Big news in the beautysphere! Kat Von D bid an emotional farewell to her fans on Thursday, January 16, when she announced that she’s turning full ownership of the company to Kendo, the company that’s backed the brand from the beginning.
According to a brand representative, the celebrity tattoo artist will no longer be involved with the brand in any capacity. Thus, the line will rebrand under a new name, KVD Vegan Beauty.
In an Instagram caption announcing the news, the former LA Ink star 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. 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.”
She continued: “With that said, I’ve decided to step down as founder (and from all other capacities) of Kat Von D Beauty, and sell my shares of the brand, turning it all over to Kendo, my partners for the past 12 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 Kendo is primed to do just that.”
But fear not: the products beauty lovers have fallen in love with since the brand launched in 2008 will remain in the rebranded line. That means products like the brand’s top-seller, Tattoo Liner and its game-changing Everlasting Liquid Lipstick won’t be going anywhere.
Kendo will now solely be in charge of creating new products that align with its high-performance, vegan, and cruelty-free standards. David Suliteanu, the CEO of Kendo, says the team is excited and ready for the challenge.
“I want to thank Kat for helping to change the beauty industry with us,” said Suliteanu. “The products we created together have stood the test of time and become icons. 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.”
