SKIMS Is Coming to India: What Kim Kardashian’s Shapewear Empire Means for India’s Booming Market

SKIMS is coming to India, bringing Kim Kardashian’s globally recognised shapewear and lifestyle label into one of the world’s fastest-growing premium consumer markets. The brand has partnered with Reliance Brands Limited, with its first Indian stores planned for Mumbai and Delhi alongside digital availability.

The arrival is about more than another international fashion label opening stores in India. SKIMS is entering a market where lingerie and shapewear are becoming increasingly visible, consumers are discovering global brands through social media, and younger shoppers are increasingly willing to spend on products that combine comfort, aesthetics and personal identity.

India’s shapewear market itself is projected by Grand View Research to grow from an estimated $110.5 million in 2026 to $202.6 million by 2033, representing a projected compound annual growth rate of 9%.

That gives SKIMS a substantial opportunity. But the bigger question is whether India’s consumers will embrace the brand at its international positioning and pricing, or whether established Indian players can use the arrival of a global celebrity label to strengthen their own propositions.

What is SKIMS and why is its India launch significant?

Founded in 2019 by Kim Kardashian and Jens Grede, SKIMS began with a focus on underwear and shapewear before expanding into loungewear, clothing, menswear and other categories. The brand built its identity around body-conscious clothing, extensive sizing and neutral-toned essentials while using Kardashian’s enormous cultural influence to generate global attention.

Its expansion into India will be operated by Reliance Brands across physical and digital channels, beginning with Mumbai and Delhi.

The partnership also fits into Reliance Retail’s wider strategy of bringing high-profile international fashion and beauty names to Indian consumers. Its portfolio already includes brands such as Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin, Stella McCartney and Valentino.

For SKIMS, meanwhile, India offers something more valuable than another international sales territory: a huge consumer base increasingly connected to global fashion culture through smartphones and social platforms.

Why India is becoming attractive for shapewear brands

Shapewear is no longer restricted to the traditional image of uncomfortable undergarments worn only beneath formal dresses.

The category has increasingly moved towards everyday clothing, smoothing garments, bodysuits, supportive underwear, sculpting shorts, leggings and pieces designed to work underneath a wider range of outfits.

That evolution is important in India because fashion consumption is changing at several levels simultaneously.

• Consumers are increasingly discovering fashion trends through Instagram, YouTube and other digital platforms.
• Premium fashion is becoming more accessible through e-commerce.
• Young consumers are increasingly interested in international brands.
• Comfort is becoming as important as appearance in everyday clothing.
• Body-conscious silhouettes have become increasingly common in global fashion.
• Consumers are becoming more comfortable discussing lingerie and intimate apparel online.

Market research also points towards continued growth. Grand View Research estimates India’s shapewear market could almost double between 2026 and 2033.

SKIMS is therefore arriving when the category itself is expanding rather than trying to create demand from scratch.

SKIMS is selling more than shapewear

The cleverest part of the SKIMS business model is that the product is only one part of the proposition.

The brand has successfully connected shapewear with celebrity culture, social-media aesthetics, body confidence and modern luxury. Instead of presenting shapewear purely as a corrective garment, SKIMS has helped make it part of an aspirational wardrobe.

That positioning changes the consumer conversation.

A customer is not necessarily buying a garment simply because she wants to hide a perceived imperfection. She may be buying it because she wants a particular silhouette under a dress, wants support, prefers the fabric or likes the visual language associated with the brand.

This distinction is particularly relevant in India, where the cultural conversation around body image is changing rapidly.

The body-inclusivity promise will face its biggest test in India

SKIMS has built much of its identity around inclusive sizing and offering products designed for different body shapes. That message has helped distinguish it from older shapewear brands associated with restrictive beauty standards.

But entering India introduces a more complicated question: what does body inclusivity mean across one of the world’s most physically and culturally diverse consumer populations?

Indian consumers are not a single body type, fashion preference or shopping demographic. Differences in height, proportions, climate, lifestyle, regional fashion and cultural expectations can influence how intimate apparel fits and how it is worn.

For SKIMS, this means size availability alone may not be enough.

Fit will matter enormously.

A product can technically be available in many sizes while still failing consumers if the cut, proportions or support do not work well for different body shapes.

The Indian launch therefore offers SKIMS an opportunity to move from global inclusivity to local relevance.

Indian brands are not starting from zero

One of the easiest mistakes would be to describe SKIMS as entering an empty market.

India already has established lingerie and shapewear companies, including online-first brands and retailers that have spent years educating consumers about intimate apparel.

Zivame, for example, has expanded beyond its original online model and now operates a large network of exclusive stores. In February 2026, Reuters reported that the Reliance-backed company planned another major franchise expansion aimed particularly at tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

Other Indian direct-to-consumer brands are also competing for shoppers looking for shapewear and body-contouring products. Reuters noted that SKIMS is entering alongside homegrown brands such as Underneat.

This makes the competitive landscape more interesting than a simple global-brand-versus-local-brand story.

SKIMS vs Indian shapewear: where the real battle could happen

The most important battlefield may ultimately be neither celebrity nor price. It may be fit, comfort and repeat purchase.

A viral launch can get shoppers into a store once. Only a product that genuinely works will persuade them to return.

Why Mumbai and Delhi make sense as the first stops

The decision to begin in Mumbai and Delhi is strategically predictable.

Both cities have large populations of affluent and fashion-conscious consumers, established premium retail ecosystems and strong exposure to international fashion trends.

They are also highly influential in India’s entertainment, advertising, luxury and digital-creator industries.

For SKIMS, the two cities can function as more than retail locations. They can become brand-building laboratories.

The company can learn which products attract Indian shoppers, which sizes sell most effectively, how consumers respond to its pricing and which categories have the greatest potential before expanding elsewhere.

The next challenge will be reaching beyond India’s metros.

The tier-2 opportunity could be bigger than it first appears

India’s premium consumer market is no longer confined to Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.

The expansion of digital commerce has allowed consumers in smaller cities to discover brands that were previously available only through metropolitan stores.

The trajectory of Zivame provides a useful example. The company has been expanding its physical presence beyond major metros, targeting tier-2 and tier-3 cities as demand for lingerie and related categories spreads.

For SKIMS, this creates an interesting strategic choice.

Should it remain a scarce premium brand concentrated in India’s largest cities, or should it use digital distribution to reach a much broader audience?

The answer could determine whether SKIMS becomes a niche luxury label or a major Indian intimate-apparel business.

Celebrity power gets the customer curious—but product quality keeps them

Kim Kardashian gives SKIMS something most new fashion labels would struggle to manufacture: instant attention.

The brand can launch in India and immediately become part of entertainment coverage, social-media conversations and influencer content.

That is a major customer-acquisition advantage.

But celebrity-led fashion has a built-in weakness. Consumers can become curious about a product because of the person behind it without becoming loyal to the product itself.

The transition from celebrity brand to durable consumer brand is therefore critical.

SKIMS appears to have already been moving in that direction internationally. The company has expanded its product range and physical retail footprint beyond its original shapewear proposition. Reuters reported that the company had raised $225 million in funding at a $5 billion valuation and was pursuing further international expansion.

India will test whether that brand equity can travel successfully across cultures.

India could change what SKIMS means

The relationship may not be one-way.

SKIMS will undoubtedly influence Indian fashion consumers, but Indian consumers could also influence SKIMS.

India’s climate, clothing habits and occasion-based fashion create different demands from those in Western markets. Consumers may combine shapewear with sarees, lehengas, fitted ethnic wear, western dresses, workwear and everyday clothing.

That creates opportunities for products that address specific Indian styling needs.

A future SKIMS India strategy could potentially involve products designed around local wardrobes, but the company has not announced such a product strategy.

That is precisely why the India launch is worth watching: the most successful international brands do not simply export a catalogue. They learn how consumers use their products.

Body positivity versus body optimisation: the contradiction at the heart of SKIMS

There is another cultural tension that makes the India launch particularly interesting.

SKIMS promotes inclusivity and confidence while selling garments designed to compress, smooth, sculpt and reshape the appearance of the body.

Those ideas can appear contradictory, but they reflect a much broader modern fashion culture.

Consumers increasingly want to feel comfortable with their bodies while also having the freedom to change how their bodies look for a particular outfit or occasion.

The distinction is important.

Wearing shapewear does not necessarily mean a person dislikes their body. It can simply be another styling choice, similar to wearing structured tailoring, heels or makeup.

But brands also have a responsibility not to suggest that a particular body shape is required for confidence or attractiveness.

In India, where beauty standards can already be intense, how SKIMS communicates this balance could influence how the brand is perceived.

The inclusivity challenge is also about pricing

There is another form of inclusivity that receives less attention: economic accessibility.

A brand can offer a wide range of sizes and still remain inaccessible to most consumers if its pricing places it firmly in the premium segment.

This is where India’s domestic brands could have a structural advantage.

SKIMS does not necessarily need to become affordable to everyone. Luxury and premium brands can succeed precisely because they occupy a more aspirational position.

But if the brand wants to build a large Indian customer base rather than a relatively small luxury audience, its product architecture, pricing strategy and digital distribution will become crucial.

India’s shapewear boom is bigger than SKIMS

The arrival of SKIMS should not be interpreted as evidence that the Indian shapewear market is being created by Western brands.

The market was already developing.

Industry estimates indicate continued growth through the end of the decade, driven by fashion consciousness, body-contouring demand, online retail and changing consumer preferences.

SKIMS may instead accelerate the category’s cultural visibility.

That distinction matters.

When a globally famous brand enters a category, it can make consumers more comfortable talking about the entire product category. A person who has never searched for shapewear may discover the category through SKIMS and then compare several brands.

In that sense, SKIMS could increase competition while simultaneously expanding the market for Indian companies.

What Indian consumers are likely to watch most closely

Once SKIMS begins selling in India, consumers are likely to judge the brand on several practical factors:

• Fit: Does the clothing work across different Indian body shapes?
• Comfort: Can products realistically be worn for long periods?
• Fabric: Are the materials comfortable in India’s varied climate?
• Size range: Is inclusivity reflected in actual inventory rather than just marketing?
• Price: Does the premium positioning justify the cost?
• Availability: Will popular sizes and colours remain in stock?
• Versatility: Can products work under both western and Indian outfits?
• Durability: Do garments maintain their shape and performance after repeated washing?

These are less glamorous questions than celebrity campaigns, but they will ultimately determine repeat sales.

Prediction: India could become a major test market for the next phase of SKIMS

The India launch arrives at an interesting point in SKIMS’ evolution.

The company is moving from a digital-first, celebrity-driven shapewear label towards a broader international lifestyle business with physical stores and an expanding product portfolio. Its recent global retail expansion includes London and Dubai, with additional international markets in development.

India could become one of the most important tests of that strategy.

If SKIMS can establish strong demand beyond celebrity curiosity, develop local consumer insight and expand successfully beyond Mumbai and Delhi, India could become a meaningful long-term growth market.

If sales remain concentrated among a small affluent audience, the brand may instead settle into the role of a high-profile premium label.

Either outcome would still matter because the launch is likely to raise consumer expectations across the category.

What SKIMS’ India arrival means for Indian shoppers

For consumers, increased competition is generally good news.

A major international entrant can encourage domestic brands to improve fabric quality, fit, sizing, packaging, retail experiences and digital marketing.

It can also encourage greater transparency around product construction and sizing.

For shoppers, however, the most important lesson is not to confuse brand recognition with product suitability.

A celebrity name can create excitement, but shapewear is an intensely personal category. The right product is ultimately the one that fits comfortably, performs as intended and works for the individual’s wardrobe and preferences.

Conclusion: SKIMS is entering India at exactly the right moment—but it will have to earn the market

SKIMS’ India launch represents a significant moment for the country’s shapewear and intimate-apparel industry. With Reliance Brands bringing the label to India through physical and digital channels, the first stores in Mumbai and Delhi will place one of the world’s most recognisable celebrity-founded fashion brands directly in front of Indian consumers.

The timing is favourable. India’s shapewear market is expanding, social media is reshaping fashion discovery, and consumers are becoming increasingly comfortable buying intimate apparel online and from premium brands.

But SKIMS is not entering an empty arena.

Indian brands already understand local consumers, while established retailers are expanding into smaller cities and building strong omnichannel businesses. The competition will therefore be about much more than Kim Kardashian’s global fame.

The real test will be whether SKIMS can translate its promise of body inclusivity, comfort and modern shapewear into products that Indian consumers genuinely want to wear—and buy again.

If it succeeds, the impact could extend far beyond SKIMS itself. The brand could help push shapewear further into the mainstream, encourage competitors to innovate and accelerate the premiumisation of India’s intimate-apparel market.

In that sense, India’s SKIMS story is not simply about Kim Kardashian opening stores. It is about a rapidly changing Indian consumer deciding what modern shapewear should look, feel and mean.