Fashion’s Power Couple
Celebrity beauty and fashion brands have become a fiery force in the past ten years. Simply look at Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand Skims which has become a global phenomenon with a valuation of US$4 billion. The genius behind is none other than power couple Emma and Jens Grede who also co-founded Khloé Kardashian’s denim brand Good American, Tom Brady’s apparel company, and Kylie Jenner’s fashion brand Khy.
Partner For Life
One hails from Switzerland while the other London and their personalities could not be more different. While Emma Grede is confident and candid, Jens Grede finds comfort in quiet contemplation.
Emma Grede was raised by her single mother and grew up in East London with her three younger sisters. Her interest in fashion was sown as early as 12 years-old when she would spend all the pennies she earned on fashion magazines. Chasing her fashion dream, she enrolled in the London College of Fashion, but was eventually forced to drop out due to financial difficulties. On the other hand, Jens’ parents were movie directors and artists. Yet just like Emma, he too dropped out of university. The pair met at work when Emma Grede joined Jen’s marketing firm Saturday Group in 2000. At the time, the company gained prominence from forging collaborations between celebrities and brands, some notable campaigns include Beyoncé’s advertisement for H&M, and Nataie Portman’s Miss Dior fragrance ambassadorship.
You could say that Jens Grede is an idealistic entrepreneur in the fashion industry. In 2012, he joined hands with his business partner Erik Torstensson to create denim brand Frame and men’s clothing website Mr. Porter. It is only apt that the chemistry between workaholics Emma and Jens Grede sparked at work. Love bloomed shortly after meeting and they married two years after. This love transcended romance and into business ideas: Empowered by Jens, Emma started her own business and co-founded the denim brand Good American with Khloé Kardashian in 2016.
The influencer’s shapewear collection had its Nordstrom debut in Manhattan on Wednesday. (Photo by Andrew Morales/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images)
Behind The Buzz
In 2017 the pair decided to move from London to Los Angeles to pursue bigger business opportunities. After which, they forged deep connections with the Kardashian-Jenner empire and endeavoured in multiple partnerships. In 2019, they helped co-found Kim Kardashian’s shapewear company Skims and in 2021, they launched Kris Jenner’s skincare brand. Most recently, Kylie Jenner’s fashion empire Khy was launched with the pair’s help. All of these and other celebrity brands managed by the two are all run under their holding company Popular Culture.
Meanwhile their family of two was growing into a family of four. Their public image and personal styles couldn’t be more different. While Emma Grede turned her Instagram into a powerful business card, attracting over 500,000 followers, Jens opted for a private account. Despite their contrasting personalities, their working style harmonises seamlessly, leading this couple to amass a staggering $350 million to date. Emma has even been recognised by Forbes as one of the most successful self-made women in America.
In 2022, they purchased a Malibu home once owned by Brad Pitt for US$45 million. In Bel Air sits their English-style villa which has been remodelled exactly how they envisioned. Jens was in charge of furnishings and employed Los-Angeles-inspired decor liberally. But in terms of their lifestyle at home, Jens parts with Cali ways and adopts the chivalry of a British gentlemen. He has once admitted being easily excited by the future and it’s Emma’s spirit of always living in the moment that grounds him in the present. In their differences, they find ways in which they complement each other and adds boundlessly to each other’s lives.
Translated by Karrie Lam
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