As more and more international brands venture into the African market, the KENDALL + KYLIE brand expansion to South Africa comes as little surprise.
Where brands like Steve Madden have opted for collaborations with African superstars like Bonang Matheba and Fenty teamed up with local makeup artists before touching down in SA, the Jenners’ line banked more on the relevancy of the famous sisters worldwide than the local market they’re stepping into.
Sure, KENDALL + KYLIE has never been about relevancy. Their joint brand is about aspirational content in clothing form, enveloping the sisters’ differing tastes. But will this captivate South Africa, and was now the right time?
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Taking on SA – will it work?
The announcement of the SA venture reads: “by designing for their own lifestyles and tastes and identifying with the woman they inspire, the KENDALL + KYLIE brand serves an ambitious audience of taste makers who appreciate authentic style and who have influence among their immediate peers and social groups.”
Clothes for the influencer by the influencer. Still, despite KENDALL + KYLIE’s success, the brand hasn’t always hit the same mark in comparison to other Kar-Jenner brands like Skims or Kylie Cosmetics.
This doesn’t mean that local Kar-Jenner loyalists won’t take what they can get in stepping (or slipping) into the most famous family’s world.
Given that most influencer-led brands are only available online for those of us on the southernmost tip of Africa, giving customers a piece of the high life in brick-and-mortar fashion undoubtedly relieves a waiting pain point.
Combine this with the fact that production is said to be sustainable, and another market’s ears perk up – the eco-shopper. Although the sustainable element has raised some eyebrows in the same way Kourtney Kardashian Barker serving as Boohoo’s sustainable ambassador did, it could mark a segue for the brand to become sustainable overall.
Last year sustainability checker Good On You highlighted that KENDALL + KYLIE “doesn’t communicate sufficient information about its environmental and labour policies.” Room to change or greenwashing alert?
The last point customers are divided on, is the pricing. A one-piece swimsuit will set you back R1 299, but a pair of sweatpants goes for R849.
Some think the prices are dramatic. Others view them as reasonable, as far as celebrity brands go. Still, with inflation an ever-present force in all our shopping carts, the launch’s timing earmarks an interesting decision.
All in all, KENDALL + KYLIE have set up shop in select Edgars stores, but whether they’ll find their footing on SA soil? Mzansi will decide.
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Feature Image: @kendallandkylie/ Instagram
