It seems that the Kardashian-Jenner household has moved on from beauty and skincare and has now turned their gaze towards expanding their stake within another, familiar industry; fashion and apparel. This is not necessarily a step in a new direction as the family has many businesses and ties to fashion since their earlier days of owning the Dash boutiques and collaborating with Sears on their Kardashian Kollection, both of which are now defunct. Khloe is currently the co-founder of Good American, an apparel brand that captures the body positivity movement and serves it fast fashion style for all body types (and really nice jeans apparently!), while sister Kim is also a co-founder of SKIMS, another body inclusive brand that focuses more on underwear and loungewear. Both companies are valued well into the billions and look to grow even more come 2024, with Good American making over $200 million in 2022 and SKIMS making around $475 million the same year. However, the newest edition to the long list of ventures, Khy by Kylie Jenner, has only just launched 2 weeks ago and is already causing quite a bit of controversy and creating ill feelings surrounding the ethos of the brand. Between claims of plagiarism, the irregular sizing of the clothes themselves, and the rumors of her WSJ Brand Innovator award, Khy may soon fall into the same well of obscurity as her previous venture Kylie Swim.
Khy by Kylie Jenner, launched November 1st, is much like the aforementioned companies in that it offers stylish options at a “reasonable price”, with Kylie taking a minimalistic, fast fashion approach to casual clothing & athleisure. The price ranges from $42 for a t-shirt to $198 for coats (trench & puffer) and the brand has had two ‘drops’ thus far, with the first being a Namilia collab of all black with faux leather styles while the second adds in blues and whites and presents them in puffer offerings in conjunction with entire studios. Though the clothes themselves are simple in design and construction, the prices do seem to be inflated to account for the name attached. In my personal opinion both the style and price point of the clothing items are reminiscent of American Apparel in its prime, but they have also been compared to the likes of Kanye West’s Yeezy as well. This may not be good however, as it speaks to the brand’s lack of identity already as an option for fast fashion, with little inspiration or newness. Which brings me to the first issue; the clothes themselves. Though the brand seems to be very in line with its mission statement of offering ‘modern fashion for everyone, the current selection is simple at best with only a few select items that stand out, such as the Faux Leather trench coat and a sculpted puffer coat in a beautiful blue. Outside of these select pieces, much of what you can find on the brand page can be found elsewhere at cheaper prices and higher quality. People have also stated that Kylie is only adding to a big issue that is taking over the fashion industry right now, and that’s the influx of fast fashion and over consumption. Consumers are constantly buying trendy items at a lower cost but made with cheaper materials that last shorter life spans and end up in landfills. The material of the faux leather looks have been called into question due to the quality of material used for the ‘leather’ look and polyester lining of the garments, and the sizing seems to be the biggest issue when looking through reviews of the pieces. Some have noted that the clothing is not as friendly to all shapes and body sizes as the the aforementioned Kardashian companies Good American & SKIMS also. And though these are indeed collaborations, it is evident that the selection does not push the boundaries in terms of construction or design in any way. The marketing is on par with what one would expect from a Jenner company (“give me nothing”) and the models, though diverse in skin tones, are not diverse when showcasing different body types with the clothes on. It may lead one to believe that maybe the collections are not for all body types, and that a disclaimer should be posted stating that the clothes don’t come with the body included.
This then brings us to the issue of plagiarism. As mentioned before, Khy has been likened to Yeezy in terms of showing and as such, has garnered criticism due to her ties with parties involved with the entity. Speculations and rumors have circulated around the conception of Khy, and these only fueled the flames of unoriginality. However like most ventures the Kardashians and Jenners embark upon, allegations were put into the stratosphere of Kylie Jenner ripping off a small brand owner, this time by a brand tastefully titled PRODUCTS’ by Betsy Johnson (iconic name). Johnson, coincidentally a Kanye West & Playboi Carti muse, alleges that she sent off concepts and information to Kylie Jenner’s team only for them to utilize it for themselves without giving the creative director credit. This is not the first time that the Kardashian-Jenner household has been accused of copying and/or stealing from smaller creatives. Some instances coming off as merely coincidences and speculations while others stick more due to the accumulated evidence. In Johnson’s case, her proximity to Kanye’s label as well as her collaborations with said label and Balenciaga, a brand Kylie is also in close proximity with, is what supports her claims. Though it is doubted that Kylie copied Johnson on her designs, there can be likeness found in the concept of both brands, as Khy does seem to follow a similar structure as PRODUCTS’ in collaborating with other fashion entities to produce a line of elevated & conceptual basics for consumers. This is not a novel idea however from either party involved, however communication and language exchanged between the two have had people speculating.
Oh but the buzz and hype around Khy did not end there. On November 1st the Wall Street Journal Magazine held their annual Innovator Awards ceremony in NYC, New York, where Kylie won the Brand Innovator of the Year award for her brand Khy, which at that point in time had not been available for public consumption but for a few hours. Her nomination in the category was already scrutinized by the public due to Khy not being launched fully as a company at the time, but Kylie winning the award left a bad taste for many people, particularly those within the fashion community. Those privy to the situation allege that the entire thing was a PR heaven, with publicity boosted for Kylie, her brand Khy, and the Wall Street Journal. The designs nor the craftsmanship of Khy’s clothing are innovative, and the material and fit leave a lot to be desired for consumers. The concept of collaborating with other fashion names within the industry is not new in the slightest either. The brand itself has been called out for plagiarism, however that is hard to prove because the offerings are so simple and akin to a plethora of other styles carried by other brands. In essence, there is nothing novel about Kylie’s idea, and yet she has been awarded a Wall Street Journal Magazine award for being an innovator because of her brand that just launched the same day. Why? The mission was accomplished in that people are now talking about both Kylie’s company and the Wall Street Journal. However the stunt only lended to the whisperings of Khy being inauthentic and impractical while diminishing the integrity of the Wall Street Journal awards as well. Though there were plenty of actual innovators that would have appreciated the award and deserved it as well, Kylie’s accolade cannot be stripped from her and WSJ’s decision from a marketing perspective was perfect. It means more eyes on the company, more attention to their ward show, and potentially more site visits and money. This also verifies Kylie’s endeavor and solidifies her business acumen, allowing Khy to stand more as it’s own fashion entity within an already crowded industry. It’s a win win situation. There has been a bit of bitterness surrounding the subject since the ceremony, but mostly from fashion influencers and fashion lovers alike.
It’ll be interesting to see the trajectory of Khy and where Ms. Jenner decides to take it and who she collaborates with next. Although there is definitely a market for her brand, many have shied away from purchasing or have shut down the idea altogether due to the Kardashian-Jenner history with self-created brands and the dissension about Khy within its two weeks of availability to the public. This does not stop the media mogul however, or her sales for that matter either. Most items from her two fashion line drops have already sold out, and it was reported within the first hour of launch that the site made $1 million dollars. Kylie will continue to sell anything she attaches her name to, and that is evident even when it comes to fashion. Let us hope in the future the company is not plagued with any further scandals that may tarnish their reputation, though I’m sure for a little publicity it’ll be worth it to them. Let me know your thoughts on Kylie Jenner’s fashion line Khy and if you’ll be purchasing any pieces from her collections.
Name Is Kanem 
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