Kim Kardashian West has faced backlash for the name she initially chose for her shapewear line: Kimono. The mainstream media decried Kardashian West’s shapewear name as appropriation of Japanese culture. After the backlash, Kardashian West changed the name to SKIMS Solutionwear.
Now SKIMS has a new face, Alice Marie Johnson, the woman to which President Trump granted clemency after he met with Kardashian West, who spoke on Johnson’s behalf.
Johnson was facing a life sentence plus 25 years, without the possibility of parole, for leading a cocaine drug ring and money laundering.
Now the former convict is touting her freedom — not only from prison, but from feeling self-conscious in clothing.
Waking up in the morning and not having a bunk bed over my head is precious to me. Being able to open the door whenever I want to and just walk outside and breathe in fresh air, to breathe in freedom. That is precious to me. This shapewear makes me feel that I can walk into the store, I can pick up something that I normally wouldn’t even think about wearing, and I can put it on. And, it’s going to look great on me. This shapewear makes me feel free.
Critics are calling out Kardashian West for making money off Johnson’s story and are even going so far as to blame what they deem the perverted nature of the video on none other than capitalism.
In the beginning of the video, however, Johnson says she didn’t know who Kardashian West was. Johnson was incredibly grateful for Kardashian West’s fight, even calling the celebrity her “angel.”
Critics of Kardashian West’s shapewear line seem to be targeting her not based not on her fight for criminal justice, but rather on her use of the free market system.
In Hollywood elite circles, the left touts its desire for change — until that change is brought about by capitalism or until advocates for change adhere to other conservative principles or have associations with figures on the political right.
Though Kardashian West does not outwardly support President Trump, her work with Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner as well as the Trump administration at large has nixed her credibility among Hollywood elites.
