Instead, she found a way to actually see the fruits of her labor while using her skills in inventive ways. “Very, very early on, I had the idea of reconciling celebrities with brands. And I realized very, very quickly how working with talent can really speed up a business, ”she explains. “I started an agency when I was 24 and had clients all over the world. That was my job. My job was to work them with talent, and that’s how I saw the power of celebrity influence firsthand.”
While this work was a clear precursor to the world of influencer marketing we know today, it was also a logistical building block on their way to becoming the Kardashians. “When you worked in my stores,” she says, “it was your business to know all of the managers, agents, and publicists in Hollywood.” When it came to Kris, however, her hangout was in Paris. “She would be at Fashion Week with one of her daughters,” explains Grede. “I would meet and tell her what my clients are looking for and we would have a business meeting.”
When it was time for Emma to come up with an idea of her own for one of Kris’ clients, things continued as usual. “It didn’t feel like a scary thing,” she recalls. “It was a person who was always open to opportunities that might be good for their customer-slash daughters, so I wasn’t afraid to introduce Kris at the beginning.”
As Emma says of the famous momager, “She’s such a great woman, and she really is that smart, so I thought, ‘Of course she’s going to love this idea. It’s a brilliant idea.'”
