Philomina Kina, the entrepreneur behind KIN Apparel, made use of the fact that almost everyone owns a hoodie and likes to take care of their hair as well. She came up with the genius idea of KIN Apparel, a brand that allows you the comfort of soft hoodies and, at the same time, takes care of your hair.
What Do They Make?
KIN Apparel is a revolutionary and innovative product that has introduced fashion and inclusivity through a range of satin-lined hoodies.
The hoodies are an excellent alternative to cotton hoodies, as they are lined with fine-quality satin. The smooth and soft material reduces friction and retains the natural moisture in your hair. This means more protection for your hair and less frizz.
The company makes thick hoodies, reversible satin pillowcases, and other products.
What Makes Them Unique?
Traditional hoodies are made from cotton, which is proven to absorb moisture from your skin and hair, making them likable to leech out moisture from your hair and leave them dry and frizzy. Such hair is prone to breakage, and that is why people with deadlocks or beautiful curls suffer due to these cotton hoodies because their hair is damaged from all that friction produced by cotton.
Are They Still an Active Company?
KIN Apparel is making a great impact on its customers and has garnered more than 160K followers on Instagram. The website is up and running, showcasing the launch of new products.
How Did the Shark Tank Pitch Go?
Philomina Kane made an appearance on Shark Tank in season 13 and sought $200,000 for 10% equity in her company, KIN Apparel.
Philomina presented her satin-lined hoodies through a great pitch and provided the Sharks with samples of her best hoodies and satin pillowcases.
She went to Princeton University in 2013 and did her undergrad from there. She resorted to the comfort of her hoodies when things got super stressful with her degree and studies, but Philomina realized that her hair was quickly falling out. Due to this, she had to put a scarf on her hair before putting on her cotton hood, and from there, she decided to start making hoodies that were built-in with satin lining.
She was manufacturing her products in China and had almost 200,000 subscribers on YouTube. That was how she was promoting hair care for black women by sharing her own hair journey.
She started her company the previous year with just $500 that she put into marketing and made $246,000 through her sales. That year, she was hoping to make $355,000.
She was using the platforms Instagram and TikTok and using her YouTube channel to promote her products. That is how her customer acquisition cost was zero.
Philomina wanted to buy more material for her hoodies so that she wouldn’t run out of stock so quickly and stop running on just pre-orders. That is why she needed the partnership and investment from one of the Sharks. The pre-orders cause the customers to wait for four to six weeks before receiving their orders.
She had $150,000 in the bank and had less than 500 units in inventory.
Kevin said that he liked to help business reduce their customer acquisition cost by using his millions of followers on social media platforms. He also mentioned that he had been successful with every business that he ever invested in, except for hair care products. That was the reason he went out.
Barbara described Philomina as a “chaotic poetry emotion” and commented that it is actually a bad thing when it comes to business. She thought that Philomina was brilliant and super creative, but with creativity comes several ideas that change every minute, and Barbara would have to control her continuously generating ideas every minute. She thought that Philomina had enormous potential, but Barbara wouldn’t be a suitable working partner for her. She went out.
Mark was next to go out. He liked to give chunks of his advice and help to people who were ready to fire it off, but since Philomina was already firing off ideas every minute, she needed someone who would contain her. Philomina said that she could change for them, and Mark asked her not to change herself for anyone, but he couldn’t “live” as much as she does.
Emma thought that the valuation that Philomina was asking was very high, and some kinks in her business needed to be removed. She said that all retailers were looking for black female founders, and her business was both speaking to the audience and being diverse and inclusive.
Emma said that Lori and herself would be great partners for her, and with Lori’s manufacturing and QVC background and Emma’s experience with the apparel industry, they would be great partners.
Emma offered her, in partnership with Lori, 30% of Philomina’s business in exchange for $200,000. Philomina countered with 20% for both of them together, and they refused. Emma said Philomina didn’t know where she was lacking, she wasn’t spending any money on marketing, and Emma and Lori would scale up her business even more than she would’ve imagined.
Philomina gladly accepted their offer with happy tears.
Our Review of KIN Apparel
The satin material is great for people who struggle with taking care of the frizz and damage to their hair, and KIN Apparel provides an easy solution to all those problems with their feasible satin-lined hoodies and headrest covers.
Pros of KIN Apparel
- The big hoods are feasible for people with big curls
- The hoodies, pillowcases, headrests, and other products are presented with the softest satin that eliminates hair damage.
Cons of KIN Apparel
- The satin-lined accessories are quite expensive as compared to other brands available on the market.
Who Is KIN Apparel For?
Almost every person in the world owns lots of hoodies they like to wear at home or while going out. The KIN Apparel hoodies come with large hoods lined with beautiful and soft satin that caters to beautiful big curls and allows you to wear your hoodies without squishing your hair or flattening it. The stain lining of the hoods protects your hair from damage and frizz and doesn’t absorb all the moisture as cotton hoodies do.
Are There Any Alternatives?
Currently, no other brands offer satin or silk-lined hoodies or other clothing apparel.
Our Final Thoughts
Emma and Lori were the perfect Sharks for Philomina. Their understanding, experience, and positive approach to the brand would be a great stimulus to take the business to the next level.
