Every issue, GRAZIA USA highlights Game Changers, who inspire, educate, and celebrate individuality, beauty, and style. Meet Emma Grede, the CEO of Good American and founding partner of SKIMS and Safely, whose next phase is focused on giving back to others through start-up investments.
I’ve always wanted to work in fashion and I knew very early on that it wouldn’t be as a creative. I always saw myself as somebody who would help enable other creative people. I started out as a fashion show producer and then worked in marketing and PR. My first break came when I was in my mid-20s. I started the entertainment marketing agency ITB Worldwide and worked with celebrity talent to strengthen brands’ credibility. I started to understand how businesses that were backed by celebrity influence were really starting to make big moves.
I found myself at this odd point where I was being asked to project an image of diversity or inclusivity for a fashion brand, but the reality was that the company looked nothing like that from the inside. Plus, the clothing never actually worked for the women they were bringing in for campaigns. Naively or not, I just thought, “I think I can do this better myself.” That’s how Good American was born. I saw this huge opportunity to really create a truly inclusive fashion brand, where the products would work for all women of all body types. It was looking around at what wasn’t happening and figuring out how to do it.
I didn’t know [Good American co-founder] Khloé Kardashian before I came up for the idea for the brand. I thought of Khloé as somebody who was incredibly confident. She’s so outspoken and gave off that image of “I’m happy with me.” When I pitched the idea to Khloé, she really understood the customer, understood what it was like not to fit a sample size, and wanted to make it better for everybody.
I’m also a founding partner of SKIMS and Safely. I’m very proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish. Growing up in East London, there were very little prospects for someone like me who left home when they were 16. I’ve been very lucky in my life, and I happened to work with great people and great clients who invested in me and believed in me. I definitely feel a responsibility to help others because being in business is a huge privilege and it isn’t afforded to everyone.
About four years ago, I started investing in start-up companies and wanted to help Black women who don’t get anywhere near the size of investment that they deserve. I had the incredible opportunity to be a guest shark on Shark Tank and made six investments in companies. I’m also chairwoman of the 15 Percent Pledge, created by Aurora James, which asks retailers to dedicate 15% of their annual buy to Black-owned businesses. It’s something that I’m incredibly proud to be a part of and I love the fact that it gives brands the opportunity to grow.
Read GRAZIA USA’s Fall issue featuring cover star Nicola Peltz Beckham:
I think that there’s this misconception that someone like me has some great sense of balance and has their life together, and their kids together, and their hair always looks perfect. I have good days and bad days, like anybody else, and I work really, really hard. My job inevitably crosses over into my life, and I’m fine with that. To say that I’m not constantly busy or inundated with work would just be to tell a lie. For me, it’s really important to try to dispel some of the myths and try to make people aware of what it takes.
I’m extremely planned in life. I always look to the future and think: “What is going to make me happy when I’m 45? Where do I want to be?” And then once I figure that out, I map it out. I believe in luck, but I don’t believe in accidents. I think that you have to be really purposeful and really focused. There’s that amazing quote “Luck is where preparation meets opportunity,” and I think that I’ve always been as prepared as I could possibly be when an opportunity arises.
The best advice I’ve heard is so boring but it’s really important: Make a decision and move on. You’re going to make good decisions and bad decisions, and sometimes, especially as a woman, you can be paralyzed by the thought “What if I get this wrong?” Look, you’re going to win some, you’re going to lose some. The most important thing is that you keep moving forward. Making a decision and moving on is a really important piece of advice for a business owner, and in life, because you’ve got to keep it moving.
— As told to Colleen Kratofil
GRAZIA USA’s 2022 Fall issue will be available for purchase on newsstands nationwide in October. Email [email protected] to subscribe.
