Last week, a 60-foot inflatable Kim Kardashian took to New York's Times Square like a docile Godzilla, laying on her side for masses of passersby to ogle. Promoting her clothing essentials brand, SKIMS, the unexpected stunt caused controversy and confusion online but to me, it's a prime example of one of fashion's biggest marketing trends – body as brand.
Sex sells. While it's an archaic marketing phrase that gives me an unshakable ick, it's been an undeniable fact in the branding sphere for decades, palatably repackaged in 2025 for the modern audience. Kim Kardashian is more than SKIMS' glamorised clotheshorse – a brand in itself, her body is the essence of its constructed fantasy of luxury. Branding has changed, but while we may have mostly moved on from the overt sleazy marketing tactics of the past, what takes their place is just as manipulative.
