Khloe Kardashian's Good American Is Launching Bodysuits After All
By Ana Colon. Photos: Getty Images, Courtesy of Instagram.
Khloé Kardashian's size-inclusive denim brand Good American is moving beyond jeans and hoodies. However, it's latest launch isn't without controversy.
The L.A.-based label, which Kardashian cofounded with Emma Grede last year, announced it would be adding bodysuits to its roster, Vogue reported. "It’s a head-to-toe look, and effortless," the 32-year-old reality star and entrepreneur said of the one-piece launch, which debuts on Good American's website this Thursday. Much like its denim, the brand's 11 bodysuits, which will be priced from $129 to $189, will be inclusive in its sizing, available in 00 to 24. "Bodysuits are Good American’s way of doing jeans-and-T-shirt," Grede told Vogue. "It’s a classic, easy-to-put-together look that works for everyone regardless of body type."
Though Kardashian wrote on Instagram that she'd "been keeping this a secret for almost a year," the bodysuits actually began garnering attention earlier this month—although, probably not in the way Good American hoped. When the brand released a video of its #goodsquad wearing some of its latest and upcoming arrivals (including the one-pieces), designer Destiney Bleu remarked that one of the sheer, crystal-embellished suits featured in the clip resembled pieces in her Dbleudazzled line—which, she said, Kardashian had actually made purchases from.
As Bleu's accusations started gaining traction online, Good American responded by sending the indie brand owner a cease-and-desist letter, which cited inspiration from the 1990s, alleged that its design team "had never heard [Bleu's] name and never saw your samples," and demanded that Bleu retract her story. The designer then countered with literal receipts—email exchanges between her, Kardashian's assistant, and her former stylist Monica Rose dating back to November 2016 that appear to show her team requesting lookbooks and samples, as well as placing personal orders for the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star, Refinery29 reported.
After that started raising eyebrows, Good American released a statement to the press in regard to how it handled Bleu's allegations, calling the designer's claims "flagrantly false and little more than a cheap publicity stunt and an attempt by Ms. Bleu to get her 15 minutes of fame." What's more, the brand noted that Dbleudazzled didn't invent this style of crystal bodysuit, as it "has been around for decades as evidenced by the fact that Cher has been wearing these styles for over 25 years." It also didn't mince words when it came to its feelings about having the cease-and-desist reported on by various outlets: "The letter from her lawyer—sent to the press for no legitimate reason—is outrageous, defamatory, and misleading in the extreme. Good American will absolutely not stand for anyone trying to damage its reputation and plans to deal with this through the proper legal channels." Bleu's legal representatives then reportedly received a letter from Kardashian's lawyer about her "malicious and tortious conduct," accusing the designer of "[misappropriating] Ms. Kardashian's valuable rights of of publicity," and challenging some of the details about her exchanges with their client's team, according to TMZ.
"I’ve never claimed I’m the originator or the only person who is allowed to make crystal bodysuits," Bleu later told WWD. "I’m well aware of what’s out there—different lingerie brands or whatever. I just assumed that it was somebody else’s and maybe the Daily Mail had gotten it wrong. I thought, No, she isn’t going to do that. She’s ordered one of everything. I think she just really likes my stuff." Though she wasn't necessarily optimistic about the legal outcome of this whole ordeal, the designer said her interest in holding big companies and big names accountable for this type behavior, endemic to the fashion industry—an ironic (or perhaps more pressing) point, seeing as Kardashian's younger half-sister, Kylie Jenner, was also recently the subject of copying accusations, for a series of camouflage sets in her namesake merch line.
This is probably not how Good American envisioned its latest launch, but Kardashian continues to promote the new bodysuits as if it were business as usual. She wrote to her 68.2 million Instagram followers: "You guys know I'm obsessed with bodysuits, and I wanted to give you all something that is a natural fit for GA, and like all of our products, designed to fit your body!" She reiterated the brand's body-positive message on social media and teased more fit-centric launches coming to the label in her interview with Vogue—with no allusion to the drama that unfolded prior to the "reveal." When reached by Glamour, Good American had no additional comment.
Watch the Instagram videos here and here.
This story originally appeared on Glamour.
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