{"id":65305,"date":"2022-09-28T14:29:22","date_gmt":"2022-09-28T14:29:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?post_type=articles&p=65305"},"modified":"2022-09-28T17:44:33","modified_gmt":"2022-09-28T17:44:33","slug":"emma-grede-game-changer","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/emma-grede-game-changer\/","title":{"rendered":"Good American CEO Emma Grede Knows the Path to Success Starts with a Very Detailed Roadmap"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Emma Grede. Photo Credit: ABC, Christopher-Willard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Every issue, GRAZIA USA highlights Game Changers, who inspire, educate, and celebrate individuality, beauty, and style. Meet Emma Grede, the CEO of Good American<\/a> and founding partner of SKIMS<\/a> and Safely<\/a>, whose next phase is focused on giving back to others through start-up investments.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I’ve always wanted to work in fashion and I knew very early on that it wouldn\u2019t 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\u2019 credibility. I started to understand how businesses that were backed by celebrity influence were really starting to make big moves.<\/p>\n

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, \u201cI think I can do this better myself.\u201d That\u2019s 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\u2019t happening and figuring out how to do it.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t know [Good American co-founder] Khlo\u00e9 Kardashian<\/a> before I came up for the idea for the brand. I thought of Khlo\u00e9 as somebody who was incredibly confident. She\u2019s so outspoken and gave off that image of \u201cI\u2019m happy with me.\u201d When I pitched the idea to Khlo\u00e9, she really understood the customer, understood what it was like not to fit a sample size, and wanted to make it better for everybody.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m also a founding partner of SKIMS and Safely. I\u2019m very proud of what I\u2019ve 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\u2019ve 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\u2019t afforded to everyone.<\/p>\n

About four years ago, I started investing in start-up companies and wanted to help Black women who don\u2019t get anywhere near the size of investment that they deserve. I had the incredible opportunity to be a guest shark on Shark Tank<\/em> and made six investments in companies. I\u2019m 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\u2019s something that I\u2019m incredibly proud to be a part of and I love the fact that it gives brands the opportunity to grow.<\/p>\n

Read GRAZIA USA\u2019s Fall issue featuring cover star Nicola Peltz Beckham:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n