When Ami Colé shuttered its doors in July of this year, the loss reverberated through the beauty community like an earthquake. For a brand that championed inclusivity and innovation from the beginning (along with a drop dead gorgeous aesthetic) it hardly seemed fathomable for the beloved makeup powerhouse to close after just four short years. Well, for founder Diarrha N’Diaye, a new, and rather robust opportunity, was just around the corner.
Per a press release sent to media, SKIMS—the clothing (and bush underwear) company co-founded by Kim Kardashian—has appointed N'Diaye as Executive Vice President, Beauty & Fragrance, to "lead product development and brand strategy of SKIMS Beauty."
Eagle-eyed beauty fans might recall that Kim bought back the rights to her SKKN by Kim beauty line from Coty in March of this year and folded it into the SKIMS brand portfolio. This also isn't the first time she has evolved her beauty offerings, as the original KKW Beauty closed in August of 2021 (after the January 2021 Coty acquisition) before rebranding and relaunching as a skincare-only line, SKKN by Kim, in 2022. The brand eventually launched makeup in January 2024, 14 months before Kardashian bought it back. And as of September, SKKN by Kim is no longer operational. Clearly, the mogul has had more than a few ideas to keep her newly re-acquired beauty business churning.
“I want SKIMS Beauty to be a place where everyone feels represented, and there was no better person to help us do that than Diarrha,” says Kardashian via the brand's press release. “She has an incomparable talent at marrying the emotional and tactical sides of beauty, and her instincts and experience for innovation and authenticity will power our brand.”
N’Diaye's new role begins today, November 3, and her sights are set on marrying inclusivity with innovation for the SKIMS Beauty brand. “SKIMS is for everybody, and now we’re trying to create beauty for everybody,” she says via press release. “I’m excited to bring in best-in-class formulas and customer-first mentality to SKIMS Beauty.”
It was her signature mindset that made her such an attractive candidate for the new role at SKIMS. “Diarrha’s modern and community-forward view on beauty aligns perfectly with the ambitions of SKIMS Beauty,” Jens Grede, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SKIMS, says in the brand's press release. “Her entrepreneurial background and ability to determine customers’ untapped beauty needs will be instrumental in driving forward our business.”
As for what SKIMS Beauty will look like with N’Diaye leading product innovation and branding, only time will tell. There is no official launch date yet, nor are there any visual assets for the beauty division. But the new EVP reveals the Kardashian's vision is clear: to offer makeup classics and excitement around beauty rituals while also simplifying and focusing on skin "from strand to toe." Will that mean hair and nail products will join the lineup of makeup and, most likely, skincare? And will the infamous face wrap be retired? When it comes to a Kardashian brand, it's safe to say that we can always expect the unexpected.
