On January 16, Kat Von D shocked the beauty world by announcing her decision to step back from her highly acclaimed makeup brand. She reached out to fans via Instagram to break the news:
“I’ve decided to sell my shares of the brand, turning it over to Kendo, my partners for the past 11 years. This was not an easy decision, but after careful consideration, I decided I wanted the makeup line to continue to thrive and grow, and I believe Kendo is primed to do just that.”
So, who/what is Kendo?
According to Kendo’s LinkedIn profile, “Kendo creates original founder brands, partnering with major faces from fashion and entertainment.” Some of these brands currently include Marc Jacobs Beauty, Fenty Beauty by Rihanna, Ole Henriksen Skincare, Bite Beauty, Lip Lab by Bite — and as of recently — KVD Vegan Beauty (previously known as Kat Von D Beauty).
What will change?
As Kat Von D explained to her devoted fans through her Instagram post, the only change customers will be experiencing is the brand name.
“The transition for you, my loyal customers, will be seamless. In order to avoid any confusion with such a big change, Kat Von D Beauty will take a moment to rebrand itself, so you will start noticing the change from KatVonD Beauty to KvD Vegan Beauty,” she says.
The brand will continue the mission statement of never, ever settling for the status quo while producing high quality, vegan, cruelty-free beauty products.
The simple question: Why?!?!
Two weeks after announcing her decision to part from her namesake brand, Kat Von D revealed to fans her true reasoning behind it. During an interview on the Second Life podcast, she explained that the industry is changing so quickly and she’s feeling lost.
On the podcast hosted by Hillary Kerr, Kat confessed: “It’s been 11 years and I am proud of what we’ve done, but I think that the beauty industry is changing so much and for a moment there, I felt like I did find my place in an industry and then I think the older I get, I realize that I don’t know if I fit into it anymore.”
What’s Kat Von D up to now?
If you’re worried that you won’t ever hear from Kat Von D again, rest assured that she’s producing new content for fans constantly. She recently launched her 100% vegan shoe line, she’s prepping to release her debut album (followed by an international tour). and of course, she spends time taking care of her one-year-old son, Leafar Von D Reyes.
