Emma Grede has co-founded two of the biggest celebrity-backed fashion brands of the last decade and she's the one doing the actual business part. Good American, which she launched with Khloé Kardashian in 2016, and SKIMS, which she co-founded with Kim Kardashian. Both of those brands took off in a massive way.
She grew up in London, studied at the London College of Fashion, and worked in the fashion industry before making the jump to building her own companies. Good American launched with a focus on inclusive sizing, offering denim and activewear in sizes 00 to 24. That wasn't just a marketing angle, it was central to the brand's identity, and it resonated with people. The line did $1 million in sales on its first day.
What makes Emma different from a lot of celebrity brand co-founders is that she's clearly the operational brains behind these ventures. She understands supply chain, she understands retail distribution, she understands brand positioning. The Kardashian association brings the eyeballs, but Grede is the one turning that attention into a real business.
On Shark Tank she brings fashion and consumer brand expertise that's very current. She's building businesses right now, in real time, not coasting on something she did twenty years ago. She understands DTC, social media marketing, influencer partnerships, and what today's consumers actually want. When a fashion or lifestyle brand comes into the tank, she's probably the most qualified person to evaluate it.
A few things worth knowing:
- Co-founded Good American with Khloé Kardashian, focused on inclusive sizing
- Co-founded SKIMS with Kim Kardashian
- Good American did $1 million in sales on launch day
- Brings current, hands-on fashion industry experience to the Shark Tank panel