Just a couple weeks after Kim Kardashian’s brand, SKIMS, sparked intimate conversations around the taboos of pubic hair (and its various textures) with their controversial “bush thong,” we thought our jaws couldn’t drop any wider. But, in true Kardashian fashion, it has. And, the latest news out of SKIMS’ HQ is even more pleasantly surprising than merkins and sculpting face wraps. Ami Colé’s Diharra N’Diaye is the new executive vice president of SKIMS Beauty and Fragrance.
“My goal is always to continue to push the global conversation about inclusive beauty,” N’Diaye tells ESSENCE exclusively. “With SKIMS, alongside fellow beauty obsessee Kim Kardashian, we will create memorable beauty experiences for everybody.”
Back in June, a few months before the widely mourned end of N’Diaye’s makeup brand Ami Colé, Kardashian’s skincare brand SKKN BY KIM also officially closed—except, not exactly for good. Behind the scenes, SKIMS actually acquired SKKN from Coty’s co-ownership, consolidating it under the SKIMS umbrella as SKIMS Beauty.
“I want SKIMS Beauty to be a place where everyone feels represented, and there was no better person to help us do that than Diharra,” co-founder and chief creative officer of SKIMS Kim Kardashian says in a press release. Jens Grede, co-founder and chief executive officer adds, “her entrepreneurial background and ability to determine customers’ untapped beauty needs will be instrumental in driving forward our business.”
For the past 14 years, N’Diaye has worked in brand building, product development, and marketing spanning global beauty brands, including L’Oreal Paris and Glossier. Now, her job is turning the “second-skin” feeling of shape wear, which SKIMS is known for, into skincare. And, of course, her new role comes at a time where the beauty industry is prioritizing the same inclusivity SKIMS is entrenched in, turning extended size ranges (SKIMS ranges from XXS to 5X) into shade ranges.
N’Diaye is joining SKIMS Beauty at a time where skin tone is fortunately being centered more than ever before. With Black women like Sha’Carri Richardson, Serena Williams, and Nia Long starring in SKIMS campaigns, what’s next for SKIMS Beauty is in the hands of N’Diaye. And, she’s just getting started. “I am thrilled to apply my deep passion for beauty, listening skills, and product obsession to this new global stage.”