In 1996, Kiyonna Founder Kim Camarella-Khanbeigi was an aspiring entrepreneur with just one problem. She didn’t have a business idea. Then she went on vacation with one of her best girlfriends, and as they were hanging their clothes in their hotel room, Kim noticed that none of her friend’s clothes had any labels in them. When asked why, her friend laughed and said her mom made everything for her as no cute clothes were available past a size 16… and that was Kim's lightbulb moment!
She did some research and found that curvy women were definitely looking for somewhere new to shop, and looking for more modern styles, so she got busy and created a stylish line of her own. At the start, she had a tough time trying to get boutiques interested, but her line received accolades from magazine fashion editors.
Then in 1999, she started to sell her line direct online, and Kiyonna quickly became immensely popular. As sales gained momentum, so did Kiyonna’s team and depth of offerings. Kim says, "We’re in business still, after all these years, because we’ve always sold a feeling, not a product. I’ve always believed in the idea that curvy women deserved to look and feel stylish and amazing. Why not?"