Kim Kardashian West’s shapewear line has a new name: Skims Solutionwear.
The “solution-focused approach to shape-enhancing undergarments,” created by Kardashian West, will launch Sept. 10.
“I love the idea that the pieces will be the closest thing to someone’s skin, skimming with amazingly soft and supportive fabrics, which accentuate the best parts of our bodies,” Kardashian said in a statement.
A spokesperson for Kardashian declined to give further details, except that the pieces will be available in sizes XXS to 5XL at Skims.com.
The reality star and entrepreneur also tweeted Monday morning directly to her fans.
“My fans and followers are a huge inspiration to me — I’m always listening to their feedback and opinions, and am so grateful they shared their ideas for a new brand name. After much thought and consideration, I’m excited to announce the launch of Skims Solutionwear,” Kardashian wrote in the Twitter post.
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Kardashian’s plans to move into the shapewear industry were revealed last June. At the time, she said she had been working on the line for 15 years and intended to name it “Kimono.”
But the name quickly caused a backlash on social media and within hours, the Internet exploded with accusations of cultural appropriation, since the brand’s planned name was the same as that of the traditional Japanese garment.
Kardashian later apologized, promising to rename the line at a later date.
Despite the mixed response, fans were still eager to see the star’s latest creations. Within hours of revealing Kimono, the official Instagram account had doubled from roughly 42,000 to 108,000 followers. The account was later deleted. Meanwhile, Skims had about 126,000 followers on Instagram Monday morning within the first hour of posting a photo.
But it’s not just Kardashian’s name that is causing such a stir. Shapewear and sports bras are the two subcategories that are seeing a lot of buzz these days in intimate apparel. In fact, they’ve had the most growth in the North American intimates market over the last three years, according to The NPD Group. In the U.S., sales of women’s shapewear grew 2 percent to $518.8 million in the 12 months ending in May, according to NPD’s Consumer Tracking service.
Around the globe, shapewear was worth about $2 billion in 2018, according to a report by Persistence Market Research. Report Buyer, another market research firm, is anticipating the shapewear market will be worth $6.4 billion by 2024.
That could explain the rising popularity of foundational brands like Commando, Marks & Spencer and Ann Chery, among others, in addition to longtime shapewear leader Spanx, along with the rising popularity of pieces like bodysuits.
“Skims is the culmination of Kim’s personal experience with shapewear and is fueled by her passion to create truly considered and highly technical solutions for every body. Whether the desire is to enhance, smooth, lift or sculpt, Skims provides superior options for all shapes and tones,” the web site reads.