- Emma and Jens Grede are the power couple behind iconic brands like Skims and Brady.
- The European couple have founded seven brands together.
- They have launched several brands with the Kardashian-Jenner family.
Behind the glitz and glamor of celebrity clothing brands like RemovesGood American and Bradythere is a power couple with a resume and an investment portfolio worth millions.
Emma and Jens Grede are founders, investors and trendsetters in the fashion industry with connections from London to Hollywood. The European couple have founded seven brands together. The most successful Kim Kardashian shapewear and clothing brand Skims have raised $701 million in venture capital and were last valued at $4 billion, according to Crunchbase.
According to fashion journalist Lauren Sherman, serial entrepreneurs position themselves at the forefront of popular culture as one of the secrets to their success. “A big part of their approach is to move with the culture, and they are incredibly ambitious when it comes to that mission.” she wrote for the Puck information site.
Next up, serial entrepreneurs are rumored to be behind a mysterious fast fashion brand that… Kylie Jenner builds.
Here’s a timeline of their lives, careers and the brands they built.
Emma Grede grew up in London and was interested in fashion from the very beginning.
Emma grew up in East London, England, with a single mother and three sisters. Her maiden name was Findlay. At the age of 12, she started working odd jobs and used the money she earned to buy fashion magazines.
“As a child, I saved my pocket money to buy Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire,” she told the Evening Standard. “I was always trying to find £7.50 for all three of us. I cut out every ad and put it in the designers’ hands.”
She studied at the London College of Fashion but dropped out due to financial reasons. She interned at Gucci and worked for a fashion company that held shows during London Fashion Week.
Source: Forbes, The most rich
Jens Grede grew up in Sweden and wanted to become a skateboarder.
Jens grew up in Sweden and dreamed of becoming a skateboarder.
Before starting his own company, Jens worked for the independent fashion magazine Stockholm New and the interior design magazine Wallpaper. There he met his longtime business partner Erik Torstensson.
Source: Fashion business, Financial Times
Jens founded a creative agency and holding company.
In 2003, Jens and Thorstenson founded a holding group called Saturday Group, which owned creative agencies and later became Wednesday Agency Group. The company was acquired by advertising agency BBDO Worldwide in 2016 for an undisclosed amount. Jens and Torstensson remain as chairman and executive creative director, respectively.
Source: Fashion business
Emma founded her first company when she was 24 years old.
In 2008, Emma founded Independent Talent Brand Worldwide, a talent management and entertainment marketing agency. Emma was CEO of ITB until marketing and PR agency Rogers & Cowan acquired the company in 2018 for an undisclosed sum.
Source: Capital, Forbes
Jens invested in Emma’s company and they began dating.
Emma and Jens met in 2006 and started dating in 2008. He and Torstensson became founding shareholders of her company. Emma and Jens married in 2012 and moved from London to Los Angeles in 2017. The couple has four children.
Source: Forbes, Instagram, Fashion business
The pair forged partnerships with major celebrity brands at a time when influencer marketing was in its infancy.
ITB and Saturday Group have been at the forefront of influencer marketing and have delivered high-profile campaigns such as Natalie Portman for Dior and Justin Bieber for Calvin Klein lingerie.
Emma, Jens and Torstensson left ITB when the company was acquired by Rogers & Cowan.
Source: Capital, Forbes, Financial Times
Jens co-founded the denim brand Frame in 2012.
Jens launched Frame with Torstensson in 2012. The company became known for its skinny jeans and gained a cult following thanks to celebrities such as Taylor Swift and Reese Witherspoon, as well as supermodels such as Karlie Kloss and Gigi Hadid.
In 2019, Sourcing Journal reported that Frame was believed to have generated annual sales of more than $130 million in 2018 and was seeking private investors.
Source: Fashion business, People, Supply log
Emma co-founded Good American with Khloe Kardashian in 2016.
Emma originally came up with the idea denim brand including sizes Kris Jenner after they met at fashion shows. Jenner invited her to work with her daughter Khloe Kardashian.
Emma and Chloe launched Good American in 2016 with jeans in sizes 00 to 24. The company says it had $1 million in sales on its first day. Over the years, Good American has expanded into non-denim clothing, swimwear, footwear and activewear. The brand now offers models up to size 32.
As CEO of Good American, Emma handles the business while Chloe handles design and marketing. Jens is an investor in the company.
Source: Forbes, Fashion business
The Gredes family co-founded Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand Skims.
Kim Kardashian approached Jens and Emma with her vision for creating an inclusive shapewear brand. In 2019, they launched Skims with shapewear in a variety of sizes and skin tones. The brand later expanded into lingerie, swimwear, loungewear and activewear. The brand currently sells clothing in sizes from XXS to 5XL.
In July, Skims raised $270 million in funding and received a $4 billion valuation. Jens is the company’s CEO and Emma is the founding partner and chief product officer.
Jens told the New York Times that the company is profitable and will hit sales of $750 million this year. The company plans to go public, although neither Kim Kardashian nor Jens have commented on the timing.
Source: Insiders, The newspaper “New York Times
The couple bought a $24 million mansion in Bel Air, California.
The approximately 12,000-square-foot 1930s-era home was owned by fellow fashion entrepreneur Serge Azria, who founded Joie and Current/Elliot. Azria sold the estate in 2020 for $24 million, according to public records. The house has seven bedrooms, a library, a gym and a swimming pool.
Emma said that before they bought the house, she and Jens came here many times to meet with Azria. The couple has a second home in Malibu.
Source: British Vogue, Magazine C, Mansion Global , Diversity
Emma was a guest shark on “Shark Tank” and invested in black female founders.
Emma appeared in season 13, which aired in 2021, becoming the series’ first female black shark. She invested in three startups owned by Black women founders: Kin brand satin lined hoodie, Junobie reusable breast milk bag and Range Beauty natural cosmetics.
“I didn’t want to be just another Instagram activist or fashion brand talking only about token ‘diversity’; I wanted to act,” Emma told the Financial Times about her experience in the US. “I realized there was a difference in the narrative: at least compared to the UK, in the States it is much more difficult to be a black female CEO and the opportunities are very different. I wanted to change that.”
Source: Essence, Technically, Inside Indiana Business, Essence, Financial Times
Jens co-founded Tom Brady’s clothing brand.
In 2021, Jens partnered with NFL quarterback Tom Brady to create Brady, a sportswear brand. It was ready to take on brands like Nike and Adidas, but the brand seems to have slowed down its product launches and social media posts lately.
Source: Glossy
Emma co-founded Kris Jenner’s cleaning brand.
The Greds began to work closely with Kardashian-Jenner family. In 2021, Emma and Kris Jenner launched Safely, a brand that sells safe, plant-based cleaning products.
“Part of the beauty of this partnership is that we’re all very clear about our roles and what we’re doing,” Emma told Forbes about working with the reality TV moguls. “But there is a huge respect for each other and what each person brings to the party.”
Source: Forbes
The pair won the coveted CFDA award for Skims.
At the 2022 Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards—the Oscars of fashion—Amazon presented Emma, Jens and Kim Kardashian with their first Innovation Award for their work with Skims.
In 2022, Emma was named one of America’s richest self-made women according to Forbes.
Emma debuted at number 77 on the top 100 list. The business publication first reported that the founder’s net worth is $360 million, including her 8% stake in Skims. In 2023, Emma was ranked 84th on the list with an estimated net worth of $320 million.
Source: Forbes, Forbes
According to fashion insiders, the Greds are behind Kylie Jenner’s next brand.
Kylie is the next Kardashian-Jenner sister to join the Gredes family. In July, fashion journalist Lauren Sherman reported that Gredes’ team had begun interviewing candidates for the project.
Source: Washer