Skims, the clothes firm co-founded by Kim Kardashian, has been a unicorn 4 instances in its 4 years of existence.
Skims has raised $270 million in a brand new funding spherical valued at $4 billion, which the corporate plans to announce on Wednesday. That is greater than final yr, traders valued the corporate at $3.2 billion.
Ms. Kardashian and her enterprise companion Jens Grede aimed to construct Skims into the following massive clothes model.
“He is grown up quick and we’re so happy with it,” Ms. Kardashian stated in an interview. “We have had a extremely good circulation of product launches.”
The corporate began out as a vendor of shapewear to assist prospects match into tight-fitting clothes. However shapewear not makes up the majority of its gross sales: Skims has expanded into a number of attire classes, together with loungewear and swimwear, and plans to maneuver into menswear this fall.
As soon as recognized for its direct gross sales, Skims is betting on bodily retail and plans to open its first flagship shops subsequent yr in Los Angeles and New York.
Grede, chief government of Skims, stated in an interview that the corporate is at the moment worthwhile with $750 million in gross sales this yr, up from $500 million in 2022. About 15 p.c of its on-line prospects come from outdoors the USA. United States, and almost 70 p.c of its prospects are Millennials or Era Z.
Over the previous yr, 11 million individuals have lined as much as purchase the model’s hottest gadgets, which regularly promote out, he stated.
It was this development trajectory and recognition that attracted traders to the corporate as its executives started elevating cash in latest months, Mr. Grede stated. Wellington Administration was within the lead within the final spherical. Different taking part corporations embrace Greenoaks Capital Companions and current sponsors D1 Capital Companions and Imaginary Ventures.
“Skims has maintained an unprecedented momentum for the reason that model’s inception,” Michael Carmen, co-head of Wellington’s personal fairness workforce, stated in a press release. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with the model to help it at this key stage of development.”
Skims’ success was probably the most outstanding achievements in Ms. Kardashian’s enterprise empire, which now consists of skincare, fragrances and even a personal fairness agency. Already a billionaire after Skims’ 2021 fundraising spherical, Ms Kardashian stays the corporate’s single largest shareholder, and collectively she and Mr Grede nonetheless personal a majority stake.
Early on, Skims needed to take care of pandemic-induced provide chain disruptions that made it laborious to seek out materials for his or her clothes.
Critical challenges now embrace stock administration as the corporate expands its choices and opens bodily shops, in addition to competitors from firms providing deep reductions as customers minimize discretionary spending within the face of excessive inflation, Ms. Kardashian and Mr. Grede stated. . It is a downside that plagues many retailers, Ms. Kardashian stated, and can change into much more urgent when Skims opens its personal shops.
Skims’ newest funding is more likely to increase questions on when it intends to go public, given each the corporate’s rising valuation and the involvement of Wellington, which is thought for investing in firms earlier than they go public. The clothes maker has taken different steps typical of companies making ready for preliminary choices, together with hiring a chief monetary officer final yr.
Mr. Grede objected to the timing, saying that he and Ms. Kardashian are in no rush. However he famous that traders have proven curiosity in consumer-facing companies in latest months.
Itemizing on the inventory trade stays one of many firm’s objectives. “Sooner or later sooner or later, Skims deserves to go public,” he stated.
