The Grede’s were actively involved in the incubation of Khy, but transitioned full leadership control of the brand to Kylie a year after launch, according to the brand. Kylie controls the company, and the brand continues to grow under her creative direction and leadership. (Khy declined to share revenues and is yet to be valued publicly, but the brand made $1 million in the first hour after its launch in 2023.)
Jenner’s first venture, Kylie Cosmetics, launched in 2015, speaks to her personal brand power. She sold a 51% stake in the company to Coty in 2020 for $600 million, valuing the business at $1.2 billion, which reportedly minted Jenner as a billionaire, aged just 22. While she remains heavily involved in that business, as beauty’s boom era slowed, the brand and its parent company have faced some headwinds in recent years, like many maturing beauty labels.
When asked what’s different about running a fashion label to a beauty brand, Jenner says: “I’ve learned a lot from Kylie Cosmetics that I’ve implemented here. Team-building, listening to your customer, attention to detail. It’s really similar actually.”
Building Khy with collaborations first has taught Jenner a lot about running a fashion business, before striking out and building collections with her new team. “Being able to go into these other designers’ worlds and learn has been amazing,” she says. “I learned the importance of listening to your community, never rushing a collection out, quality, paying attention to fabrics.” She took this mantra seriously during the refresh process, not hesitating to move things back if she felt like the refresh wasn’t quite ready.
Alongside its new drop, available to shop on April 28, Khy will have a fresh look on socials, a newly designed website, and a revamped logo, which is slightly more futuristic. “It’ll feel visually different. I am most excited about our approach with photography,” Jenner says. “It has a very cinematic feel, we’re using new photographers and new models.” She found the campaign’s photographer on a Kylie Cosmetics shoot a few years ago, and brought him onto the project, to give a fresh approach.
Jenner mentions the Khy store a few times throughout our conversation, and while it remains a North Star for building out the brand identity, there are no solid plans for now. “Definitely, in the near future I would love a store. I am looking forward to doing more events, creating more moments, and then a store,” Jenner explains. “That’s the next challenge after this.”
In five or 10 years from now, Jenner’s ambitions for Khy are pretty clear. “I would love to see more stores,” she says. “I’d love to see our world grow and thrive. I want my [customers] to be happy. I wanted timeless pieces that people can go back to. That’s the goal.”
