The Capitalist World of The Kardashians
Exploring the seemingly never-ending world of Kardashian-Jenner business ventures and posing the question, could the Capitalist mindset of the Kardashian's lead to their downfall?
It was only a matter of time before the Kardashian Jenners made their way onto my SubStack. I have briefly touched on Kylie in my previous post, but today we will be doing a full deep dive into the Capitalist World of The Kardashians + Jenners.
A family that has been accused of being famous for ‘doing nothing’ but have in 2024 a combined networth of $2 billion…so they must be doing something right. Today I will explore the never-ending businesses owned by the Kardashian Klan and why they could possibly be creating their own demise.
It is no secret that the Kardashians love money. They are entrepreneurs, all successful businesswomen and multi-millionaires/billionaires. The family live in a Capitalist bubble where they repeatedly reiterate how hard they work and how this idea was instilled in them at a very young age by their father the late Robert Kardashian and mother Kris Jenner. I would say this rhetoric is uttered most by Kim Kardashian, who is coincidently the richest out of all her sisters.
Kim, the second daughter of Robert and Kris, is often seen as the catalyst for the family’s success. Before she became a billionaire, fashion mogul and mother, Kim Kardashian was a stylist and closet organiser for celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Brandy. She hit mainstream media after her sex tape with rapper Ray-J was released.
Since then Kim has, extremely successfully, used this moment to catapult her and her family into stardom. While she is a polarising figure, many finding her either ‘pointless’ or ‘untalented’, Kim and her mother have been very smart and strategic with how they have tackled the business world.
Kim often spreads the message of ‘Working Hard’ and like I mentioned, says this is what was taught to her by her father. In 2022 whilst in an interview with her sisters for Variety, Kim gave very strong advice to ‘Women in Business’, “Get your fucking ass up and work. It seems like no one wants to work these days.”
Yeah…the woman whose networth is $1.7 billion and has grown up extremely wealthy, going to a private school in Beverly Hills is telling the women of the working world to work harder.
Obviously, this comment was tone-deaf and ridiculous and Kardashian has admitted to that. The most ironic part of the Variety clip isn’t Kim but it is Kourtney who replies “That is so true!”. If you are a ‘Kardashians on Hulu’ or were a ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ on E! watcher, you will know how adamant Kourtney has been about not working and just spending time with her kids. But anyway…
As I mentioned they are a family of entrepreneurs, however, public reaction to Kylie Jenner’s recent new businesses ‘KHY’, ‘Cosmic’ and ‘Sprinter’ have been interesting. Since November 2023, when Kylie’s new fashion brand KHY first launched, she has released 5 new drops of clothing. They have consisted of dresses, leather trenches, sweat sets, baby tees, hoodies and puffer jackets.
As well as all of the KHY drops, since November she has released her new perfume ‘Cosmic’, her Vodka Seltzer brand ‘Sprinter’ and an array of products for Kylie Cosmetics including Lip and Cheek balms, Precision Pout lip liners, Foundations, Concealers, Lip Butters, Powder Blush Sticks and Lip Glazes.
It is glaringly obvious that Kylie is attempting a full rebrand which is a story for another day. She is pumping product after product out which is causing fatigue amongst her fans and consumers. Recent comments on her Instagram from last night attest to this. After 20 years of products that have been connected to the Kardashian- Jenner family tree, it seems that audiences are getting tired.
A recent New York Times headline sparked this idea in my head, “Are You Buying What Kylie Jenner is Selling?”. Whilst the piece had little substance and was more a platform for Kylie to push that she is ‘growing up’ and is officially rebranding, their related headline reiterated the point I am making. It read, “Kylie Jenner has a new look and even more products.”
This encapsulates the Kardashians (and specifically Kim and Kylie) perfectly. They are consistently rebranding, changing their looks, wardrobes and interests and more often than not it is to sell a product. I believe that this system and way of working is what is going to lead to the downfall of the Kardashians, especially when it comes to business.
Kylie’s most successful brand stemmed from her insecurity around her lips. Before the world knew that she had gotten lip filler to enhance the size of her lips (quick call back to my previous post for all the details on this) she told everyone that it was her lip kits which she used to overline and fill them with.
In 2015 when Kylie was 17, she and Kris Jenner launched Kylie Cosmetics with Seed Partnerships. The $29 Lip Kits instantly sold out (partially due to scarcity marketing) but it was a real success. The following year in February 2016, the company had to expand its production and only 18 months after launching it had generated over $420 million.
The company launched at the perfect time during the era of MUA YouTube channels, the ‘full face’ makeup style and of course when everything Kylie recommended would sell out instantly. One of the reasons Kylie Cosmetics was so successful, was of course Kylie! The brand aligned with her perfectly and she was regularly using the products and really seemed to be involved with it.
This is another issue with the businesses she aligns with now. It is clear that she doesn’t use the products and if she does, many of the businesses don’t seem authentic because she has just jumped on a trend.
Many of The Kardashian brands seem to be quick fixes or ‘money grabs’ and not always a sustainable business. It has seemed to work so far for them, and I won’t discredit that. However, once public opinion turns on them it may be hard to switch it back.
Let’s take a trip back through history now so I can really drive home the point that The Kardashians have always been on a constant mission to make money and be popular. At the rate they have been going, I am surprised that they themselves are not tired of working. Before they began going on their separate endeavours, the three Kardashian sisters often worked together on their businesses.
Before there was SKIMS and Good American, the Kardashians ran a variety of ‘DASH’ boutique stores across America. Kourtney also ran ‘Smooch’ a baby clothes boutique with Kris whilst they started the show ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’. Both the stores have since closed, but they played a role in the early seasons of the show. I’ll be honest, I was desperate to visit the Dash Miami store so…they got me with that one.
During the early 2000s, it seemed like The Kardashians would sell almost anything! The women had clothing collections with Sears and Dorothy Perkins, called the Kardashian Kollection. In 2010 they opened a souvenir store called Kardashian Khaos in the Las Vegas hotel The Mirage. It sold all things Kardashian but did subsequently close in 2014. This is definitely a first I think for celebrity families and I don’t think I can knock it.
Before there were Balenciaga campaigns, Kim was the face of Sketchers ‘Shape-Ups’. Sketchers were actually sued for false advertising after the brand pushed the idea that the shoes were able to tone legs and glutes. Kim Kardashian even starred in a Super Bowl halftime ad where she ‘broke up’ with her trainer after she got her Shape-Ups. Continuing the theme of shoes, Kim also launched a shoe line with Shoedazzle.
The Kardashians were also sued when they collaborated with Ulta to launch Khroma Beauty. They were accused of stealing the name from other beauty brands and were forced to change the name to Kardashian Beauty. Sticking with this theme, the women also had a line with OPI Nail polish called Kardashian Kolours. They also had a fake tan brand called Kardashian Glamour Tan and a skincare line called ‘Perfect SkinTM.’
Before the era of Flat Tummy Tea and Ozempic, the Kardashians had a line of Quick Trim Diet Pills. Ah…the early 2000s was a terrible time.
Both Kim and Khloe launched fragrances, Khloe’s with her then-husband Lamar Odom called ‘Unbreakable’, and Kim’s called ‘Kim Kardashian Eau De Parfum’ and ‘Glam.’ Kim also had a jewellery line called ‘Belle Noel’ which is the most 2011 collection you’ll ever see.
The final Kardashian sister collaboration was the most iconic and possibly the worst idea ever (yes they can both be true), The Kardashian Kard. The prepaid debit card is notorious on Twitter for being so absurd. The fees that came with the card are part of the reason it was such a failure. They included $8 for the card itself, a $100 activation fee, an $8 monthly fee, a $10 activity fee, $1 to add funds and a $2 auto payment fee. I am certain whoever’s idea this was, was promptly fired, because…what??
Moving swiftly on, Kim struck gold when creating her app ‘Kim Kardashian Hollywood’ which was a cartoon game where an avatar would ‘live’ a similar extravagant Hollywood life to Kim Kardashian. The aim was to level up and become an A-Lister. It was a huge success, making $1.6 million in its first 5 days and $74 million in 6 months. It has only recently officially closed but caused a string of copycat apps from other celebrities. Kendall and Kylie had their own version launched soon after.
Kim also had another app called Kimoji which consisted of emojis and gifs that were based around her and her likeness. It launched in 2015 and was $2 to buy in the App Store. It was another venture that was relevant and trendy at the time but of course, is not running now. Another venture along the same lines was Kim’s coffee table book ‘Selfish’ which was just full of her selfies. This was actually very on-brand and sort of genius?
In the early-mid 2010’s Kim began venturing into her own businesses solo. Just after Kylie Cosmetics hit its peak, Kim launched her brand KKW Beauty. This was when I started to notice that the Kardashians were no longer helping each other be successful by working together, but instead seeing each other as competition.
Kim could’ve done a collaboration with Kylie Cosmetics like her other sisters did, but Kim wanted in on the lucrative beauty industry. The brand was successful enough since she was able to feign a story that she ‘created contouring’ so she pushed contouring brushes and palettes heavily. However, it just never aligned with her brand like Kylie Cosmetics did for Kylie. The brand sold makeup for a few years and then expanded into fragrances. She did market these well, especially a Valentine’s collection where she apparently sent them out to celebrities she had ‘public feuds’ with at the time.
Since her divorce, she has rebranded KKW since she is no longer Kim Kardashian West. The brand has a very minimalist aesthetic which emulates her house. Many people have compared the decor of Kim’s house to a prison or psychiatric facility since it has very little in it. However, she has hit back saying she has such a chaotic life, and that the lack of visual stimulation in her home brings her a lot of peace. I do admire that and appreciate the way her brand aligns with her real life. She (like Kylie) has expanded into Skincare as well, named SKKN by Kim.
One thing I’ll give the Kardashians…they do have some good names.
This is one of the examples where the brands begin to overlap with each other and it is almost like the family are cannibalising themselves. They are offering the same products just in different packaging, asking the consumers to pick their favourite sister. If you like Kylie more, you’re more inclined to purchase Kylie Skin. The products often speak less for themselves and are held up by whichever sister has attached her name to it.
The most successful Kardashian brand overtaking Kylie Cosmetics is without a doubt SKIMS. Kim’s brand began with underwear and shape-wear and has since branched out into general clothes such as dresses, loungewear, t-shirts, sweat suits, pyjamas and leggings. The brand officially launched in 2018 and is now worth a whopping $4 billion. As I mentioned before, the brands often do best when they have a story and are closely linked to the image that the public associates with each sister.
Kim’s body and her unique figure are part of her brand. She initially launched the brand as someone who had been altering clothes for years due to the lack of inclusive shape-wear for her size. It was a genius idea and has completely taken off around the world. Like Kylie did with Kylie Cosmetics, the brand uses scarcity marketing so the products are regularly sold out. They have even inspired a huge range of copycat ‘Skims Dupes’ across high street and department stores. This has only made the brand even more famous.
An important factor of SKIMS and its success is that it stands up without Kim. She isn’t always in ads and in fact, the marketing is another reason why it is doing well. The SKIMS marketing team use athletes, singers, actors, actresses, models and generally high-profile people who will bring an influx of eyes. They are coming up close to the legacy of other lingerie brands like Fenty by Rihanna and Victoria's Secret. Their ads and launches certainly do better the VS in recent years and I wouldn’t be surprised if they expand into a runway show next.
Moving onto Khloe Kardashian, who has the most random business ventures I have discussed so far. Khloe has been a producer on multiple true crime tv shows including ‘Twisted Sisters’ and ‘Twisted Love’ both about the stories of either sisters that have become killers or lovers who have become killers. Random? In 2016, Khloe had her own talk show named ‘Kocktails with Khloe’. This was only on air for one season but was apparently a success.
The two businesses that fit Khloe and her brand the best were her TV show ‘Revenge Body’ and her fashion/jeans brand ‘Good American’. Khloe has publicly discussed her journey with weight and fitness at length so her 3 season TV show that was centered around other people’s journey with their weight made sense. It wasn’t a success like KUWTK was but I was definitely partial to an episode back in 2017.
Khloe’s biggest success has been her jean company ‘Good American’, it was created as a solution for Khloe and other women like her who struggled to find jeans that would be comfortable, affordable and would fit their figure. The only issue I have is that Good American have added t-shirts, tank tops, bodysuits and more. These are of course all sold on SKIMS and now on KHY.
In 2022 the brand had made $200 million in revenue. Whenever the brands have a story and a connection, the numbers often do better.
Kourtney Kardashian is the sister who is the least entrepreneurial but is still inclined to a business. I mean…what else would she do all day if she didn’t have one?
Kourtney has a lifestyle blog named ‘Poosh’ which she launched in 2019. It fits her brand since she has always aligned herself with ‘Healthy Living and Wellness’, which is what the website largely pushes. She has continued this website and now expanded into the Wellness Gummie world with Lemme.
Lemme Gummies sells a variety of 8 gummies subscriptions and also some health drops. They have obviously added ‘Merch’, because, of course, we need another sweatshirt/sweatpant variant from the Kardashians. Anyway, I haven’t tried these but have watched some TikTok reviews and I would definitely encourage anyone who wants to buy them to research into the ingredients…
She also has some bath bombs and oils that are part of her husband Travis Barker’s business, Barker Wellness.
Unlike her sisters, she hasn’t opened any clothing brands but instead has collaborated with fast fashion brands BooHoo and Pretty Little Thing. I’m sure Kourtney, who’s net worth is $65 million, is regular wearing these collections…
The end is near everyone. Only Kendall and Kylie remain.
Like the early Kardashian days, Kendall and Kylie often marketed businesses together. They had a clothing line called Kendall + Kylie which launched in 2012 and was added to stores worldwide. It wasn’t a household name but it was a good stepping stone for the sisters into the fashion world. They haven’t released anything new since 2018 but you can often find some pieces from the collections floating around in TKMax.
The two also ‘wrote’ a Dystopian fantasy book called Rebels: City of Indra and later released the sequel Time of The Twins. I wonder if they really ever read those books?
Kendall has the least businesses of the family. This is probably down to the fact that for most of her 20’s she was a full-time runway and editorial model. However, during the pandemic, she wasn’t working as much (obviously) and she launched her first solo business ‘818 Tequila’. The brand launched in 2021 and is named after the area code of Calabasas where Kendall and most of her family live.
The marketing of the brand is impressive and fits the aesthetic of Kendall herself, so it feels authentic. Unlike Kylie and her vodka seltzer brand Sprinter, 818 makes sense for Kendall since the ‘model party lifestyle’ was what much of the public associated her with. The brand has since pivoted towards a ‘desert, horse chic’ now which is also what people associate her with.
It has been successful, especially since according to the IWSR “US tequila consumption rose 27% in 2021 and is expected to surpass vodka sales by 2023, putting tequila on track to be the US’s most-purchased spirits sectors.” They hit the market at the right time and it has started spilling out of the US and moving worldwide. They market the brand well, having pop-up events across US college campuses, and festivals like Coachella and Revolve Fest. At almost every event Kendall has a bottle in hand, so I am inclined to believe she does regularly drink the tequila.
In 2019 Kendall launched Moon, a dental hygiene company. It is less ‘her brand’ and she is typically just used as the face. They have teeth-whitening pens, toothpaste, toothbrushes and whitening devices.
Let’s finally wrap up the large capitalist web of businesses.
Kylie has launched two side businesses alongside Kylie Cosmetics, Kylie Baby and Kylie Swim. Kylie Swim (a swimsuit brand) has been discontinued after its launch in 2021 due to the poor quality and influx of bad reviews. Kylie Baby is still available on her website but since she has been pivoting away from the ‘young mom’ brand, hasn’t had any new drops.
Kylie is also a stakeholder in ‘Glow Water’, a drink that apparently helps you ‘glow from within’. She is regularly seen pushing the product on her Instagram and TikTok but the #Ad does discredit a lot of what the product represents.
Kylie also launched a collection of hair extensions in 2014 with Bellami Hair. I have no idea if anyone bought the half-black, half-green hair extensions but I guess it was the vibe at the time?
Kim also is a stakeholder in a private equity firm ‘SKKY Partners’ with Jay Sammons. I can’t really explain this because I have literally no idea how private equity works…but it must be helping Kim make her millions somehow.
Kris Jenner is of course a partner in every one of these businesses so is really the brains behind all of the success. She is all of the sister’s manager as well as having her own cleaning line, Safely. Another random one.
I am sure you are exhausted reading all of these and trust me, so am I.
I’m sure in a year, there will be new businesses from this family and let’s be honest the products won’t be unique. However, the Kardashians have made enough money and have enough contacts in the business world to continue churning more products out.
I do believe that this isn’t sustainable and online, the public reaction to product drops is not good and is definitely not like it used to be. Eventually, society will find a new celebrity family to obsess over.
The Kardashians are cannibalising themselves from the inside and that is what will be their downfall.
P.S. Rob Kardashian (often forgotten) does have a socks and hot sauce brand. Just to note, lots of love Rob!