them on their future in-store execution,” Bridget Veals, David Jones’ general manager of womenswear and accessories, told Inside Retail.  Starting this month, David Jones will offer an extensive range of Skims underwear, shapewear and loungewear in select stores and online, including the Seamless Sculpt, Core Control, Cozy Collection, Fits Everybody, Stretch Rib and Sleep Jersey collections.  While Australian consumers can already buy these items from Skims’ global e-commerce site, this will be the first time they can touch or try on items before purchasing. Veals expects it to drive both David Jones customers and Skims fans into stores.  “Intimates and underwear are items we know our customers like to purchase in-store to find the perfect fit, so […] we expect to see many of our customers trying the brand for the first time, now that it’s possible,” she said.  David Jones staff will receive specialised training from Skims to provide customers with expert fit and style advice. Going forward, the retailer will receive new drops with new styles and colours each month. It will be the exclusive stockist for Skims in Australia. In addition to David Jones, Nordstrom and Selfridges, Skims is also sold on luxury e-commerce sites Net-A-Porter, Ssense and Ounass, an online shopping platform in the Middle East. Why Skims is a billion-dollar brand Skims’ increased investment in physical retail follows its latest Series A funding round in April, which raised US$154 million and lifted the brand’s valuation to US$1.6 billion, cementing its unicorn status.  According to Rosanna Iacono, managing partner of strategy consultancy The Growth Activists, there are three key factors driving Skims’ success. “Firstly, there’s the undeniable celebrity pulling-power of Kim Kardashian West. Her younger sister Kylie Jenner achieved a comparable valuation with her beauty business before selling to Coty, so there is a proven model there, so to speak,” Iacono told Inside Retail.  “Secondly, Kardashian West’s business partner in Skims, Jens Grede, has a successful track record as an apparel entrepreneur. He is also the founder of Frame denim, a successful fashion brand in its own right.  “And a third key success factor is that the way the brand is positioned, around inclusivity and diversity – it really taps into a gen Z and Millennial zeitgeist moment.” Kardashian West has said she was inspired to start Skims due to her own struggles finding shapewear to fit her body, and the brand has been available in a wide range of sizes and colours since launch. It currently offers XXS to 5XL and nine different shades of nude.  “We are setting new standards by providing solutions for every body,” the Skims website states.  But while the brand has largely been praised for its body positive products and messaging on social media, it drew backlash when it was first announced as ‘Kimono’. Kardashian West changed the name to Skims after receiving complaints that it was culturally insensitive.  Veals said the buying team at David Jones is increasingly taking inclusivity into account when ranging new and existing brands and is committed to continuing to evolve its brand mix and collections.  “The breadth of styles, sizes and colours available in the Skims range certainly meet these goals, and make for a very strong addition to our intimates and fashion offer,” she said.  The department store has recently expanded its size-inclusive ranges to include new offerings from Reformation, Tommy Hilfiger, City Chic and Forever New Curve. But while David Jones’ decision to stock an inclusive brand like Skims may earn it points with some consumers, others may question the environmental impact. “One can’t help wondering, with consumers also pushing for more sustainable choices, whether instead of backing a global juggernaut with a significant supply chain footprint, whether there might have been a local version of Skims for David Jones to support instead,” Iacono said. “The tipping point has not yet been reached where sustainability will trump celebrity-hype, but as it draws nearer we’ll likely see buying strategies continue to evolve.”