\u2019s success is its solid product. \u201cThey\u2019re relentlessly well-executed basics,\u201d says Katy Lubin, VP of brand at global fashion shopping platform Lyst. \u201cThe fit is obsessive; genuinely inclusive sizing, fabrics that feel comfortable and move with you, cuts that work as base layers or standalone pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Shoppers want basics that actually work, Lubin says. \u201cSkims pieces feel foundational in your wardrobe, and Skims gets that effortless confidence is a flex,\u201d she says. Skims ranked at number 15 in the third-quarter edition of Lyst\u2019s Hottest Brands index, maintaining its position from the previous quarter. It\u2019s the only brand in the top 20 aside from Cos that doesn\u2019t sit in the luxury or accessible luxury category. It\u2019s a testament to consumer favor; demand for the brand is up 271% year-on-year.<\/p>\n

    This quality-cost balance is key to Skims\u2019s success, Grede told Vogue Business<\/em> at the time of NikeSkims\u2019s launch. \u201cThat\u2019s something we\u2019ve done not just through true innovation in the broad sense, but also innovation in terms of: how do we offer a really phenomenal high-value product at a more democratic price? That\u2019s the key to our success.\u201d He likened it to Starbucks\u2019s \u201cfirst sip experience\u201d: \u201cWhen people wear Skims for the first time, they often experience the Skims effect. You get them hooked on the feel of the product.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Good product is especially significant for a brand with a famous founder. As many of the influencer founders at Vogue Business\u2019s<\/em> recent Gen Z Summit in Los Angeles said, having an established audience gets the word out, but it doesn\u2019t keep customers coming back \u2013 nor does it sustain growth. \u201cMy followers know [my] brand already, and they\u2019re already customers,\u201d Deepica Mutyala, founder of beauty brand Live Tinted, said. \u201cBut you can\u2019t grow just within your audience, there\u2019s a limit to that.\u201d Of course, Kardashian\u2019s audience is larger than most, but if the last name were enough, there would be plenty more Kardashian-founded brands still in operation.<\/p>\n

    To make the products that consumers want, the Skims team stays in close touch with its base, Grede told Vogue Business<\/em>. \u201cWe are constantly engaging with our customers and with our community, with what they want from Skims,\u201d he said. \u201cFeedback from our community is really what guides us very much into what we go into with active and with high performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Marketing magic<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    If good product is the baseline, what\u2019s propelled Skims further is its marketing finesse. Under EVP of communications and entertainment, Tracy Romulus (who is now also co-general manager of NikeSkims), Skims has developed a marketing strategy that taps buzzy and culturally relevant talent early on, meeting Gen Z audiences where they are. (Julia Collier was SVP of marketing at Skims until she joined J. Crew in December 2024.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    What Skims gets right, aside from its choice of talent, is its timing. Skims tapped Charli XCX in August 2024, at the peak of Brat Summer. It featured White Lotus<\/em> stars Simona Tabasco and Beatrice Grann\u00f2, fresh off season two, for its Valentine\u2019s Day campaign that same year. \u201cI watched White Lotus<\/em> and had to have my girls!\u201d Kardashian posted to Instagram. (Skims tapped season three star Patrick Schwarzenegger and his girlfriend Abby Champion this year.) The brand\u2019s latest campaign features Nara Smith and Lucky Blue Smith for the holidays.<\/p>\n

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    Lucky Blue Smith and Nara Smith starred in Skims\u2019s holiday campaign.<\/p>\n

    <\/span>Photo: Courtesy of Skims<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

    At The Independent\u2019s Luxury\u2019s Great Reset event in January, Romulus spoke about the importance of getting in early, as opposed to joining the conversation once it\u2019s peaked. It\u2019s a priority for Skims, and it\u2019s one that experts agree is a brand strength. \u201cSkims has achieved cultural relevance, community loyalty, and long-term brand equity through marketing that moves at the speed of culture,\u201d says Cait Marron, SVP of creative strategy at marketing agency Billion Dollar Boy. \u201cThe brand\u2019s success is rooted in cultural intuition. It has an incredible sense of timing, knowing what its audience is paying attention to and how to turn those conversations into creative, high-impact storytelling that feels smart, intentional, and impossible to ignore.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    This celebrity clout is balanced with a focus on product, says Neil Saunders, managing director and retail analyst at GlobalData. \u201cThere is a sense of honesty in that the marketing is relatable and focuses on the benefits of the products and how people feel wearing them,\u201d he says. \u201cThis means that marketing also spills onto social media in quite organic ways, such as through influencers and ordinary consumers.\u201d Skims\u2019s ability to move beyond celebrity and tap communities is significant also, Marron flags, nodding to Skims\u2019s use of prominent sorority influencers for its recent Campus Collection and Alex Cooper partnership for its its Wedding Shop campaign during her wedding.<\/p>\n

    Sometimes, though, the marketing feels too<\/em> targeted to socials. Case in point: Skims\u2019s \u2018faux hair\u2019 underwear, or \u201cbush underwear\u201d as the product was termed. The launch drove headlines and social media chatter in droves \u2013\u00a0and sold out. Was it a case of all publicity is good publicity, or does the brand push it too far at times? In Lubin\u2019s view, it\u2019s the former. \u201cThe critique is the marketing. It gets people talking, creates cultural velocity, and ultimately moves product,\u201d she says. \u201cSkims knows its audience will either get the joke or be intrigued by the controversy. Either way, they’re paying attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

    The underwear were the latest in a line of viral launches, including August\u2019s face wrap and 2023\u2019s nipple bra. After the face wrap launched, the nipple bra \u2013\u00a0now a staple \u2013\u00a0saw a 69% lift in searches for the month of August, per Lyst, making it the index\u2019s fifth-hottest product of Q3. It\u2019s not without controversy; at launch, climate activists critiqued the climate messaging of the campaign\u2019s clash with the bra\u2019s synthetic materials. But its recent revival shows that the initial controversy hasn\u2019t diminished its pull.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    These well-timed ads and controversial attention-grabs are tapered by longer-term plays. NikeSkims, for instance, felt like a fit for many because of all of the engagement Skims had had with sports already. The brand is the official underwear partner of the WNBA, NBA and USA Basketball (since 2023); became a partner of League One Volleyball in 2025; and has tapped athletes from the NFL to soccer players for its campaigns.<\/p>\n

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    Skims\u2019s latest store opening was in Mexico.<\/p>\n

    <\/span>Photo: Courtesy of Skims<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

    High ambition<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    With its latest cash injection, Skims has made it clear that it has no plans to slow down, with plans for more stores, more products, and more growth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Kardashian\u2019s influencer status will serve her well as Skims enters its next phase, Marron contends, noting that her personal brand has long operated like a modern business. \u201cThose creator instincts are exactly what has allowed Skims to outpace legacy brands,\u201d she says. \u201cIt behaves more like a creator than a brand \u2013 fast, intuitive, and culturally fluent \u2013 and that is what keeps it winning with standout marketing.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Skims has backed up this intuition with smart teams \u2013\u00a0and it\u2019s now growing its staff.<\/p>\n

    Earlier this month, Skims appointed new executives. Dawn Vitale was appointed chief merchandising officer, joining from Levi Strauss & Co., and Ami Col\u00e9 founder Diarrha N’Diaye joined as EVP of beauty and fragrance for Skims Beauty. These appointments are significant as they signal ambition, experts say. \u201cThey\u2019re building infrastructure for a multi-category lifestyle empire, not a shapewear brand,\u201d Lubin says. \u201cBeauty feels like a smart next move \u2013 it\u2019s brand extension 101, high margins, and well within the Kardashian\/Jenner wheelhouse.\u201d<\/p>\n

    With more physical store additions, Skims will need to be mindful, Saunders cautions, as opening stores creates a financial and capital commitment that is hard to dissolve, he says, adding that it can also impose a more rigid cost structure on the business. But he\u2019s confident in Skims\u2019s ability to manage. \u201cSkims has shown itself to be a brand that has staying power and the view will be that to become more of a lifestyle label, it needs to control the distribution and experience,\u201d he says. \u201cThis is also a sign that the brand has bold ambitions and that it wants to be a more significant player in the market.\u201d<\/p>\n

    How much runway is there for growth? Plenty, experts say, so long as it\u2019s well-managed. \u201cThe risk isn\u2019t demand, it\u2019s overextension,\u201d Lubin says. \u201cRight now Skims has the cultural heat and the capital, but they will need to stay focused on what they do so brilliantly: fit, inclusivity, and moment-making.\u201d<\/p>\n

    More from this author:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    How Confident Is the US Consumer Going Into the Holidays?<\/p>\n

    How Erede Is Building a Jewelry Brand for Tomorrow<\/p>\n

    Are Sample Sales Good for Brands?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

    Source URL: http:\/\/vogue.com\/article\/what-is-skimss-secret-recipe<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Fashion What is Skims\u2019s Secret Recipe? By Madeleine Schulz November 13, 2025 Photo: Courtesy of Skims Skims is now a $5 billion brand, thanks to the completion of a $225 million capital raise. The round, announced on Wednesday, was led by Goldman Sachs Alternatives with participation from BDT & MSD Partners\u2019 affiliated funds. \u201cThis milestone […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":683047,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[50],"class_list":["post-683046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-vogue-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683046","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=683046"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683046\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/683047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=683046"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=683046"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=683046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}