In a nutshell
A hyper-controlled, tonal and body-conscious flagship that uses Fifth Avenue scale and theatre to legitimise Skims as a full lifestyle brand, translating social-media intimacy into a physical environment where product, mirrors and mannequins quietly do the selling. Not everythings gels, and areas are more polished than others, but the sheer range of the brand and its ambitions is clear to the thronging customers.
In their words
"This flagship is a dream realised for Skims. We've created a space that perfectly embodies our brand and elevates the customer experience. New York City has always held a special place in my heart, and opening our first flagship here during the holidays is truly magical." - Kim Kardashian, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer.
Brand Background
Skims was founded in 2019 by Kim Kardashian and entrepreneur Jens Grede with the stated aim of redefining shapewear as “solutionswear” - comfortable, inclusive underpinnings designed for everyday wear rather than red-carpet fantasy.
At launch the brand offered nine skin-tone shades and sizes from XXS to 5X, with price parity across sizes, positioning inclusivity and function as core product principles.
Within its first year Skims reported more than USD 145 million in revenue and has since expanded into loungewear, swimwear and menswear, while building a powerful drop-driven merchandising engine and high-profile collaborations with partners such as The North Face, Fendi, Nike and the NBA.
By late 2023 Skims was widely cited as one of modern retail’s standout success stories, approaching USD 1 billion in annual sales and later achieving valuations of USD 4 to 5 billion through major funding rounds led by institutional investors including Wellington Management and Lone Pine Capital. Analysts highlight a business model that combines celebrity reach, tight control of product storytelling and disciplined assortment architecture, with Skims often used as a case study in how to scale a direct-to-consumer brand without over-relying on performance marketing.
The Fifth Avenue flagship, which opened in December 2024 near Rockefeller Center in the former Versace space next to the Cartier Mansion, is both a symbolic and operational pivot in Skims’ growth.
Visit Field notes
Designed by Rafael de Cárdenas Ltd, the store occupies a historic stone-fronted building and spans multiple levels: women’s clothing and loungewear at entry, a mezzanine lounge for dwell-time and views, underwear and shapewear on the second level, and menswear and collaboration product - including the widely covered The North Face capsules - higher up.
Interior design is deliberately aligned with Skims’ visual codes: a nude and monochrome palette, rounded-edge fixtures, monolithic display plinths and custom mannequins in the brand’s signature tonal shades, all described by press as an “immersive” yet tightly edited environment that lets product and silhouette take centre stage. Kim Kardashian has characterised the store’s aesthetic in interviews as “high gloss mixed with monochromatic colours and materials and different textures, and everything is embossed like our logos,” underlining the intent to create a premium, recognisably Skims look on one of the world’s most scrutinised retail streets.
Checkout
The flagship as a key lever in Skims’ shift from primarily digital and wholesale (notably Nordstrom shop-in-shops) towards a network of owned stores.
CEO Jens Grede has described physical locations as “probably our single biggest growth lever,” arguing that the main barrier to further growth is not demand but insufficient physical availability where customers live and travel. The Skims store inhabits a space where hard luxury and ultra-technical materials (Arc'teryx, Alo, North Face, Nike) co-habit.
The flagship allows its product to take centre stage, emphasising long sightlines, mirrored fitting rooms, and a focus on service that supports trying on and mixing categories across shapewear, basics, and ready-to-wear, rather than driving quick transactions.
The rear wall displays are similar to those at Los Angeles Apparel (stacked grids of mannequin torsos), but here they serve to show the range of sizes, styles and skin tones.
Other Reading
- Store page - https://skims.com/pages/skims-nyc-flagship
- Visual Merchandising and Store Design (VMSD)'s review of the use of mannequins, surface finishes in the store.
- Dezeen on the store's design.
- Retail Dive on Skims' $5bn valuation.
- Fashion United's review of the store's opening in December 2024.
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