New Delhi: Kim Kardashian knows a thing or two about everything, and now her globally recognised shapewear and lifestyle brand SKIMS – which she runs with co-founder Jens Grede (who also heads up Khloé’s Good American) – is making its way to India exclusively via Reliance Brands Limited (RBL). As part of the phased national rollout, the brand will commence physical stores in Delhi and Mumbai while also expanding through digital touch points.
The India launch is a milestone in an international expansion for SKIMS, which will add to Reliance Brands expanding fold of internationally renowned premium fashion brand powerhouse.
Exclusive India partnership
Per the agreement, Reliance Brands will run SKIMS via physical and online retail outlets across India. Delhi and Mumbai will receive the initial stores, before being rolled out in other cities and on platforms in time.
RBL announced that as part of the partnership, it was tasked with launching a regional retail presence for SKIMS and overseeing distribution and brand delivery in India. The rollout should be phased and allow the company to gauge demand before a national rollout.
About SKIMS
Founded by Kim Kardashian and Jens Grede in 2019, SKIMS It started with shapewear and underwear, but later expanded into loungewear, bodywear, swimwear, clothing and everyday essentials.
The brand is centred around options for all sizes, products designed with the fit in mind and styles that would flatter several body shapes and —speaking directly to the name of which—is a strong inclusivity catering to a wide variety skin tones. All its product lines develop fashion clothing with supportive formula features like stretchy textiles, body-sculpting shapes and seamless construction.
SKIMS’ categories include:
- Shapewear.
- Bras and underwear.
- Bodysuits.
- Loungewear.
- Swimwear.
- Sleepwear.
- Everyday clothing.
- Men’s underwear and apparel.
- Accessories and lifestyle products.
The brand has built strong global recognition through celebrity visibility, social-media marketing, limited product launches and a direct-to-consumer retail model.
Why India matters
India is the fastest growing luxury consumer market in the world. Increasing disposable incomes, greater digitisation of retailing and growing interest in overseas fashion brands have attracted foreign players to the country.
India provides a large, young and digitally connected consumer base for SKIMS. With the reach of social media and global entertainment & e-commerce platforms, consumers in metropolitan cities, are much more aware with global fashion & beauty brands.
As for the expansion of the country’s premium apparel market, it also creates opportunities for other brands with niche-to-conventional categories such as shapewear, seamless underwear and inclusive bodywear.
Delhi and Mumbai to lead launch
The initial launch markets are Delhi and Chennai. The two cities are both fortified luxury retail ecosystems, with international shopping thoroughfares, top-end malls and avid shoppers who have a high exposure to international brands.
These first locations will enable SKIMS to showcase its complete brand experience in bespoke retail spaces. Since shapewear and bodywear customers have a special need to evaluate aspects like product fit, fabric quality, sizing and styling, shoppers will be able to experience these factors in-person.
It will complement the stores on a digital channel, enabling the brand to have customers beyond the two cities in which store launches.
Reliance Brands’ retail strategy
Over the years, Reliance Brands has leveraged international collaborations to develop a growing portfolio of premium and luxury brands in India. It plans to introduce existing international brands to consumers in India and vernacularise their retail business operations, distribution, and consumer engagement according to the market.
SKIMS partnership would pave way for RBL, which has a presence in categories between lingerie and apparel, shapewear etc-fashion forward lifestyle fashion. This is also in line with Reliance’s approach of integrating high-street retail and luxury stores with digital commerce.
When entering a new market, SKIMS can benefit from having an experienced Indian retail partner who helps ease market entry and execution at the local level particularly with respect to site selection, store operations, logistics & customer service.
Product appeal in India
Products can find a consumer to wear every day in India for comfort, innerwear options and styling for various body types. The brand’s shapewear and bodysuits could also appeal to customers looking for streamlined lines beneath form-fitting clothes.
Another big selling point could be the brand’s inclusivity. The availability of more sizes, shades and fits can fill the voids which at times struggle the consumers in Indian innerwear and shapewear space.
But the challenge for the company will be to meet Indian shoppers through its international sizing, designs and pricing.
Pricing will be closely watched
SKIMS is an upmarket player and the price point at which it enters India will decide how far it goes. Import tariffs, logistics, retail expenses and local operational costs will push the prices of imported or internationally positioned items beyond what a domestic item of similar quality would cost.
Affluent consumers in big cities may be happy to pay more for a well-known brand or design, but true mass market penetration will likely require multiple price points. As the market maturing, the company can also look at India-specific collection, local production or increased online promotions.
It will be crucial for affordability especially in the categories of underwear and everyday essentials where consumers typically pit foreign brands against homegrown Indian labels.
Competition in the Indian market
SKIMS will enter a competitive market that includes domestic lingerie companies, international apparel brands and digital-first innerwear startups. Indian consumers already have access to a wide range of shapewear, activewear, loungewear and seamless clothing products.
SKIMS will therefore need to differentiate itself through:
- Product innovation.
- Inclusive sizing and shades.
- Consistent fit and quality.
- Strong online customer experience.
- Effective influencer and celebrity marketing.
- Reliable returns and exchanges.
- Local availability and faster delivery.
- Competitive premium pricing.
The brand’s global visibility may generate initial interest, but repeat purchases will depend on product performance and customer satisfaction.
Digital-first opportunity
SKIMS has historically benefited from online sales and social-media-led marketing. India’s high smartphone usage, widespread digital payments and strong e-commerce adoption could support this approach.
The company can use digital channels to:
- Build awareness beyond major cities.
- Promote new collections.
- Offer personalised product recommendations.
- Collect customer feedback.
- Test demand before entering new locations.
- Reach younger consumers.
- Create online-exclusive launches.
A strong digital strategy will be important because many Indian consumers discover premium fashion brands online before visiting a store.
Phased expansion expected
Delhi and Mumbai launch will be followed by other centres; cities & channels expansion ahead. Building those first markets might give clues to consumer preference, which sizes are in demand, colours and sensitivity to price.
New avenues for expansion could include stores or shop-in-shop formats in cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Kolkata. Availability through e-commerce could make it easier for SKIMS to reach consumers in smaller cities that might not have need for, or access to, a giant physical-store footprint.
The speed of the roll-out would likely depend on sales figures, operational capacity and local demand strength.
Growing premium fashion market
The entry of SKIMS into India also indicates the increasing significance of the country in global fashion. Chairs are being pitched to global brands not just as a sourcing and production base, but also as a consumption market, especially the international labels.
Despite being price sensitive, Indian shoppers are embracing premium choices and trying out for the dressed in & fashion labels particularly within the style, beauty, sportswear and lifestyle classes. In response, global brands are forging local partnerships; establishing flagships and direct-to-consumer operations.
SKIMS’ entry into the market only adds to that trend and may certainly bring in some other global names.
A significant brand launch
This deal marks the entry of one of the few globally recognisable brands in shapewear and bodywear SKIMS into India, via a partnership with Reliance Brands. The launch gives SKIMS a soft landing into the $500 billion-plus fashion market in India, where its initial stores are slated to be opened in Delhi and Mumbai. luxe.
Execution will be key, as more pervasive availability brings with it new challenges in pricing, product range and sizing but moreover the store experience and conversion of international brand into longer term local demand. The launch will provide Indian consumers with access to SKIMS’ collection of shapewear, underwear, loungewear and lifestyle products via dedicated retail spaces and digital platforms.