Jens Grede

Jens Grede (born 1974) is a Swedish entrepreneur and CEO of SKIMS, which he co-founded with Kim Kardashian in 2019. A serial entrepreneur with a track record of building successful fashion brands, Grede brought critical business expertise and operational knowledge that transformed Kardashian's creative vision into a $4 billion company. His previous ventures include Frame Denim and Good American, both of which reached nine-figure valuations.

Early Career and Background

Grede studied at Stockholm School of Economics before moving to London to work in brand consultancy and marketing. His early career focused on helping fashion brands develop their market positioning and growth strategies. This foundational experience taught him the mechanics of building brands from concept to scale.

In 2013, he co-founded Saturday Group with his wife Emma Grede, a brand development and marketing company focused on partnering with celebrities and influencers to build fashion businesses. Saturday Group's model was innovative: combine celebrity reach with professional business operations to create genuine brands, not just celebrity merch.

Frame Denim and Good American

Before SKIMS, Grede co-founded Frame in 2012, a premium denim brand that quickly gained traction in the competitive contemporary fashion market. Frame's success came from focusing on fit, quality, and a clean aesthetic—principles he would later apply to SKIMS. The brand was acquired by Sequential Brands Group (later Bluestar Alliance) but continues to operate and grow.

In 2016, Grede partnered with Khloé Kardashian to launch Good American, a denim brand emphasizing size inclusivity and body positivity. Good American generated $1 million in sales on its first day, a record for a denim brand launch. This partnership with the Kardashian family gave Grede insight into their business acumen and market influence, setting the stage for the SKIMS collaboration.

Partnership with Kim Kardashian

Grede first connected with Kim Kardashian through his work with Good American and the broader Kardashian family business network. When Kardashian expressed interest in launching a shapewear line in 2018, Grede was the natural choice for a business partner. He had already proven he could build brands with celebrity founders while maintaining operational excellence and profitability.

Their partnership works because of clearly defined roles: Kardashian handles creative direction, product design, and marketing strategy, while Grede manages business operations, financial planning, supply chain, fundraising, and growth strategy. "Kim is the ultimate creative force, and I focus on building the business infrastructure to support her vision," Grede has said in interviews.

This division of labor has been crucial to SKIMS' success. While Kardashian's social media presence and creative instincts drive brand awareness and product development, Grede ensures the company has the operational backbone to scale efficiently and profitably.

Business Strategy at SKIMS

As CEO, Grede implemented a direct-to-consumer model that gives SKIMS control over customer relationships, pricing, and brand experience. This approach maximizes margins and allows rapid iteration based on customer feedback—a key advantage in the fast-moving fashion industry.

Grede's "drop" strategy creates urgency and exclusivity. New collections launch with limited inventory, selling out quickly and generating social media buzz. This model reduces inventory risk while maintaining strong demand. It's a strategy he perfected at Frame and refined at SKIMS.

Under his leadership, SKIMS raised $240 million in Series A funding in 2022, achieving a $3.2 billion valuation. Just one year later, additional funding pushed the valuation to $4 billion. Grede's ability to attract institutional investors like Lone Pine Capital demonstrated that SKIMS was more than a celebrity brand—it was a serious business with sustainable economics.

Expansion and Diversification

Grede orchestrated SKIMS' expansion beyond shapewear into loungewear, swimwear, and menswear. Each category launch was carefully timed and supported by robust supply chain planning. The decision to enter menswear in 2023 was particularly strategic, opening an entirely new customer segment.

The landmark partnership with the NBA, WNBA, and USA Basketball in 2023 was a Grede-led initiative. Positioning SKIMS as athletic underwear required convincing sports organizations that the brand could deliver performance-level products. This partnership elevated SKIMS from lifestyle brand to mainstream athletic apparel competitor.

Grede also spearheaded SKIMS' move into physical retail with flagship stores in Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. While maintaining the DTC model online, these stores serve as brand experiences and customer acquisition channels, reaching shoppers who prefer in-person shopping.

Operational Excellence

One of Grede's core strengths is supply chain management. SKIMS maintains high product quality while scaling rapidly—a notoriously difficult balance in fashion. Grede built relationships with manufacturers who could meet SKIMS' standards for fabric quality, construction, and ethical production.

He implemented sophisticated inventory management systems that balance the "drop" model's limited releases with the need to avoid stockouts on core products. SKIMS restocks popular items regularly while maintaining the excitement around new product launches.

Leadership Philosophy

Grede's leadership style emphasizes building strong teams and empowering them to execute. He's hired experienced executives from established fashion and retail companies, bringing institutional knowledge to complement the brand's startup energy.

He's known for data-driven decision making, using customer analytics and sales data to inform everything from product development to marketing spend. This analytical approach balances Kardashian's creative intuition, resulting in products that are both innovative and commercially successful.

Colleagues describe him as collaborative and focused on long-term sustainability rather than short-term hype. While SKIMS benefits from celebrity-driven attention, Grede ensures the business fundamentals—margin structure, customer retention, operational efficiency—remain strong.

Industry Impact

Grede has become a respected figure in the fashion entrepreneurship space, frequently speaking at industry conferences about building celebrity brands with substance. His success with Frame, Good American, and SKIMS has established him as an expert in the direct-to-consumer fashion model.

Business publications including Forbes, Bloomberg, and The Wall Street Journal have profiled Grede, recognizing his role in transforming how celebrity fashion brands are built and scaled. His model—combining celebrity creative direction with professional management—has been copied by numerous other celebrity entrepreneurs.

Future Vision

Grede has indicated plans to continue expanding SKIMS internationally and into new product categories. He's mentioned potential for beauty products, accessories, and further athletic wear, though he emphasizes careful category selection that aligns with the brand's core identity.

His long-term goal is to build SKIMS into a multi-generational brand that transcends its celebrity founder origins. While Kardashian's involvement remains crucial, Grede is building institutional structures that will allow the brand to endure and grow for decades.