The response to the first collaboration between The North Face and Skims was so strong, it could have sold 10 times as much as it did. So it’s no surprise that the two have partnered again on a new winter collection.
“I think we had totally underestimated the excitement of what we were doing with The North Face the first time around,” said Jens Grede, cofounder and chief executive officer of Skims. “I wish we had more inventory, because the demand was so outsized. It was 10x to what we had. Hopefully we’ll be able to have more inventory this time and be able to satisfy more customers than we did last time.”
Ebru Ercon, chief design officer of The North Face, added: “Key styles sold out in the first six minutes, with the majority of the collection selling out within 20 minutes.” He said the shrunken Nuptse was the top seller. The jacket is one of the brand’s Icon styles and this version was based on a version owned by Skims cofounder and chief creative officer Kim Kardashian.
The second drop of the North Face x Skims collection features an expanded lineup of silhouettes, more footwear and childrenswear for the first time, Grede said. But the aesthetic of the limited-edition collection will continue to combine The North Face’s technical expertise in winter apparel with Skims’ signature fit, design and colorways of bone, kyanite, gunmetal, phoenix and onyx.
“This collection is incredibly strong,” Grede said. “It’s really a complete look for the cold — more so than the last time. I’m a Swede, so I’m used to the cold and I know exactly how important technical proficiency and trust is for the Northern Hemisphere at this time of year. The North Face has that in spades — they’re trusted by consumers all over the world to keep them warm and Skims was able to build on that technical proficiency and create cuts and fits that were really flattering and exciting. I think that the combination was really exciting to people.”
Kardashian added: “With this new collection, we wanted to continue pushing the boundaries of what winterwear can look and feel like. Every detail, from the fabrics to the silhouettes, was designed to merge functionality with the sleek, modern aesthetic that defines Skims. Family is such a big part of my life, so I’m especially excited to introduce kidswear this season and continue expanding our offerings for everyone.”
The campaign for The North Face x Skims was shot by Laura Obermeyer and Jackie Nickerson in the Chilean mountains and is intended to highlight the line’s blend of performance and style.
“Building on last winter’s collaboration with Skims, this second season further solidifies our collective proposition integrating best-in-class technical innovation, design excellence, and a clear point of view on fit,” said David Whetstone, director of design, global collaborations and energy at The North Face. “Each piece leverages our on-mountain expertise and integrates Skims’ focus on form and aesthetic, shifting the expectation of what performance gear can be.”
Ercon added: “We are inspired by brands that represent best-in-class in their field. Skims is a leader in next to skin ut more importantly, contemporary product lines for an incredibly inclusive and dynamic consumer base. We have almost 60 years in creating best-in-class technical product. Our project allowed us both to explore new silhouettes and learn from each other – offering our customers something confident, bold and unexpected.”
The North Face x Skims collection will be available to shop on both companies’ e-commerce sites and in their stores along with other select retail locations beginning Tuesday. The collection offers a wide range of sizes — XXS-3XL, 0-24 Months, 2T-7T — and prices range from $55 to $800.
This is just the latest collaboration for Skims, which has expanded well beyond its shapewear roots over the past six years. The brand, which has 354 million Instagram followers, last month completed a $225 million capital raise that valued the company at $5 billion.
Although there’s been buzz that the company is considering going public, Grede said that’s not in the cards right now.
“It’s definitely not off the table, but it’s not something that we’re currently working on,” he said. “There will probably be a time when that is appropriate, but in 2025 for us, it was really about scaling our physical retail model. We have around 18 stores [in the U.S.], plus we opened three stores in Mexico. We’re opening our first store in Dubai in December, and we’re going to continue to open another 20 or so stores next year, plus probably the same amount of franchise stores in certain territories, plus concessions and increased international wholesale. So I really want to prove the sustainability and scalability of our physical retail concept. That’s really the main focus of ‘25 and I see that continuing to be the main focus of ’26.”
Grede admitted Skims was “a little bit late to opening stores” compared to its contemporaries, “so we’re playing catch-up there.”
The other big focus this year was to acquire all the beauty rights to the Skkn by Kim brand. “We’ve closed that down to relaunch under Skims Beauty, which will be a totally different proposition to what’s been on the market in the past,” he said.
This year also marked the launch of NikeSkims, a women’s performance and lifestyle collection that debuted at the end of September. Grede stressed that unlike The North Face project, the Nike line is “not a collaboration, but a permanent brand under Nike, just like Jordan.” And although he couldn’t provide much detail on its performance because Nike is a public company, he said both parties are “incredibly bullish” on the collection “in the short- and long-term. I think we’re really bringing a new vision of performance to the Nike portfolio and their customers and our customers have responded extremely positively to it.”
Grede said that while Skims will continue to do “fun and exciting” things such as the recent launch of a Tangle Teezer hairbrush and a holiday special, Kimsmas Live, on TikTok, “the big strategic priorities for the company remain physical retail, NikeSkims and beauty. That’s what I’m focused on for next year. I don’t think the public offering is around the corner.”
Turning back to The North Face, Grede said the two brands may continue to work together in the future, but only if they can offer something new and innovative.
“With collaborations, it’s all based on whether we feel we have a new take,” he said. “If we have a great idea, something that we want to put out there, then we probably will. These things are led by excitement and creativity. At Skims, we’ve been really good at doing things that excite us. I’m really, really happy with this North Face-Skims collaboration. And I don’t know if we can surpass it. Maybe we will do it again, but it’s to be seen. This one will be hard to beat.”
