Swimwear campaigns typically follow a formula: sun-drenched beaches, slow-motion waves, and bronzed skin reflecting golden sun rays. However, SKIMS has abandoned the shoreline altogether, trading palm trees for skyscrapers and making its splash with a 60-foot inflatable Kim Kardashian stretched out in the middle of Times Square in a bold, tongue-in-cheek spectacle for its latest swim collection.
Kardashian appears in the brand’s Triangle Top and Cheeky Tanga bottoms, towering over passing crowds, a hyper-visible emblem of SKIMS’ commercial and cultural reach. And beyond the sheer scale of the stunt, it marks a strategic reinforcement of SKIMS’ presence in mainstream fashion; elevating what began as shapewear into a full fledged lifestyle brand.
The latest swim collection refines the brand’s signature body-conscious aesthetic, balancing sculpting, high-compression fits with the ease of softer, more languid textures. This drop includes Signature Swim, plush Terry, and breathable Cotton Jersey Cover-Ups, alongside a lineup of oversized sun hats, sleek sarongs, and mesh totes built for effortless layering that feel as at home on the boardwalk as they do slung over a city shoulder.
Grounded in five core colour ways, the collection is designed to be mixed, matched, and reimagined, slipping easily from poolside nonchalance to streetwear polish.
What sets SKIMS Swim apart from the sea of celebrity-backed labels is its unwavering consistency. From the start, the brand has prioritised precision fit and fabric innovation, applying the same problem-solving ethos that made its shapewear a cult essential. The latest collection follows that formula, balancing sculpting constructions with breathable, functional fabrics that adapt to wear.
From viral marketing to global expansion, SKIMS’ trajectory has been relentless. Since launching in 2019, the brand has widened its scope beyond intimates, entering the men’s category in 2023 and securing a multi-year deal as the NBA’s official underwear partner. Now, with permanent retail spaces and a tightly controlled online drop model, SKIMS has carved out a dominance few could have predicted.
The Times Square spectacle serves as a (cheeky-bikini-bottomed) reminder of how SKIMS operates: maximal presence, calculated visibility, and product built for engagement.
The new SKIMS Swim collection is available to preview now and launches on 6 March in-store and online at SKIMS.com.
