By mentioning Kim Kardashian, specifically her shapewear and attire brand Skims, it is often stated that the corporation took the side of Israel when it comes to the issue of the country and Palestine. Kim Kardashian has tweeted sympathetic and supportive messages to all warring citizens, whether Israeli or Palestinian. Following the recent events concerning the military actions, she has urged people to settle on peace and even has said that she is very unhappy about the violence, but she has not condemned Israel per se. Commentary on the Internet has been mixed on her restrained manner, with some faulting her for not being more vocal in support of the Palestinians. Skims has never issued an official public position of either support or opposition to Israel. Skims has additionally been seen by some supporters and activists as pro-Israel owing to the personal statements of its founder, Kim Kardashian, who, in a social media post, condemned terror attacks by Hamas and stood in support of her Jewish friends.
History of Skims
In June 2019, American media celebrity Kim Kardashian and Swedish businesswoman Jens Grede started the American shapewear and apparel brand Skims. Kim Kardashian has been altering and designing shapewear successfully for many years before developing the brand. It was founded to make a garment initially referred to as a Kimono, and its name was changed to Skims when cultural appropriation came forth against it. She emphasized body positivity and inclusiveness, the abundance of sizes (up to 5XL and even the XXS ones), and colors suitable to different skin tones, which helped Skims become hugely popular at the blink of an eye.
As soon as the brand made its first appearance, its Fits Everyone lingerie line of underwear and shapewear flew off the shelves in a couple of minutes, raking in millions of dollars in revenue.
The success of Skims is also made possible by its creativity that integrates the new design of high-tech fabrics and inclusive designs that ensure that people are comfortable wearing them in all types of physiques. The company grew to be a giant in the fashion industry, powered by the popularity of Kim Kardashian and its smart utilization of influencer partnerships and online marketing. As Skims continues to expand its product line, it has launched menswear in 2023, which includes tank tops, t-shirts, socks, and underwear. Also, the company has established global stores in prime spots and collaborated with fashion and sports celebrity designers.
How did Skims achieve $2 million profit on its initial launch?
Embracing the motto of less is more along with a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model, Skims developed urgency and scarcity. The sales growth accelerated, and the advertising spending on traditional media was cut down due to the good online presence of the brand, including social media influencer partnerships and advertising activities. The traffic volume in the first few minutes after the launch of the website was overwhelming, such that the site briefly collapsed. The initial stock ran out, nearly causing hype and awareness of the brand. Kim Kardashian and her personnel have been fast in restocking the shelves and meeting the demands of customers.
Including a wide selection of shaped wear sizes, varying between XXS and 5XL, and extending in different colors, to match various skin tones, Skims satisfied a need in the market. Clients with a desire to see a broader range of representation and well-designed, practical shapewear found a lot of their reflections in the interrelated concepts of comfort and inclusivity. Although its brands targeted people of different social statuses, they were all aimed at associating with purchase properties that referred to quality but were also friendly and low-priced, i.e., at less than $100. This pricing pattern attracted both identities and middle-market buyers.
What is the relationship between Skims and Israel?
There is little evidence that the brand takes any particular political stance, but the relations of Skims with Israel are largely due to the personal ownership of Kim Kardashian. Kim Kardashian has Jewish ancestry, and is of Armenian ethnicity; she has publicly expressed some support at times of Israel. Her conclusion on Israel has been sympathetic by not condemning any Israeli civilians and giving support to her Jewish friends and the community.
Although Skims has not made any official political declaration concerning the tussle between Israel and Palestine, statements made have given some individuals the impression that the brand is either on the same side as Israel or pro-Israel. Skims is a company of worldwide fashion, shapewear, and lifestyle, with major bases within the United States of America, even though it has some presence in other countries like the United Arab Emirates. It does not declare politics openly
towards Israel.
The advocacy and the comments that Kim Kardashian made on Israel have elicited relevant discussions and criticisms on some occasions. Some groups have called for boycotts, believing her actions favor Israel during the peak of the crisis. Consequently, despite not being explicitly pro-Israel, Skims is regularly mentioned in discussions of Kim Kardashian as an admirer of Israel, due to its connections to the former.
Boycott campaign against Skims
Since its founder is Kim Kardashian and because of her public statements and presumably political stance, the boycotting of Skims has been campaigned for by activists and customer groups who feel the practice supports Israel indirectly. During the Israel-Palestine conflict, certain pro-Palestinian groups and individuals have all proposed to boycott Skims, as part of a broader campaign of boycotting companies that they believe are part of or supportive of Israeli policy.
The reasons given to attack Skims are seen through comments made by Kim Kardashian to express her alliance with Israel, including her speech against Hamas and supporting Israel in times of war. Some of the internet campaigns have asked customers to boycott Skims products in opposition to what they consider the company is taking advantage of the situation in favor of Israeli interests.
Social media campaigns, posts on websites that are dedicated to boycotts, and appeals within activist circles to encourage shops to drop the brand have been included in the boycott efforts. Despite it, Skims remains a highly popular and profitable brand, and the number of its customers and their loyalty continue to grow worldwide, including expansion into the Middle East market. Skims and Kim Kardashian have not publicly commented on the boycott campaigns, even though the former has made general appeals to people to promote safety and peace to all the conflict-affected people. The campaign is part of a bigger battle within the fashion industry regarding political positioning, consumer pressure, and notoriety.
How is Skims supporting Israel?
The company does not actively sponsor any political view; however, Kim Kardashian showed her support of Israel in the press on multiple occasions. Kim Kardashian used her social media platform to demonstrate her condolences to her friends as well as the Israeli people following the bloody battle that took place in the region in October 2023. These words, and in particular her violent denunciation of Hamas terror strikes, have been seen as support for Israel. Due to her fame and her relations to Skims, which have made people see the company as having a subtle support of Israel, Kardashian has a strong influence. She has also called in the interest of promoting peace to all the innocent civilians without discrimination to a country and has also uttered humanitarian concern to all those affected by the violence. Certain pro-Palestinian groups have, however, lashed out at her comments, saying that she has not spoken out strongly enough against Israeli crimes committed against Palestinians.
Conclusion
Some of the groups have boycotted Skims over alleged support for Israel on top of the broad boycotts of any companies viewed to be supportive or affiliated with Israel. Kim Kardashian has equally made a clean and empathetic reply with universal freedom and peace.
