The Kardashian's Brilliant Business Partner: Emma Grede

 

Image Credit: Shark Tank

Grede has been the CEO of Good American since 2016, and she recently took on the additional role of chief product officer for Kim Kardashian's clothing and shapewear line Skims, which will launch in 2019. In just six years, she has grown Good American from a $90 million startup to a $130 million powerhouse projected to hit $200 million in 2022. Good American, which first debuted as a denim business but now sells a wide variety of clothing, was the first company to have various models of varying body types wearing its items on its site. At Good American, Grede is in charge of a hundred employees, but at Skims, she's only concerned with the quality of the products. (Skims is expected to earn roughly $400 million in revenue this year.)

Being well-versed in talent marketing, she was well-suited to join forces with some of the world's most well-known and influential women entrepreneurs. Grede, a Brit who relocated to Los Angeles with her American husband and four kids, contends that Good American and Skims aren't celebrity brands despite their widespread popularity.

    Image Credit: Fashionista

Grede studied Business Management and Marketing from 1997 to 2001 at the London College of Fashion. She began her work as a producer at Inca Productions, and then, in 2006, she moved to the multi-media fashion marketing agency Saturday Group. Grede, then 24 years old, launched the talent management and marketing agency ITB Worldwide in 2008 and has since worked with such notable designers as Vivienne Westwood, Christopher Kane, Dior, and Alexander Wang. A CEO at ITB since 2010, the company was purchased by Rogers & Cowan in 2018. She was named chairman of ITB after Good American's 2018 launch. However, she resigned from that position after the firm was acquired.

Khloé Kardashian is a businesswoman and media personality who shot to fame thanks to her appearances on the E! reality series "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," which premiered in 2007. The reality shows that Kardashian and her family star in have featured Kardashian's efforts at Good American. She has written her book and co-written another with her sisters, as well as produced her reality program (Revenge Body), two lines of cosmetics (Kardashian Glow and Kardashian Beauty), and an iPhone app (Khloé Kardashian). The three Kardashian sisters opened a Dash boutique in Los Angeles in 2006; it was shut down for good in 2018.

Good American, with headquarters in Los Angeles, promotes body positivity and acceptance through its designs. The company stocks size 00 through 24. In 2018, the company saw that a size 15 was needed because returns were primarily 14s and 16s. Also, that year, the company branched out from just making jeans to making activewear and other apparel. It markets its wares via an online store and select retailers such as Nordstrom and Selfridges.

Grede resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Jens Grede, and their two children. She is on the board of directors for Women International and the organization that helps infants and toddlers, Baby2Baby. 

About Author

Annabel Joseph Jnr is a professional Beauty and Fashion Writer who loves to write about style, beauty, and anything related to celebrities.