OXFORDSHIRE, United Kingdom – Dolce & Gabbana and Skims are linking up for a limited-edition collaboration, set to launch next week, Skims co-founder Jens Grede revealed on stage Thursday at BoF VOICES 2024.
The tie-up between Kim Kardashian’s shapewear and intimates label and the Italian luxury brand aims to expose each others’ customer bases to new aesthetics and price points. “It’s all about that tension between our aesthetic and what Dolce does,” Grede told BoF before the event.
“Hopefully the collaboration will show D&G in a slightly different light. They have the ability to reach millions of customers at a more accessible price point,” added Grede. For Skims, it’s a chance to “stretch our aesthetic.”
The collection, with items priced from around $50 to $700, fuses Dolce & Gabbana’s playful Italian throwback motifs with Skims’ sleek, body-hugging forms. “We’ve blended Italian appeal with our signature comfort and solutions,” said Kardashian over email. “We’ve delved into our archives to create a unique collection of sensual, empowering pieces unlike anything we’ve done before.”
The Dolce & Gabbana tie-up “has been a long time in the making,” Grede said. Skims has a penchant for Italian luxury: its first-ever collaboration was with Fendi in 2021.
The accompanying Skims x Dolce & Gabbana campaign looks like an outtake from a 1960s Sophia Loren movie, with Kardashian standing in for the iconic Italian star. Both women emphasised their curves to set idealised standards for the female bodies of their generations.
Skims, estimated to be worth over $4 billion in 2013, is reportedly eyeing an IPO. “Skims deserves to have that optionality,” said Grede. “But not now.” The label, which launched online in 2019 and has since partnered with Nordstrom, Selfridges, Net-a-Porter and Ssense, aims to expand its retail footprint from 5 stores in the US to “one store in every major city” as well as key locations in Europe and the Middle East.
“Skims is having another very strong year of growth,” said Grede, declining to disclose exact figures.
Dolce & Gabbana’s has a strong relationship with the Kardashian family. Kim curated the luxury label’s 2023 spring/summer 2023 line, making a special appearance at the collection’s show during Milan Fashion Week in the fall of 2022. Her sister Kourtney’s wedding, earlier in 2022, was hosted by Dolce & Gabbana.
