Kat Von D sells beauty brand after almost 12 years

17 January 2020, 12:36

Jazmin Duribe

By Jazmin Duribe

Kat has sold her remaining shares to parent company Kendo.

Kat Von D just announced that she has sold her makeup brand, Kat Von D Beauty, after almost 12 years at the helm. The tattooist has decided to focus her attention on her son Leafer, one, vegan shoe line Von D Shoes and new album.

Kat shared the news on Instagram in a lengthy statement, shocking her fans. She wrote: "This past year has been one of great change for me. As many of you know, I gave birth to my beautiful baby boy, launched my vegan shoe line, and am now busy prepping to release my long awaited album in the Spring, followed by an international tour!

READ MORE: Kat Von D says her ex cheated on her with 18 different people

"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. It's hard to admit this, since I’ve always said 'you can do everything and anything'. But I don’t think admitting one's limits is a bad thing."

Kat Von D Beauty
Kat Von D Beauty. Picture: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images, @kvdveganbeauty via Instagram

Kat has sold her shares to Kendo, who already had shares in the business. Kendo, who also owns Marc Jacobs Beauty, is rebranding Kat Von D Beauty and it will now be known as KvD Vegan Beauty.

She added: "With that said, 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.

"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.

View this post on Instagram

This past year has been one of great change for me. As many of you know, I gave birth to my beautiful baby boy, launched my vegan shoe line, and am now busy prepping to release my long awaited album in the Spring, followed by an international tour! 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. It's hard to admit this, since I’ve always said “You can do everything and anything.” But I don’t think admitting one's limits is a bad thing. With that said, 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. 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. I'd like to thank my beloved fans+followers who supported my vision to create a brand that stood for compassion, true artistry, and challenged modern ideals of beauty — most of which I never could relate to. I was able to create a makeup line that made outsiders like me feel like we have a place in this “beauty” world, and gave myself and others the tools to express ourselves in our own unique way, whether it was embraced by the majority or not. And I just couldn’t have done any of this without you! Lastly, thank you for understanding+respecting my choice, as it was a difficult one to make, but one I am proud of regardless, and am confident that the team will continue the KvD legacy! Here’s to many, many more years of KvD Vegan Beauty!

A post shared by 𝐊𝐀𝐓 𝐕𝐎𝐍 𝐃 (@thekatvond) on

"I'd like to thank my beloved fans and followers who supported my vision to create a brand that stood for compassion, true artistry, and challenged modern ideals of beauty – most of which I never could relate to. I was able to create a makeup line that made outsiders like me feel like we have a place in this 'beauty' world, and gave myself and others the tools to express ourselves in our own unique way, whether it was embraced by the majority or not. And I just couldn’t have done any of this without you!

READ MORE: Kat Von D defends her "terrible" new blackout tattoo following backlash

"Lastly, thank you for understanding and respecting my choice, as it was a difficult one to make, but one I am proud of regardless, and am confident that the team will continue the KvD legacy! Here's to many, many more years of KvD Vegan Beauty!"

Needless to say, the internet had a mixed reaction to the news.

Kat launched Kat Von D Beauty in 2008 and she quickly became known for her cult product – the Tattoo Liner. She had always been heavily involved in her company and in 2016 she decided to make all of her products vegan, in line with her beliefs.

However, Kat has been hit by a series of controversies in recent years that has no doubt changed her image. Kat has been forced to deny claims that she is a Nazi and she received backlash for naming one of her lipsticks "Selektion", which was a term used by the Nazi regime. Meanwhile, Kat also received backlash for being an anti-vaxxer, which she has now denied, and her feud with YouTuber Jeffree Star.

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