CREAM RISES TO THE TOP

Jenni Kayne's eponymous lifestyle brand hit $140 million this year, thanks to a timeless, 50-shades-of-beige look that drives great retail math. With celeb fans and a growing customer base, the question is: Can she be the next Ralph Lauren?

- by AMY ODELL

Few clothing brands are synonymous with a pair of sleeves alone. Such was Jenni Kayne's claim to fame this year after Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, draped her beige-striped cashmere sweater over her shoulders in her hit Netflix show, With Love, Meghan. As the sleeves dangled over frittata, the show's guest star, Mindy Kaling, asked Meghan about her outfit. Her white linen pants were Zara and her top was Loro Piana, she said, before opening the sweater sleeves around her shoulders and revealing “Jenni Kayne.”

Most brands would kill for this kind of viral moment. But for designer Jenni Kayne, the exposure was not necessarily a difference maker. A disciplined builder who prides herself on eschewing fleeting fashion trends, Kayne stopped chasing this kind of celebrity clout long ago. Instead, she has built a business of high-end, evergreen staples that make it easier to manage inventory and improve profit margins.

Had she known Meghan was about to give her a shout-out, Kayne deadpans in an interview with Inc., she likely would have had much more in stock.

Founded in 2002 in Los Angeles, the company says it did $140 million in revenue this past year. It has 109 employees and has expanded from a clothing line to include accessories, furniture, home items, and a skin care line called Oak Essentials. Kayne says she's had interest from both minority and majority investors, but “none felt like the right fit,” and she's remained independent. (It helps that her billionaire father is her clothing line's sole investor.)