Kim Kardashian's Faux Leather Bikini And Gloves Went Viral, But The Internet Has Some Brutal Takes

You can always count on The Kardashians to be on the cutting edge of fashion, and Kim Kardashian has made this point abundantly clear with her latest SKIMS line. With black bikinis having a major moment this summer, the reality star has announced her company is dropping a faux leather swim line. While the bikinis are pretty cool and super edgy, the marketing campaign for them is unconventional and has sparked quite the conversation as it's gone viral, with some people sharing some pretty brutal takes. 

To announce the new swim line, Kim Kardashian took to Instagram to post photos of her and other models in the new black suits and matching gloves. The photoshoot feels futuristic and quite avant-garde if you ask me, however, this marketing campaign is confusing the internet. But, before we get into their reactions, check out the photos for yourself: 

The overall consensus in the comments of Kim K’s post is mostly confusion, not so much for the swimsuits, but for the general tone of the photo shoot and its goal:

  • What in the low budget advertising is this -ksolo0328 
  • What in the baby oil is this even advertising? 😂 -1photog_mama 
  • Weirdest shoot, campaign and product -chunle.420 

As the comments continue, so did the brutal takes, as more people commented about the photo shoot and the practicality of a faux leather swimsuit: 

  • Love almost all of her stuff but this is giving me the ick. -kelley.shoe 
  • Ya because that’s how I like to lay in the sun with some pleather boots 🙄 -dlovefreebird 
  • Don’t understand what she is trying to advertise🤷🏻‍♀️ -ireneyyy 
  • Who is your target audience these days?-juniper.soul 

Admittedly, these photos look like something I’d see in a modern art museum, not in a SKIMS ad campaign, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Kim Kardashian is known for pushing the envelope fashion-wise, and these bikinis are simply another example of that. 

This faux leather swim line at SKIMS has been added to an already highly talked about line of swimwear. The shapewear company and its founder went viral on TikTok earlier this year as someone used chips to demonstrate how tiny their micro-bikini is, and Jessica Simpson channeled her inner Kim K by rocking a neon green SKIMS suit this spring. Along with these moments, Kim Kardashian has also done her fair share of marketing for her bikinis by rocking an itty-bitty, teeny-weeny swimsuit while on vacation with her sister Khloé Kardashian. 

If I’ve learned anything from this faux leather photoshoot in particular, it’s that Kim Kardashian knows how to get creative with her marketing. Even though it caused the internet to make some brutal comments, it's 100% generating conversation, and I’m sure there’s an audience who can’t wait to get their hands on SKIMS faux leather swimwear. 

Along with promoting her new SKIMS swimsuits, Kim Kardashian is also starring in the latest season of The Kardashians, which is currently airing on the 2023 TV schedule. If you are interested in seeing the day-to-day life of the reality star, you can stream new episodes every Thursday with a Hulu subscription

Riley Utley
Weekend Editor

Riley Utley is the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. She has written for national publications as well as daily and alt-weekly newspapers in Spokane, Washington, Syracuse, New York and Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated with her master’s degree in arts journalism and communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Since joining the CB team she has covered numerous TV shows and movies -- including her personal favorite shows Ted Lasso and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She also has followed and consistently written about everything from Taylor Swift to Fire Country, and she's enjoyed every second of it.