With a recent valuation of $5 billion, Kim Kardashian’s clothing company Skims has become an example of modern celebrity-driven retailing done right. While Kardashian is undoubtedly the face of the brand, its founders, Emma Grede and Jens Grede, are the architects and operational engine behind its success. The husband-and-wife team also oversees a growing portfolio of brands both inside and outside the Kardashian-Jenner universe.
“If the KarJenners provide the rocket, the Gredes provide the fuel,” Christine Russo, principal at Retail Creative and Consulting Agency and US correspondent for the Retail Technology Innovation Hub, told the Observer. “Whether it’s created by celebrities or not, they understand the fragility of attention and they know it kick flywheel and support it with performance.”
Emma Grede, 43, started her career in London, while Jens Grede, who was reportedly 47 (his birthday is not public) grew up in Sweden. The two met through their fashion careers. Emma worked as a fashion model and event producer before launching a talent management and events company in 2008. Jens went on to found the denim label Frame in 2012, the same year the couple got married. He has also collaborated on several projects with his childhood friend Erik Torstensson, including the fashion firm Saturday Group.
In 2015, Emma met with Kris Jenner and put forward the idea of a denim brand created in close proximity to Khloe Kardashian. The result was Good American, which launched in 2016 and became one of the most successful celebrity-endorsed brands to date. Today, Jens serves as chairman of Frame and CEO of Skims, while Emma is chief product officer of Skims. The couple has four children.
Rewriting the celebrity playbook
Together, the Gredes founded and hold ownership stakes in Skims with Kim Kardashian, Good American with Khloe Kardashian and Safely with Kris Jenner. Emma also founded Off Season in collaboration with fashion designer Kristin Juszczyk, NFL and Fanatics, while Jens continued to build Frame as an independent fashion brand.
Emma has emerged as a visual figure in the business herself, appearing Shark Tank as the first mixed-race female investor in the UK Dragon’s Cave. In 2022, the Gredes, along with Kim Kardashian, received the Fashion Council of America’s First Innovation Award.
Their celebrity-driven careers have not been without flaws. Skims faced early backlash due to its original name, Kimono (a type of traditional Japanese robe), which prompted a quick turnaround after being criticized for its cultural appropriation.
“This is an example of how they’ve responded by staying on top of consumer trends, listening to feedback and using it to iterate and improve their product offerings,” Sky Canaves, principal retail and ecommerce analyst at eMarketer, told the Observer.
Sustainability remains a weak point for Skims, notes Canaves, who scored low on materials and sourcing and has yet to address those concerns. That scrutiny could intensify as the product expands into Europe, where environmental regulations are stricter. Still, Canaves added, “I can’t think of the same power in the fashion industry today for most companies that aren’t big conglomerates.”
“Emma and Jens Grede have built brands with backbone,” Albert Varkki, retail strategist and founder of luxury leather brand Von Baer, told the Observer. “Each label in their portfolio has a clean brand vision—Skims focuses on fit and problem solving, Good American focuses on blended denim—and they continue to build on that ethos. That clarity and strategy is why their repeat purchase rate is unusually strong for celebrity brands.”
According to Varkki, the Gredes have rewritten the playbook for the celebrity brand. “Instead of putting all the burden on the bottom line, they built consistency of performance—stable SKU architectures, hero products that could be fulfilled and true fitness testing. That stability is what made celebrity endorsements legit again.”
Fashion brands are rarely family businesses. The industry often elevates creative individuals—Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang, Calvin Klein—but the Gredes are quietly reshaping that model behind the scenes. Their cooperation, both personal and professional, remains fundamental to their success.
“It was a gift and a blessing that we had a working relationship together for less than a year before we started dating,” said Emma Grede during an interview with her husband on her podcast. Aspire.
“I grew up in a home where work and life were always together, and it was not something my parents tried to separate. They found great joy and great value in it, just as I believe that I find great joy and value in working with you,” said Jens Grede. “We’re lucky now that we don’t have to argue so much about who takes out the trash. But for most people, the separation of roles and responsibilities at home, in any relationship, seems like a chore to me. So I don’t make that much of a difference.”
