good american 4

In partnership with

mornin' merry makers ☀️👖💪🏾✨🛍️

last week i covered skims & discovered in my 100 stores of summer series that in lenox square in atlanta, you'll find a double family feature with side-by-side skims & good american stores. in case you didn't know the family tree:

• khloé k. + kim k. = sisters

• kim k. + jens grede = skims

• jens grede + emma grede = married (+ popular culture holding co)

• emma grede + khloé k. = good american

kim's the older sister, but khloé's brand actually broke ground first, launching in 2016. good american became the blueprint for kardashian-grede domination that's proven unstoppable. (y'all, they're constructing a retail dynasty & i'm going to need multiple newsletters to dissect this empire!)

this powerhouse alliance sparked when emma grede cornered kris jenner at a fashion week event & delivered her pitch for revolutionary inclusive denim.

the rest became retail legend.

so naturally, good american earns the spotlight as our second feature in my 100 stores of summer series.

stories i’m watching

good american launched with "denim that loves your body" in sizes 00-5XL & an explosive $1M first day that broke industry records.

on a mission to redefine fashion for the modern woman through inclusive, body-positive clothing. since then, they've expanded into a full lifestyle brand with tees, swimwear, jeanius sweats, & maternity (cleverly called good mama).

the authenticity factor: khloé's personal journey from media body-shaming to her revenge body era gave good american a relatable empowerment narrative that resonates way beyond celebrity appeal. in addition, emma grede is very committed to celebrating all dimensions of female power & advocating for change.

the always fits innovation: their breakthrough "always fits" denim technology spans multiple sizes for that "sisterhood of the traveling pants" magic. these jeans literally adapt to the natural curves in your body, making the traditional sizing nightmare obsolete.

data-driven denim: they use customer feedback & return analytics to create industry firsts, like the size 15 jean (between traditional 14 & 16) after identifying this gap through data.

b corp certified since 2021: scored 80.7 (median is 50.9), proving their commitment goes beyond marketing & lip service. for reference, ordinary co =51, aesop = 84, toms shoes = 127, & patagonia = 166,

recent leadership moves: april 2024 brought cmo kate keyes who also handles off season, the elder statesman, & khy by kylie jenner. aug 2024 brought bree richmond as vp of retail with experience spanning dior, tecovas, and reformation. october 2024 brought new president paul griffin from luxury fashion (sandro, maje, ted baker).

scroll stopping socials

their social strategy centers authenticity over aspiration. one key difference here from the skims is that emma grede is way more of a public face for this brand than jens grede is at skims.

• 2.4M instagram followers (khloé: 302M, emma: 941K)

• 256K tiktok followers (khloé: 6.6M, emma: 70K)

• ugc & the #goodsquad: they lean heavily into user-generated content with side-by-side try-ons (same outfit, different body types) & unretouched studio shots. their feeds feel like a celebration of every body.

• notable campaigns that broke the internet:

  • khloé jean for her 40th birthday

  • body glove collab honoring kris jenner

  • dolly jo-leans (timeless country classic + wordplay)

  • cindy crawford as american icons

  • emily ratajkowski for swim summer getaway

retail rollout

good american operates 4 standalone locations + 1 coming soon, each designed with inclusivity literally built into the space:

1. westfield century city in la since jun ’23 (flagship with fancy samsung displays)

2. fashion island in newport beach since feb ‘24

3. caesars forum in las vegas since feb ‘24

4. lenox square in atlanta since apr ‘25 (the family reunion spot!)

5. coming soon this summer: topanga mall in la

their store design includes very inclusive innovations like:

• 75% larger fitting rooms than industry standard

• custom adjustable hangers for all sizes

• stylists trained as "denim fit experts" for every body type

also worth noting that they’re going hard on wholesale too. in spring 2025, launched in 36 macy's stores, expanding to 79 locations by fall. they've been in nordstrom, saks, & bloomingdale's for years, but macy's gives them massive mainstream reach. emma grede called it "fueling the next chapter of growth."

now hiring

if you want become part of the kardashian-grede dynasty, they're actively hiring across multiple fronts. with their aggressive expansion plans & proven track record of turning retail concepts into cultural movements, getting in now means riding the wave as they scale this (& other brands) to empire status.

retail:

• topanga store leader & team

• sales associates at lenox square, century city, fashion island, & las vegas

corporate roles (in hollywood): 

• svp of ecommerce

• svp of global wholesale

• associate designer

• accounting assistant

• wholesale intern

what's next?

good american is positioning itself as the inclusive fashion authority that the industry desperately needed. with topanga opening soon, macy's expansion accelerating, & international growth on the horizon, they're building something that extends far beyond denim.

here are my predictions:

• double retail stores to 10, including:

  • neighboring skims stores (they can leverage thier duo status for some strong landlord deals)

  • an off-price outlet

  • a flagship store in new york city

• international wholesale acceleration like the recent asos announcement

• good american goes public by end of 2027. kim & khloe orchestrate a full wall street takeover with a scandalous bell-ring photo shoot.

• more shared corporate retail staff hired between good american, skims, off season, and elder statesman.

• a nyc subway (or other very public spot) ad takeover campaign promoting size inclusion and real body shapes)

• something with oprah. either an american icon collab or maybe if oprah retires, emma grede will takeover?

watching two families revolutionize fashion from their respective lanes is absolutely iconic. i was never into their reality tv show, but i’m grabbing my popcorn as we wait for this to unfold.

p.s. the black tux paid for this issue so you didn’t have to. they do for suits what good american does for jeans…make them fit. click below to learn more & show me you love merry makery.