The Tamesis
The Grede couple were actively involved in Khy’s incubation, but handed over full leadership control of the brand to Kylie a year after its launch, according to the brand. Kelly controls the company and the brand continues to grow under her creative direction and leadership. (Khy declined to disclose revenue and has not yet disclosed a valuation, but the brand made $1 million in its first hour of launch in 2023.)
Jenner’s first business, Kylie Cosmetics, launched in 2015, fully embodies the power of her personal brand. In 2020, she sold 51% of the company to Coty for $600 million, valuing the business at $1.2 billion, reportedly making the 22-year-old Jenner a billionaire. While she remains heavily involved in the business, the brand and its parent company have faced some headwinds in recent years as the beauty boom era slows down, like many established beauty brands.
When asked how running a fashion brand differs from running a beauty brand, Jenner said: “I learned a lot from Kylie Cosmetics that I implemented here. Team building, listening to customers, attention to detail. It’s actually very similar.”
First building Khy through collaborations before striking out with a new team and building a collection taught Jenner a lot about running a fashion business. “It’s great to be able to enter the world of other designers and learn,” she said. “I learned the importance of listening to the community, not rushing a collection, focusing on quality, focusing on fabrics.” She takes this mantra seriously during the refresh process, and doesn’t hesitate to move things back if she feels the refresh isn’t quite ready.
In addition to the new products, which will be released on April 28, Khy will also have a new look on social media, design a new website, and redesign the logo to be more futuristic. “Visually it will feel different. I’m most excited about our approach to photography,” Jenner said. “It has a very cinematic feel, and we’re using new photographers and new models.” She found the campaign’s photographer at a Kylie Cosmetics shoot a few years ago and brought him on board the project to provide a fresh approach.
Jenner mentioned the Khy store several times during our conversation, and while it remains a north star for building the brand’s identity, there are no solid plans yet. “Of course I would love to have a store in the near future. I’m looking forward to hosting more events and creating more moments and then opening a store,” Jenner explained. “That’s the next challenge after that.”
Jenner’s ambitions for Kaye five to 10 years from now are very clear. “I’d like to see more stores,” she said. “I’m excited to see our world grow and prosper. I want mine [customers] hapiness. I wanted timeless pieces that people could reuse. That’s the goal. “
