Celebrities forming brand partnerships with well-known businesses is nothing new. And whether fame is found in music, sports, or film, having a recognisable face repping your clothing brand is never a bad thing. But in 2024, celebs are skipping the middleman and going it alone by becoming the face of their own brands rather than someone else’s and keeping all the profits for themselves in the process.
Here are 6 famous faces who have tried their hand at entrepreneurship by launching their own fashion brands, from affordable fashion to high end luxury.
Kanye West – Yeezy
Kanye (also known simply as Ye) is best known for his rapping career, but after finding fame in the music industry, Kanye has become much more than a rap star. In 2009, Kanye launched his sneaker brand, Yeezy. It’s gone on to become one of the most recognized shoe collections in the world and the brand itself has been valued as high as $4.7 billion by some.
The success of Yeezy is in no small part due to another footwear giant, Adidas. The German manufacturer joined forces with the Yeezy brand in 2015 and the two brands have gone on to launch a range of successful footwear, including sneakers and sliders.
Despite their success together, Adidas and Yeezy have now ended their partnership after a string of bad press relating to Kanye’s controversial social media posts. Adidas is currently in the process of selling its remaining Yeezy inventory after which, it remains unclear what lies in store for the Yeezy brand.
Kim Kardashian – SKIMS
From Kanye to his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian. Kim is one of the most followed celebrities on social media, amassing an enormous 360 million followers on Instagram. Given that, it’s no surprise that brands have long been queuing up to work with her.
After partnering with various fashion brands throughout her career including luxury fashion house Balenciaga, Kim turned her attention to her own brand in 2019. SKIMS positions itself in the shapewear sector, offering garments designed to improve the shape of women’s figures. After huge success, the brand now offers a range of clothing including loungewear and even menswear, with it’s quality being what has taken this brand from being synonymous with Kim through to just being renowned for providing great quality underwear, shapewear and loungewear.
As expected, Kim is often seen promoting her brand to her enormous following online but has also partnered with other famous faces such as Sabrina Carpenter and Jude Bellingham to expand the reach of SKIMS.
Kylie Jenner – Khy
If Kim was the OG of the Kardashian-Jenner clan, some would argue that the baton is being passed on to younger sibling Kylie Jenner. Kylie has surpassed Kim’s mammoth Instagram following, with nearly 400 million followers at the time of writing, and has used this to launch her own entrepreneurial career.
Kylie’s ventures include brands in the cosmetics and skincare sectors, but when it comes to fashion, Khy by Kylie Jenner has been a big hit with fans and consumers in a short space of time. Khy launched in late 2023 and offers an affordable range of clothing including everything from mini skirts to corset dresses.
Given the enormous success that the Khy brand has experienced in its first year of trading, it would be no surprise to see the brand experience further business growth in years to come.
David Beckham – DB Eyewear
David Beckham is one of the most successful sports stars to cross over into the world of business and entrepreneurship. Even during his playing career, Beckham penned deals with the likes of Adidas and was the face of many a brand at his peak.
But post-retirement, Beckham has found himself involved in a range of ventures spanning many industries. Most notably, Beckham has become the co-owner of Inter Miami Football Club, now employing the likes of Lionel Messi. Outside of football, Beckham’s ventures have included an aftershave, a whisky, an underwear brand, and just about anything else you can think of.
But his latest brand comes in the eyewear sector. DB Eyewear recently launched a range of sunglasses and optical glasses described as inspired by David Beckham’s own style and travels according to the company website.
Victoria Beckham
Along with her husband, Victoria Beckham has entered and dominated the high fashion industry. Launching in 2008, her brand initially launched at New York Fashion Week with a collection of dresses, which has then expanded significantly. Renowned for its combination of classic and contemporary fashion, there is no doubt at the talent Victoria has for creating breathtaking gowns, crisp wardrobe classics and masculine style tailoring.
Unlike some of the other celebrity brands mentioned here, Victoria’s brand isn’t necessarily accessible, with dresses and jackets usually sitting at around the £1,000 mark, coats being closer to £1,850 and jeans setting you back £500. However, her designs aren’t for everyday wear, but exist in the world of high fashion, and certainly have a clear place within that calibre of fashion. Her shows attract the biggest names in the world of fashion, with Anna Wintour regularly being centre stage.
One area of Victoria’s brand is the timeless leather goods, from belts to bags and jackets to trousers, expertly crafted in classic designs that will last a lifetime thanks to the quality. After starting her career in pop music, Victoria has switched industries completely and is now a core part of Hollywood, regularly dressing some of the world’s biggest celebrities and icons, from close friend Eva Longoria to Lady Gaga, royalty including Kate Middleton, supermodel Kendall Jenner and so much more. Many celebrity brands come and go, yet Victoria’s brand has now been around for 15 years and the timeless nature of the clothing and accessories means that we’re likely to see much more to come.
Rihanna – Savage x Fenty
One of the first creator-led brands of recent times was Rihanna’s beauty brand, Fenty Beauty. After successfully building her range of makeup and skincare products, Rihanna expanded into lingerie and loungewear with her brand Savage x Fenty.
Both brands put focus on finding solutions for all bodies and skin tones, with a particular focus on inclusivity and body confidence. Rihanna’s success saw her businesses attract interest from LVMH. The major conglomerate that owns some of the world’s most recognisable fashion brands co-owns the Savage x Fenty brand along with the pop star.
In 2023, with her net worth topping a reported $1.4 billion, Rihanna took a step back from the underwear brand after stepping down as CEO. Earlier this year, Forbes reported that the brand was worth $1 billion.