Here's What Went Down With KENT Compostable Underwear After Shark Tank
Although you may not think of it often, when you're done with your underwear it has to go somewhere. Unlike other articles of clothing, used undies can't be donated (for hygienic reasons), so when they're thrown out they end up where the rest of the trash goes: landfills. Realizing that there was something that she could do about this situation, Stacy Grace launched KENT Compostable Underwear intending to make a difference in the environmental fashion world.
"My search for sustainable underwear began 10 years ago," founder Stacy Grace told Uncover LA in 2022. "I no longer wanted lacy, synthetic, and uncomfortable pieces. I believed briefs could be better. I started KENT to provide elevated everyday underwear that are as gentle on our skin as they are on our planet. To create the super natural essentials I've always dreamed of. Each piece is designed to feel better than before. Impeccable fit. Timeless colors. Extra comfy wear. Ultra-airy to keep our bodies (and mother earth!) cool."
According to Grace, in being 100% compostable, it only takes 90 days for these undies to break down and become fertilizer. She's called them a "fashion first." Grace and her husband Jeff took their "fashion to fertilizer" pitch to Shark Tank hoping to score a shark or two to grow their business.
What happened on Shark Tank
Stacy and Jeff showed up to Shark Tank looking for $200k in exchange for five percent of their business. As Stacy explained, millions of pounds of underwear end up in landfills every day, but with KENT, which is 100% compostable and plastic-free, the undies become fertilizer when they go in the ground. When the couple said that each pair of underwear sells for $20 to $24 and they admitted that they were breaking even regarding revenue, the questions started and the sharks couldn't help but keep talking over each other.
Despite being on track to make about $500k in 2022 and launch in Nordstrom that same year, Mark Cuban was the first one to pass on the investment opportunity. Barbara Corcoran offered $200k for 20% while boasting about her love for small businesses, and both Robert Herjavec and Lori Greiner offered $200k for 15%, the latter of whom said if KENT can do it with t-shirts, she's in. While it initially looked like Daymond John wasn't interested, he, too, saddled up to the table with $200k for 15% equity. Calling John "the fashion guru" of the sharks, Jeff explained that he was one of the targets they had in mind when coming into the tank — so that's who KENT ended up going with.
What happened after Shark Tank
After quite a bidding battle and a tense few minutes, the three new partners excitedly hugged and congratulated each other. On September 24, 2022, KENT announced their deal with Daymond John on their Instagram account and confirmed it with a press release in which Jeff said of their experience on Shark Tank, "When Daymond jumped back in with a deal, we were ecstatic. He's an industry icon and has had so much success growing mission-driven companies like ours."
In September 2022, Jeff told Humblerise that the appearance on Shark Tank was great for KENT's visibility, calling John their "dream shark" and admitting that they expected the reaction that their valuation got on the show, but that they're "still happy with where everything landed." Although John's plan for KENT was to expand the brand and they since have, it seems to be a relatively slow progression in doing so — which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Slow and steady wins the race, as they say.
KENT is still in business
2023 was a big year for KENT. As they said they would when they were on Shark Tank, they launched a line of t-shirts, as well as crop tops. On September 30, they announced that KENT is now available in Anthropologie. According to their website, they've been written about by over a dozen various sites, including Bloomberg, Refinery29, and the Los Angeles Times, just to name a few.
KENT has also made several roundups of "best" sustainable underwear, including Katja Vujić's list for The Cut in which Vujić wrote, "I've saved the best for last. Kent embodies everything I look for when I'm shopping for underwear: cute, versatile styles and colorways; an impressively short and well-vetted supply chain; a regularly visited and local factory that ensures fair pay; carbon neutrality; and best of all, every pair of Kent underwear is fully compostable, made with organic pima cotton and plant-based elastics... The underwear is extremely well made and has an impressive amount of stretch when you consider the total lack of synthetics." KENT definitely has a big fan there.
According to Money Rizz, as of 2023, KENT was worth $1.3 million. In January 2024, Ecothes listed KENT at number three on the 19 Best Organic Underwear Brands for Women.
What's next for KENT and its founders
Although Stacy is now using Anderson as her last name in some interviews, it appears that the couple is still together based on Jeff's Instagram account. According to LinkedIn, Jeff is still involved with KENT as a creative director, but he's also maintained his copywriting job. As CEO of KENT, Stacy seems to be the face and voice of the brand far more than Jeff. But as for the future?
"My vision is to create a company and products that do more good rather than just less bad for the environment and our bodies," Stacy told GoSolo in March 2023. "I'm motivated to continue building this company after hearing about customer love for our products and our mission, as well as motivated to inspire more and more people to bring composting into their lives if they can start learning about the benefits of composting via KENT, then I'd love to inspire them to bring it into their kitchen amplifying the positive impact." Considering the dire need for more sustainability right now, it might be safe to say that KENT will be around for a while, continuing to grow as a company and, ideally, inspiring others to lean into compostable products just as Stacy hopes it will.