Kat Von D sells namesake beauty brand to Kendo, steps down

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Jan 17, 2020

Kat Von D has exited her beauty brand, Kat Von D Beauty, in favor of focusing on her vegan shoe line and upcoming album. 

The beauty brand, which first launched in 2008, will now be completely owned by Kendo and will be rebranded as KVD Vegan Beauty, effective immediately. As part of her exit, Von D has sold all of her shares in the brand to Kendo.

In a statement, the entrepreneur and TV personality said she will no longer be involved with the brand in any capacity, citing her other commitments as the reason for stepping down.

"This past year has been one of great change for me,” said Von D. "As much as I wish I could balance all of this, on top of continuing my makeup line, it has become clear to me that I just can't do everything at the maximum capacity.

"This was not an easy decision, but after careful consideration, I decided I wanted the makeup line to continue to thrive and grow, and Kendo is primed to do just that."

Under Kendo, the brand will continue to offer its current lineup of over 250 products, as well as new products. 

Kendo CEO David Suliteanu commented: “Kendo, along with our global retail partner, Sephora, look forward to the continued growth of KVD Vegan Beauty under Kendo’s leadership, ownership, and direction. We are fully positioned to continue the brand's growth and development in both product and marketing. We have developed a very strong product pipeline for 2020 and beyond."

The move is expected to deflect attention from Von D's personal life, which has previously negatively impacted the beauty brand. In recent years, allegations have been made against Von D of anti-Semitism and of condoning the anti-vaxxer movement, both of which sparked controversy on social media and led to boycotts of the brand.

KVD Vegan Beauty is sold globally in 36 countries around the world, primarily via Sephora and kvdveganbeauty.com.