From discontinued fake tan to Kylie’s car crash swimwear line – the failed Kardashian businesses that shafted teen fans
ALTHOUGH the Kardashians are said to be worth over £1.6 billion combined and have raked in millions of dollars thanks to their successful businesses, there’s been a fair few that weren’t quite so successful.
The Kardashians are much more than just reality TV stars and when we think of the famous women, Kim Kardashian’s figure-hugging Skims brand, which has now been valued at £3.2 billion, comes to mind.
Not only this, but her sister Khloe, who is reported to be worth £48 million, has had lucrative success with Good American, whilst Kylie’s lip kit from Kylie Cosmetics, which is was valued at £964 million in 2019, made her a billionaire.
And it’s not just Kim, Khloe and Kylie that have earned the big bucks through their entrepreneurial endeavours, as Kourtney’s new Lemme brand has proved popular with fans, as well as Kendall’s 818 tequila company plastered all over social media by influencers.
But despite their successes, it appears that business isn’t always booming for this famous family.
Here, Fabulous takes a close-up look at the forgotten, now closed down Kardashian Jenner brands.
DASH BOUTIQUE
In 2006, the Kardashians first launched into the world of business when they opened a DASH boutique in Calabasas.
They expanded to several locations including Miami and New York, but after 12 years, in 2018, the family revealed that all of their DASH clothing stores would be closing down.
At the time, Kim released a statement revealing why the three siblings had decided it was time to close the business, as she explained: “We’ve loved running DASH, but in the last few years, we’ve all grown so much individually.
“We’ve been busy running our own brands, as well as being moms and balancing work with our families.
“We know in our hearts that it’s time to move on. We love our DASH Dolls and are so grateful for the amazing memories.”
GLAMOUR TAN
Just four years after launching their first family business, in 2010, Khloe, Kim, and Kourtney launched a fake tan brand called Glamour Tan.
But despite the positive reviews of the product, which was stocked in Sephora, before long, the self-tanner gel range was promptly discontinued.
PERFECT SKIN
Not only did the beauty fans venture into fake tan, but they also launched Perfect Skin in partnership with a dermatologist too.
The revolutionary three-step skincare system was formulated to work for all skin types, in the hopes of promoting a beautiful, radiant complexion.
Using them for campaigns will always generate press and attention and although that may not convert into sales, it does create a buzz and that’s what the Kardashians have always been about
Nick Ede
But if you didn’t even know this brand existed, it’s probably because it ended up being closed within just one year.
KARDASHIAN CARD
2010 clearly wasn’t too great a year for the family in terms of business success, as it also saw the Kardashian sisters launch a prepaid debit card – the Kardashian card.
But the MasterCard, which was targeted towards teens and featured the sisters’ faces printed on the front, instantly deposited backlash after unexpected hidden fees emerged.
Nick Ede On Kardashian Businesses
BRAND and Culture Expert Nick Ede exclusively told Fabulous why the Kardashians constantly get brand deals, but why they aren’t always a success.
He said: “The Kardashians have had a string of failed businesses but finally they seem to have come into their own with each sister establishing themselves as big brand moguls.
“Kourtney’s Poosh and gummy brand Lemme is now a bestseller, Khloe’s Good American brand goes from strength to strength, Kims’ Skims are a global phenomenon and Kylie’s beauty brand is one of the biggest in the world, as is Kendall’s Tequila.
“It hasn’t always been like this and there are many occasions where they have flopped as faces of brands but this hasn’t stopped the Kardashian juggernaut from powering through.
“Using them for campaigns will always generate press and attention and although that may not convert into sales, it does create a buzz and that’s what the Kardashians have always been about – hype and using their name and family to build brand equity for themselves and others.
“Their brand campaigns are not restricted to posters or online advertising – they have cleverly mixed their hit TV show with whatever they are promoting, offering brands exposure they wouldn’t necessarily get from any other brand ambassador or model.
“When a Kardashian is booked to be a brand ambassador, it can polarise people.
“Fans of the brand may boycott them and we see mini uproar because of their association, but having a Kardashian still has a positive effect and holds a weight that is more positive than negative.
“The only other people more controversial than the Kardashians are Meghan and Harry as brand ambassadors but Kim, Kendall, Kylie, Khloe and Kourtney will still be far more relevant than the Duke and Duchess and always be an integral part of the zeitgeist of popular culture.”
According to Business Insider, the card cost between $60 [£48] and $100 [£80] just to activate, and the monthly fee (after initial purchase) was another $8 [£6.40].
Not only this, but replacing a card cost $25 [£20], whilst cancelling an account cost $6 [£4.80].
The sisters were then sued by their partner company Mobile Resource Card for $75 million [£60 million] with mum Kris Jenner, named in the “alleged breach of contract”, but the case was dismissed, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
Whilst the bank reimbursed people, the Kardashians lost money and the card was terminated after just one month.
KARDASHIAN KHAOS
In 2011, the sisters opened a souvenir shop called Kardashian Khaos in Las Vegas.
The shop, which was located at The Mirage Hotel and Casino, was fashioned as a “celebrity lifestyle boutique.”
It sold T-shirts, key chains, water bottles, amongst other products, and hosted periodic appearances by the Kardashians.
How rich are the Kardashians?
THE Kardashian sisters are known for their extreme wealth but which of them has the most money?
- Kourtney Kardashian – net worth £52 million
- Kim Kardashian -net worth £1.3 billion
- Khloe Kardashian – net worth £48 million
- Kendall Jenner – net worth £48 million
- Kylie Jenner – net worth £545 million
But after three years and no explanation, it was announced that the shop would be shutting its doors.
KHROMA BEAUTY
In 2012, the famous siblings launched Khroma Beauty, a make-up line exclusively for Ulta.
But the brand barely lasted a year in stores and the products were quickly pulled from shelves after several brands sued them for copyright infringement.
The issues arose over the brand’s name, which was later renamed Kardashian Beauty.
But as reported by the Daily Mail, when asked if she trusted the licensees in the Kardashian Beauty deal – previously known as Khroma – Kim said: “I just don’t care. I’m heartless. I just don’t care.”
ARTHUR GEORGE SOCKS
And it’s not just the sisters that have experienced failed business ventures – their brother Rob also tipped his toe – or entire foot – into running a business.
In 2012, the Kardashian brother launched a luxury sock brand – Arthur George Socks – the name being a combination of both Rob’s and his late father’s middle names.
Their brand campaigns are not restricted to posters or online advertising – they have cleverly mixed their hit TV show with whatever they are promoting
Nick Ede
However, in 2018, Rob footed half of the company to mum Kris amid financial trouble and the brand survived until its last Instagram post, in 2020, an impressive eight years after its launch.
KIMOJI APP
In 2015, Kim made a turn into tech with her “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood” Kimoji app.
Apple users were offered a choice of 250 Kim Kardashian themed emojis and gifs, and according to Bloomberg, the business venture generated $200 million [£160 million] in annual revenue.
Why did Skims work and Kimoji didn't?
KIM Kardashian finally struck gold with her shapewear collection Skims, which is now thought to be worth $4 billion.
Brand and culture expert Nick Ede said that Kim has used clever marketing and psychology to allow it to buck the trend of their previous flops.
He claimed: “The Kardashians have had their fair share of failed brands, but they aren’t the first and certainly not the lasts.
“Richard Branson, Steve Jobs and many serial entrepreneurs have failed concepts.
“The reason Kim has hit the jackpot with Skims is that she has played into inclusion and diversity in a strategic and clever way.
“She has created a brand that doesn’t exclude anyone and more importantly is good quality, works well and makes people feel good.
“People want to live a Kardashian lifestyle but will never be as rich or as famous as them, but they can buy into the brand and have bragging rights that they own a piece of Skims, which empowers them.”
However, Kim was hit by a creator who filed a $10 million [£8 million] lawsuit alleging that a Los Angeles-based video game developer Kung Fu Factory prepared the original proposal years earlier and was never paid.
As a result, the app was then shut down three years later.
KYLIE SWIM
The most recent business venture that went downhill was Kylie Jenner’s swimwear line, Kylie Swim.
The 26-year-old made her first step into the fashion industry with the line, but was met with a barrage of negative customer reviews.
Whilst the quality of the swimsuits were heavily criticised by buyers, it appears that the brand is now no more, after all traces of the Kylie Swim brand have since been removed from her website.
Fabulous will pay for your exclusive stories. Just email: fabulousdigital@the-sun.co.uk and pop EXCLUSIVE in the subject line.