Kheris's Fashion Line

Kheris was 10 years old when she delivered a unique comeback to classmates who were making fun of her dark skin: “I’m Flexin’ In My Complexion.” It was an expression her grandmother had used to remind Kheris to love herself. With the help of her mom and sister, she printed that phrase in big, bold lettering on two dozen T-shirts. In just 15 minutes, they sold out online. Since then, she’s sold more than 20,000 shirts on her company’s website and collaborated on designs with celebrities like Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o to share her message of empowerment.

When Kheris was 10 years old, classmates made fun of her dark skin. But she had a comeback: “Flexin’ In My Complexion.” It was something her grandmother had said to remind Kheris to love herself. With the help of her mom and sister, she printed those words on 24 T-shirts. She listed them online and they sold out in just 15 minutes. Since then, she’s sold more than 20,000 shirts on her company’s website. She has worked on designs with celebrities like Lupita Nyong’o, an Oscar-winning actress.

Kheris and her older sister, Taylor Pollard, are co-chief executives of their company. They work together to print, ship, and oversee T-shirt orders in the garage behind their mom’s house. “Producing a T-shirt is fairly fast when you have all the materials together—less than a minute,” Kheris explains. “I keep up with the demand with the support of my family.”

“I make sure that my work and school schedule don’t conflict by keeping a planner. I also set daily goals for myself to make sure that I keep up with everything that I am supposed to do,” Kheris says.

As more celebrities, like Beyoncé and LeBron James, spotlight Kheris’s clothing line, her brand is getting bigger. It has led to more opportunities to spread her message of self-acceptance. Along with running her business and managing schoolwork, she’s modeled for a Nike ad, voiced a character in the animated Nickelodeon TV show Middle School Moguls, and signed with Columbia Records as part of the girl group Run the World. Kheris wants to keep her business growing, and her sights are set on working with Black-owned brands like Fenty or Ivy Park in the future.

Kheris and her older sister, Taylor Pollard, run the company together. They work together to print and ship T-shirt orders in the garage behind their mom’s house in L.A. “Producing a T-shirt is fairly fast when you have all the materials together—less than a minute,” Kheris explains. “I keep up with the demand with the support of my family.”

“I make sure that my work and school schedule don’t conflict by keeping a planner,” says Kheris. “I also set daily goals for myself to make sure that I keep up with everything that I am supposed to do.”

Celebrities like Beyoncé and LeBron James have helped draw attention to Kheris’s clothing line. That has helped her brand become better known. And that gives her more chances to spread her message of self-acceptance. She still runs her business and does her schoolwork. But she has also modeled for a Nike ad and voiced a character in the animated Nickelodeon TV show Middle School Moguls. She even started recording music with a girl group called Run the World.

Kheris still wants to keep her business growing. In the future, she wants to work with other businesses owned by Black women like Rihanna or Beyoncé.

“The biggest lesson that I have learned is that it’s OK to mess up. It is completely normal. What is most important is that you keep pushing and moving forward,” says Kheris. “Running my business has also shown me the importance of uplifting others,” she says. “I receive messages daily from people of all ages and different backgrounds telling me that they thank me for sharing my story.”

“The biggest lesson that I have learned is that it’s OK to mess up. It is completely normal. What is most important is that you keep pushing and moving forward,” says Kheris. “Running my business has also shown me the importance of uplifting others,” she adds. “I receive messages daily from people of all ages and different backgrounds telling me that they thank me for sharing my story.”

KEY MATH IDEA: Calculating Shipping Costs

You can buy Kheris’s clothing only online at FlexinInMyComplexion.com. When a customer spends $75 or more, shipping is free. For orders less than $75, there’s a shipping fee for each item. Standard and expedited shipping have different costs. Use the charts below to answer the questions.

KEY MATH IDEA: Calculating Shipping Costs

You can buy Kheris’s clothing only online at FlexinInMyComplexion.com. When a customer spends $75 or more, shipping is free. For orders less than $75, there’s a shipping fee for each item. Standard and expedited shipping have different costs. Use the charts below to answer the questions.