The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
LOS ANGELES, United States — At the inaugural BoF West Summit in Los Angeles, Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner took to the stage to discuss the business of influence, Kim Kardashian’s beauty brand and working together as a family.
“I don’t really look at the traditional forms of [beauty that] I’m seeing in magazines… I’ve always done what felt right, what feels good," said Kardashian West. "[I'm] not really worried about what I think the consumer wants, but instead kind of guide them with what I want. If you have your own business and it’s run by social media, you can have the power to do that.”
Kardashian West's approach proved a success: her KKW brand’s “contour kits,” which debuted last year, sold over 300,000 units in the first 24 hours and turned over $14 million in sales.
Family matriarch Jenner has a knack for translating Kardashian influence into a formidable product business. She's played an instrumental role in helping her daughters' to build their companies. “My job is really to lead in the direction of where their passion is, figure out what a business might look like, how to get it off the ground,” said Jenner. “The girls are all so creative and they know exactly what they want.”
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“My mom runs a really tight ship, so working for Kris Jenner is a really difficult thing,” added Kardashian West.
Jenner’s overarching business philosophy? “If someone says no, you’re talking to the wrong person. So just never give up. If you have an idea and you feel passionate about doing that as a business… really make a commitment. Then let’s figure out how to do it. Let’s roll up our sleeves and find someone who shares the same joy.”
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