Kim Kardashian West has launched her own shapewear line on Tuesday, and made a controversial choice to name the clothing piece Kimono Solutionwear. It is Kim after all. This is how another major cultural appropriation started. Prior instances are those when she wore Fulani braids and an Indian headpiece.
When her own circle is in question, nobody seems to be worried about the backlash that is coming. The Japanese came up with the “kimono” first, many centuries ago, which is of course what they call their iconic loose-sleeved robes traditionally worn for formal events in the country.
Kim posted this on her Instagram account, as a caption for the photo:
“Finally I can share with you guys this project that I have been developing for the last year. I’ve been passionate about this for 15 years. Kimono is my take on shapewear and solutions for women that actually work. I would always cut up my shapewear to make my own styles, and there have also been so many times I couldn’t find a shapeware [sic] color that blended with my skin tone so we needed a solution for all of this.”
The soon to come clothing line will range from sizes XXS to 4XL, and there will be nine skin-toned shades. However, because of the name, people on various social media have so far called it “problematic at best” and said that Kim is a “culture vulture.”
One Twitter user posted this: “Rih would never. Bey would never. Anyone with a working brain would never,” alluding of course to popular singers Rihanna and Beyoncé.
User Leisha_17 tweeted about a different problem: “Probably is a good product but the name…. I hear it as ‘Kim, oh NO!’”
People also lashed out because she did not use a single plus-size model in the first promotion images, and that her new piece has no zippers.
Kimono has already been trademarked twice before, for software and for “sheaths for pens.”
The single word is not everything either, as Kim Kardashian is also waiting on the reviews for trademarking “Kimono Body,” “Kimono Intimates” and “Kimono World”. These will mostly target shapewear, lingerie, T-shirts, and other products made of faux or real leather, like handbags, wallets, dog harnesses, and whips.
We will have to wait and see what happens next with this story.
Kim Marks 
Nina Smith