Skims creates two new C-suite roles as it professionalises its leadership

Skims has elevated Kim Schraub to chief brand officer and named Erin Magee as chief design officer, marking the first time either role has existed at the shapewear and apparel company founded by Kim Kardashian and Jens Grede. Both appointments reflect a business moving from founder-led scrappiness towards a more conventional corporate structure, with dedicated executive ownership of brand strategy and product design as the company scales.

The timing is notable given Skims' rapid international expansion, its growing roster of celebrity and athlete collaborations, and its move into new categories beyond shapewear, including menswear and swim. A company built substantially on founder visibility and viral marketing moments needs institutional structure to sustain growth once it outgrows what a small founding team can oversee directly. Formalising brand and design leadership suggests Skims is preparing for further scale, whether through new product lines, wider retail distribution or eventual public market ambitions.

The appointments also signal to the wider direct-to-consumer and celebrity-founded brand sector that longevity requires depth beyond the founder's personal brand. Many businesses built on a founder's social media following struggle to translate that attention into durable systems and teams. Skims' willingness to create senior, defined executive roles around brand and design suggests its leadership sees the next phase of growth as requiring more disciplined execution rather than reliance on cultural moments alone. What to watch is how these appointments shape Skims' product roadmap and whether further C-suite hires follow as the company continues to expand globally.

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