LOS ANGELES, Sept. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Four-time Grand Slam tennis champion and activist Naomi Osaka launches KINLÒ, a functional skincare brand that is formulated specifically for people with melanated skin. As a first time CEO, Osaka worked with GoDaddy to create a custom website and online store, along with her partners at A-Frame, a Los Angeles based holding company that develops talent-led sustainable personal care brands built for underserved communities, making the KINLÒ vision a reality.
"Bringing KINLÒ to life was a personal and professional goal of mine. I am thrilled that my first entrepreneurial endeavor will be something meaningful to my community, and I couldn’t be more thankful for my team at A-Frame and GoDaddy. Through my personal experience and learnings, I have found that Black, Brown, and other melanated skin toned communities are often an after-thought in the discussion and research surrounding sun care, including being excluded from clinical studies on skin cancer. Additionally, there is a lack of sun protection products being made with melanated skin in mind. These points have all led me to create KINLÒ, a mission-first brand," says founder and CEO Naomi Osaka.
Made with clean formulations, KINLÒ offers an assortment of active and recovery skincare products built to protect and rejuvenate melanated skin tones. The line includes an Active Golden Rays Sunscreen that is mineral-based and designed to eliminate whitecast, as well as a Hydrating Eye Cream, Hydrating Golden Mist, and Hydrating Lip Balm. The brand plans to expand their skincare line, centered on both protection and recovery from the sun and blue light.
Founder Naomi Osaka will helm KINLÒ as CEO with Dr. Naana Boakye serving as Dermatology Director to help ensure formulations are of the highest efficiency and standard and that education about skin cancer, in particular, skin protection in the Black, Brown and Asian-Pacific communities, is a priority. Vanessa Motley Coleman has been named Vice President and will oversee business operations along with the global team at A-Frame.
The brand pays homage to Naomi’s bicultural heritage in the meaning of the name KINLÒ, with both Kin and Lo meaning "gold" in Japanese and Haitian Creole respectively. Naomi selected GoDaddy as her exclusive e-commerce and website partner to help the busy, first-time entrepreneur bring her digital platform to the world. KINLÒ will first launch exclusively online at www.kinlo.com.
"We’re so honored to have worked with Naomi to turn her passion project into reality," said GoDaddy CMO Fara Howard. "GoDaddy is about empowering entrepreneurs everywhere to give their ventures a home online and to help them sell anything, anywhere. We’re thrilled to be that place for KINLO."
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ABOUT KINLÒ
KINLÒ is a functional skincare brand founded by Naomi Osaka in partnership with A-Frame brands. The company will publicly launch in Fall 2021 through a partnership with GoDaddy. Kinlo is financially backed by A-Frame, Initialized Capital, and Endeavor, along with notable Angel investors including Champion of Equality Billie Jean King and Full Picture Founder Desiree Gruber, among others. Senior operators include Chief Brand Officer Martin Ekechukwu, Creative Director Shena Clark, and Chief Operating Officer Avantha Arachchi.
ABOUT NAOMI OSAKA
Naomi Osaka is one of the most explosive and influential tennis players of all-time. She is the first Asian player to hold the No.1 ranking in singles and the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam. Her extraordinary tennis triumphs combined with her off-court activism make her one of the biggest global names in all of sports. In 2013, Osaka entered the WTA professional circuit as a rising star quickly gaining fans and media attention through her powerful serve and strong forehand. Since then she has won 4 Grand Slams – twice winning the US Open and Australian Open. She has won all 4 of her Grand Slam finals played, making her only the third player in history to do so after Monica Seles and Roger Federer. Her 2020 US Open triumph was set against the backdrop of a pandemic and social unrest, drawing accolades from across society. In 2020, Osaka was named Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year, Ad Weeks Most Powerful Woman in Sports, Forbes Highest Paid Female Athlete of all Time, and one of Time Magazine 100 Most Influential People, while gracing the cover of The Wall Street Journal Magazine, Ad Week, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, High Snobiety, Harpers Bazaar Japan and Vogue, to only name a few. Her name also became known as a voice in activism on and off the court with bold statements publicizing the names of victims of police brutality and shining a light on social inequality in our nation. 2020 also highlighted Naomi’s love for all things fashion as she appeared at New York Fashion week for the first time, showcasing a collation she co-designed with Adeam. The show garnered positive reviews from fashion publications such as Vogue and WWD. In 2021 it was announced that Osaka would become a global ambassador for the Paris Fashion House Louis Vuitton. Naomi is the proud daughter of a Haitian father and Japanese mother and was born in Osaka, Japan. She moved to the United States with her family at the age of 3. She represents Japan in competition and will be the face of the Tokyo 2021 Games.
ABOUT A-FRAME
A-Frame is a Los Angeles based holding company that develops talent led, personal care and wellness brands created to solve everyday problems for those that need it most. At A-Frame, authentic representation and care is fully embodied by a team that genuinely reflects, at all levels, the communities being served.
ABOUT GODADDY
GoDaddy is empowering everyday entrepreneurs around the world by providing all of the help and tools to succeed online. GoDaddy is the place people come to name their idea, build a professional website, attract customers, sell their products and services, and manage their work. Our mission is to give our customers the tools, insights and the people to transform their ideas and personal initiative into success. To learn more about the company, visit www.GoDaddy.com.
SOURCE KINLÒ
