SKIMS has announced its first collaboration with an emerging designer, partnering with VETTESE, the New York-based label known for its sculptural knitwear and deconstructed silhouettes. The collection marks a strategic departure for Kim Kardashian’s shapewear juggernaut, which has previously collaborated with established luxury houses rather than independent talent.
The pricing strategy positions the collection at a premium above core SKIMS but below VETTESE’s standalone ready-to-wear. This middle tier is deliberate: it invites SKIMS’ existing customer base to trade up while offering VETTESE’s followers a more accessible entry point into the brand’s language. Both sides benefit from the expansion of their respective price architectures.
The collaboration centres on a limited-edition range that merges SKIMS’ mastery of compressive, smoothing fabrics with VETTESE’s signature draped and twisted constructions. Early look-book images reveal bodysuits with asymmetrical necklines that pool at the shoulder, leggings with integrated waist-sculpting panels, and a knitted dress that appears to wrap around the body in a single continuous gesture.
VETTESE, founded by designer Meagan Petersen in 2020, has built a cult following for its approach to knitwear as architectural dressing. The label’s pieces—often constructed from a single thread without cutting or waste—have been worn by Zendaya, Teyana Taylor, and Tracee Ellis Ross. The SKIMS partnership brings Petersen’s sculptural sensibility to a vastly larger audience.
The drop, set for early August, will be available exclusively through SKIMS’ direct-to-consumer channel and select pop-up locations in New York and Los Angeles. If the sell-through matches the early social media reception, this format—established giant meets emerging talent—could become a recurring model for SKIMS’ collaboration strategy.
