Kim Kardashian West is on the cover of the latest edition of Business of Fashion's special beauty report on the $500 billion global beauty industry. T
Kim Kardashian West is on the cover of the latest edition of Business of Fashion’s special beauty report on the $500 billion global beauty industry. The fashion and beauty mogul talks about her work ethic, the reality show that brought her and her family fame, Keeping Up With The Kardashian and the never-ending content creation that fuels the Kardashian juggernaut. The 37 year old also talks about her life as a mother, public figure and hardworking businesswoman, a social media mega influencer who also lends her modeling services for Kanye West’s Yeezy collections, Calvin Klein and a host of other big brands.
Her beauty line raked in an estimated turnover of more than $100 million in revenue in its first year, which sits alongside her other income from brand endorsements, a television series. It’s not hard to see that the public figure has her sights set on an empire. An unstoppable force, the mother of three shares a few tips on how to build a successful business.
Using social media
While Kim Kardashian West is better-known for her appearances on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, it’s her social media presence that catapulted her to a household name. She opens up on the benefits of social media and its potential outreach.
“With social media these days, you can really start your own business, [and] market it and promote it in the way that you want to. Obviously, the more you post, the more attention it gets. It’s a fine line of flooding your account, though. When I have a launch coming up that I’m really excited about it, I love my campaign images so I’ll post a lot. Then sometimes I’ll look back at my page and I [be] like, wait, there’s so much content.
Owning your brand
The Kardashian name is highly coveted and she shares of how one can keep complete control of one’s brand name.
“I’ve transitioned from having everything in license deals, where you just basically get your list of requirements that have to be fulfilled and you do them and I’m very happy to do them but it’s a completely different game when every last detail is yours. I see how much work goes into owning a brand yourself, instead of just being a licensee. There is power in having the evolution of owning my own businesses and starting from the ground up and really figuring it out.
Securing legitimate deals
Kim Kardashian West addresses the importance of not only owning your brand but understanding the legal parameters around doing so.
“I’m so happy that I did not license my name in like a 10-year deal or something crazy. I never did long term. I know people had wanted to do like 12-year deals, so these crazy deals that people want to do and license your name, and at the time you think there’s nothing on the horizon that’s better, and give in and a lot of people don’t believe in themselves enough. That’s something that I’m so proud of my husband for. He’s always believed in himself so much, that he’s never given up his name or business.
On staying head strong
In 2016, reports surfaced that Kim Kardashian West was the victim of a gun robbery in Paris. While not strictly related to her business matters, the experience did affect how the star approached her social media platforms and public image.
“It was supposed to happen to me. I was supposed to learn a lot from that. [Those] little signs along the way, you really do have to pay attention. And for me that made me a better person morally and just for the things that are important to me; how I’m going to raise my kids or just what I care to show. I’m really cautious of all of that now. I don’t really post in real time anymore. I just don’t like people knowing my every move. You have to be a strong person to just handle all the negative comments and the negative energy that comes your way, because if you put yourself out there, [it’s] the nature of the internet [that] everyone’s going to want to hate. That trolling energy that everyone puts out there, that negative energy, is really hard to deal with. It’s really, really tough.
Be forward thinking
In an age of ever-changing trends and interests, trying to stay ahead of the curve can often be an arduous task. What’s good to know is that Kim views herself and workload like anyone else and aims to see the positive in her practice.
“I think hard work pays off. And I just want the product to speak for itself. It’s a lot. Doing this all year round, there’s so much pressure, because you’re the only person that you can really go to if you mess up and you cannot mess up, or the internet will not let you forget. I’m learning stuff still with my brand. There’s so much more that you know and when you start learning more you get so much more passionate about it and you fall so much more in love with it. You just want to make sure that you know you’re doing the best that you can.”
Read the full interview on Business of Fashion
