Kim Kardashian may have built a business on her sex appeal, but her brother Rob has started a new company based on his ... socks appeal.
The sole male Kardashian offspring has started a high-end, brightly-colored sock line named Arthur George, available exclusively at Neiman Marcus.
While the average male dress socks from say, Target, cost $2.99, Kardashian's socks wll put buyers back $30 for a single pair.
In his defense, 25-year-old Kardashian's socks are pretty snazzy. Take a look:
But before the wild-patterned feet warmers can hit the shelves at high-end department store Neiman Marcus, a lot of work first goes on behind-the-scenes.
Kardashian, who is very hands on with his sock line, spoke to Racked, and revealed how the line comes to life.
"I know this third-generation Armenian guy, his name's Jonathan, and it's his family business. I'm Armenien and there's a trust [level] in the Armenian community. He's my manufacturer and he's been in the business for so long. I learn from him. I have full control, though. I make sure to go to the factory, meet everybody, and to our warehouses here. I want to know what's going on. It's hard but it's good because it's what I want to do and it's my thing."
Kardashian says he finds creative inspiration in everyday things, like, "The wallpaper at the Beverly Hills Hotel."
As for this being his foray into fashion — unlike his sisters who own and run women's clothing store DASH — he says, "I've already made so many changes in packaging and length that I'm eager for those to come out. It is my first project so I'm learning and it's trial-and-error, but it's doing well."
Kardashian tells Racked his five-year-plan for the line:
"I don't want to compare myself to anyone else, but there's Paul Smith who I think does a great job. I feel like once I sort everything to the best quality, I'll be able to compete with them. I mean, there really aren't too many sock companies. Eventually there will be pajamas and probably handkerchiefs. You have to start small."
And as for his ideal customer? "In a dream world, probably Karl Lagerfeld. That would be pretty cool. He probably doesn't wear socks, though. He's very Euro."
But regarding that famous last name of his, Kardashian says he wanted to try this endeavor on his own — hence why he shed "Kardashian" in favor of the name "Arthur George."
"Arthur George honestly [came] really quickly to me. I don't like to use my last name. I don't like it attached to things because people think you can just stamp your name on something and it's not organic or that you're just doing it for money. I would do this even if I wasn't on TV or in the limelight. I mean, I can't get away from my name—it is what it is. But at the end of the day, I don't want people to associate [Arthur George] with my sisters' brand."
But it sure doesn't hurt to have famous relatives push the merchandise to their millions of followers ...
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