Kim Kardashian, a self-proclaimed proponent of Spanx, is taking on the shapewear category with her own line.
The reality TV star revealed her latest brand on June 25, called Kimono, a collection of skin tone-colored shapewear. Kardashian shared the news on her Instagram, posting a series of photos from the brand with a caption stating the brand has been 15 years in the works.
Despite the success of her two other brands — KKW Beauty and KKW Fragrance — Kimono was met with swift backlash, with many social media users criticizing Kardashian for cultural appropriation over the brand’s name. After multiple social media callouts and an open letter written by Kyoto mayor, Daisaku Kadokawa, Kardashian announced she will launch the shapewear brand under a new name.
“Kimono is my take on shapewear and solutions for women that actually work,” she wrote in her initial launch post. “I would always cut up my shapewear to make my own styles, and there have also been so many times I couldn’t find a shapewear color that blended with my skin tone so we needed a solution for all of this.”
The images were photographed by artist Vanessa Beecroft — who has worked with Kardashian’s husband, Kanye West, on several projects in the past — and show Kardashian and models of varying skin tones in different styles offered by the brand, including bodysuits, bras, underwear and a one-leg bike short, which Kardashian calls the solution short. Kardashian writes that she created the last style out of necessity for the times when she’d wear a dress or skirt with a high-thigh slit and still needed support.
While a launch date has not yet been revealed for the brand, the pieces will be available in sizes ranging from XXS to 4XL and will be offered in nine shades.
Kimono marks Kardashian’s first solo venture in the fashion space. She has previously collaborated with brands for collections, including her recent partnership with Carolina Lemke for an eyewear collection. The reveal of Kimono comes just a few days after Kardashian released a new body product category for her KKW Beauty brand, which included a shimmer powder and foundation for the whole body.
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