Wearing body chains, crystals and spaghetti strap dresses was never something I’d ever considered doing until this week. However, recent videos of young women raving about Skims’ flattering body-hugging clothing piqued my interest and a few clicks later I owned a long-sleeved dress of my own. As an avid Y2K enthusiast, belly chains, boho-style belts and Hervé Léger waist-cinching-style dresses don’t intimidate me, but admittedly a lack of confidence contributed to my hesitancy to step out of my north London abode clad in crystals, chains and shape-wear before now.
When Kim Kardashian announced a partnership with Swarovski via her billion-dollar empire Skims, I naturally began to mentally prepare my wishlist. Then came an offer I couldn’t refuse: to head to the Big Apple to witness this Swarovski moment for the history books for myself. Plus, with Christmas a hair’s breadth away and party season soon in full swing, I knew it couldn’t hurt to compile a roster of head-turning twinkling party outfits.
Shop Swarovski X SKIMS Now
SWAROVSKI X SKIMS JELLY SHEER LONG SLEEVE CREW NECK BODYSUIT - £158
SWAROVSKI X SKIMS Y BODY CHAIN - £185
SWAROVSKI X SKIMS STRETCH NET MINI SKIRT - £228
Several anxiety-inducing episodes of Grey’s Anatomy on the long-haul flight to NYC later and I arrived in the Concrete Jungle at noon and freshened up in a swanky hotel on Fifth Avenue. I immediately made a beeline for Bergdorf’s and, on the third floor, I was greeted by an enthusiastic sales assistant who informed me that the Swarovski x Skims collaboration had almost sold out less than 24 hours since it launched.
With no time to waste, I immediately slipped into a waist-snatching black dress with a smattering of crystals decorating the bust and torso. ‘This is the last body chain we have in-store,’ said the sales assistant before slipping it over my head and adjusting it to my dress. Walking over to the nearest mirror, I began to contort my body and admire how the dress both clung to my shape and further exacerbated my 2000s pop diva fantasies. ‘What size are you wearing? It’s good to see it on as I’m in between sizes,’ said one shopper as I started snapping pictures of myself in the size medium. Moments later, a small crowd quickly formed around me, and another woman mid-FaceTime jumped off the call and politely asked for a picture. Testament to the power of the collaboration, trying on the sparkling dress quickly brought about a level of attention I both welcomed and was in awe of (even a fitting without a Kardashian in sight incites paparazzi-like attention when it comes to this dazzling Skims collaboration). I smugly headed back to my fitting room, dress in tow and outfit plans in motion.
A labour of love and crystals, conversations about the collaboration began a year and a half ago and the result is glittering cropped tops, crystal skirts, bodysuits and underwear. Hours after my purchase, the bustling noise of the city soundtracked the grey carpet outside of the Swarovski x Skims launch party, where Kardashian, the multi-hyphenate co-founder of Skims, told me that the partnership with the storied jewellery company is a match made in heaven.
‘Collaborations allow me to express different parts of my personality. I think [working with] Swarovski is so perfect because it’s glitzy and glam, and Skims is so sporty and it amps it up,’ she exclusively revealed to ELLE UK, while sporting a Pamela Anderson-style updo, dressed in a top and skirt set adorning sizeable Swarovski crystals, with a bedazzled pair of grey Skims boxer shorts peeking above her skirt.
Even with a busy year filled with Skims projects, including an erect nipple bra and a sponsorship deal with the NBA/WNBA, it's a wonder how the mother-of-four has found time to dedicate a chunk of her time to this new passion project. ‘I thought it was just the perfect collaboration; for example, this is an outfit made of jewellery, and Skims has so many essentials, so it’s fun to mix it up,’ she said of her look. Tacked onto the mood board were images of Britney Spears during her ‘Toxic’ era, modern-day pictures of Isabella Rossellini and the much-discussed Marilyn Monroe dress worn by the A-lister last year.
Together with Swarovski's global creative director, Giovanna Engelbert, Kardashian made sure to include handmade body jewellery pieces comprising over 400 stones in total with each piece taking between 200 to 300 hours to make.
While on set, seeing the collection in full, Kardashian says she felt like ‘the happiest woman ever’, with mannequins shaped to the star’s body. ‘It was magic! There was glitz everywhere and my daughter, North, came in and styled it all her way,’ she said.
Engelbert’s passion for working with female-led entrepreneurs aligned with the mogul, and made the endeavour even more fulfilling. ‘Collaborating with Skims has been one of my dreams since I became creative director of Swarovski. Besides being a personal fan of Skims and wearing it myself, our brands share the same values of empowerment and self-expression,’ she told ELLE UK. Engelbert noted that it signified a new era for the brand, as past collaborations – including Aquazzara, Nike, Adidas and Amina Muaddi to name a few – were individual, with no two lines looking the same. ‘Skims was different. It allowed me to explore new avenues and push the boundaries of design while keeping Swarovski at the centre as the catalyst of creativity. Skims has brought that philosophy to new categories with our body jewellery and wide selection of intimates.’
At the time of writing this, the collection is currently stocked in Selfridges in the UK and if you’re able to make it to the tills before the collection inevitably sells out – run, don’t walk. My advice? Invest in Kim’s favourite items from the collection: ‘There’s a catsuit that I love which is so glitzy, and the leggings and tube top set and I love mixing in the boxer brief. There’s something for everyone, especially if you’re a glamour girl,’ she shared.
