• Kim Kardashian faced backlash for naming her new shapewear line “Kimono,” with critics accusing her of cultural appropriation.
  • She listened and changed it to Skims, and in a new interview, she goes over what happened.

Update: August 26, 2019, 11:30 a.m.

Out with “Kimono,” in with “Skims”!

Kim Kardashian has officially changed her “Kimono” shapewear name to “Skims” after getting backlash from critics accusing her of cultural appropriation. Kim acknowledged that what happened was pretty bad in an interview with WSJ Magazine last month, and she pulled all things “Kimono” before coming up with an alternative: Skims Solutionwear.

Kim talked about the change on social media, and here’s what she said: “My fans and followers are a huge inspiration to me—I’m always listening to their feedback and opinions, and I am so grateful they shared their ideas for a new brand name. After much thought and consideration, I’m excited to announce the launch of SKIMS Solutionwear™.”

SKIMS Solutionwear™ is coming September 10. I love the idea that the pieces will be the closest thing to someone’s skin, skimming with amazingly soft and supportive fabrics which accentuate the best parts of our bodies."

The new Skims logo and general ~vibe~ look pretty much the same as before, but it’s less likely to have people going, "Kim, oh NO!" which is a step in the right direction if you ask me!

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Update: July 8, 2019, 12:30 p.m.

Okay, so we all know that “Kimono by Kim Kardashian” is no more, but before Kim announces what the shapewear line will be called now, she’s got a few words of explanation for what went down.

Very obviously, the “Kimono” name upset people, but Kim said in a new interview with WSJ Magazine that she didn’t see it coming.

“You would think we would have obviously thought it through a little bit deeper,” she admitted. “I’m the first person to say, ‘Okay, of course, I can’t believe we didn’t think of this.’ I obviously had really innocent intentions. But let’s listen. And I want to really listen. And I want to really take it all in.”

Update: July 1, 2019, 9:45 a.m.

“Kimono” is no more.

Kim Kardashian is changing the name of her shapewear line after backlash from fans, who called her out for trying to trademark it. She explained her thought process on Instagram this morning.

Here’s what she said:

“Being an entrepreneur and my own boss has been one of the most rewarding challenges I’ve been blessed with in my life. What’s made it possible for me after all of these years has been the direct line of communication with my fans and the public. I am always listening, learning, and growing—I so appreciate the passion and varied perspectives that people bring to me. When I announced the name of my shapewear line, I did so with the best intentions in mind. My brands and products are built with inclusivity and diversity at their core, and after careful thought and consideration, I will be launching my Solutionwear brand under a new name. I will be in touch soon. Thank you for your understanding and support always.”

Update: June 27, 2019, 5:15 p.m.

Kim Kardashian just publicly responded to the outcry over her new shapewear line being named “Kimono.” She released a statement to the New York Times, while telling them she has no plans to respond to the reaction by changing the line’s name. The statement reads:

“I understand and have deep respect for the significance of the kimono in Japanese culture and have no plans to design or release any garments that would in any way resemble or dishonor the traditional garment. I made the decision to name my company Kimono not to disassociate the word from its Japanese roots but as a nod to the beauty and detail that goes into a garment. Filing a trademark is a source identifier that will allow me to use the word for my shapewear and intimates line but does not preclude or restrict anyone, in this instance, from making kimonos or using the word kimono in reference to the traditional garment. My solutionwear brand is built with inclusivity and diversity at its core and I’m incredibly proud of what’s to come.”

Original story: June 26, 2019, 2:30 p.m.

Kim Kardashian is dealing with not one but two controversies on Twitter right now, and honestly, it seems exhausting. Not only are some fans calling out her new Body Foundation for promoting unrealistic beauty standards (more on that over here), but people are not down with the name of her new shapewear line: “Kimono.”

Kimonos are traditional Japanese garments that have zero to do with SPANX-esque shapewear. And it’s one thing for Kim to use the name. It’s another for her to try and trademark it, which is exactly what she did, according to the Los Angeles Times (Kimono, Kimono Body, Kimono Intimates, and Kimono World are among the trademarks filed and waiting for review).

Critics are taking to social media to call out Kim for appropriation, with comments ranging from “My culture is not your plaything” to “My culture is not your brand name generator.” People are also sharing pictures of themselves in *actual* kimonos as a reminder about where the name originates from.

Kim hasn’t responded to the criticism, but it seems unlikely that she didn’t know there’d be backlash going into this. In fact, TMZ reported last year that Kim had filed documents to trademark “Kimono Intimates,” and there was plenty of negative response at the time.

Seems like it would have been pretty hard for her to ignore it, right?