Fashion Market Trend United States: Shapewear

America is crazy about shapewear. The revolution of body-sculpting intimates that includes plus sizes is skyrocketing shapewear sales in the American market 

The underwear line of the American brand Skims by Kim Kardashian in 2021 achieved revenue of over $400 million in the USA and continues the positive trend in the first quarter of 2022

The body-positive shapewear brand  Skims, co-founded by American jet set celebrity Kim Kardashian along with American entrepreneur Jens Grede, since its launch in 2019 has taken the world by storm and continues to grow relentlessly in the US market, attracting a loyal following (3.8 million followers on Instagram) and shining a spotlight on fashion, particularly on shapewear: the body shaping that sculpts, compresses, smooths every inch of the body with an immediate slimming effect on the waist, available also in a range of nude shades. - Our company is focused on innovation, - stated Grede - and we are constantly in development also in other 'solution wear' and clothing items. Only a few selected items, however, go into production, when we think we are bringing something truly new to the market or a product that the customer is not finding anywhere else. - Now the company also has an additional $240 million to do so. In January, Skims revealed a Series B funding round, led by Lone Pine Capital, which brought the valuation of Skims to $3.2 billion. Kardashian and Grede have stated that they will maintain a controlling stake in the brand. - We don't want to take Skims public, - Grede reported - there are no plans regarding that. – The opening to outside investors was really about expanding production capacity, given the extraordinary growth period we are experiencing. Shapewear sales in the fourth quarter in America were very strong and the positive trend continues into the first quarter of 2022. Thanks to the new funding, we will be able to grow and compete effectively on a global scale. Outside of the United States, Skims is available at Selfridges in England and in some areas of Europe, in addition to wholesale partners in selected international markets. Moreover, Grede stated that the need for extra capital is also the result of what's happening in the United States – we are witnessing a 'crazy' demand for the brand, especially in the shapewear category. Skims' revenue surpassed $400 million last year, compared to $275 million in 2020. 

Among Skims ambassadors are also USA athletes for the Tokyo and Beijing Olympics and Kate Moss

Skims provided the American Olympic and Paralympic team athletes with underwear, pajamas, and loungewear for both the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics and the Beijing Winter Games, adding high-profile names (such as Olympic gold medalist and snowboard champion Chloe Kim) to the long list of brand ambassadors. Among the many celebs wearing Skims are also Kate Moss; Megan Fox; sister Kourtney Kardashian and Rumer Willis, American actress daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore. Last fall, Kim Kardashian collaborated with Kim Jones, men's artistic director of Dior and Maison Fendi, for a limited edition capsule Fendi x Skims. The collaboration gathered over $3 million in 10 minutes from launch and included everything: shapewear, lingerie, dresses, and outerwear. Coinciding with the collection's release, Fendi x Skims pop-up stores were opened in several cities around the world, with long lines outside the stores. Last but not least, the partnership of Skims with the famous American luxury retailer Nordstrom, with which the Los Angeles pop-up in 2021 was created. Now talk is beginning about permanent standalone stores. - There is no doubt that at some point we will have to move to physical retail in America, we just haven't decided yet how and when to do it, - Grede reported. - But it is definitely in our growth plans for the near future.