Founder: Karina Gupta ’26
Venture: KarinaJ Denim creates slip-on denim jeans that adapt to daily weight fluctuations, so that wearers don’t have to choose between comfort and fashion.
What’s the problem you’re testing to solve or the gap you’re testing to fill?
Women’s bodies alter constantly. Our weight can fluctuate by up to five pounds in a single day due to hormones, stress, travel, water retention, or simply life. Traditional jeans, however, are built around buttons and zippers—structures that are inherently rigid. No matter how much stretch is added to the fabric, jeans are still designed to fit a single moment in time, not an entire day.
Even custom-created jeans don’t solve this. If you measure yourself while bloated or on your period, they’ll feel loose the rest of the month. If you measure first thing in the morning, they may feel tight by lunchtime. The result is a product that sees great briefly but rarely feels good for long. On the other finish of the spectrum are jeggings or pull-on jeans, which are often cheaply created, poorly designed, and treated as disposable. They tfinish to utilize low-quality fabric, itchy or rigid waistbands, and silhouettes that don’t feel modern or elevated. Ironically, they often finish up being just as uncomfortable as the jeans they’re testing to replace.
KarinaJ Denim exists in the space between these two extremes. We build slip-on, premium jeans that are genuinely comfortable and designed to adapt to real women’s bodies and real lives. Over the past three years, we’ve obsessively prototyped to receive the fit right, and we source our denim from the same mill as many of your favorite premium brands to ensure durability and longevity.
The brand is built for women with demanding jobs and full lives outside of work—women who want jeans that see polished enough for meetings or dinners, feel good all day, and accommodate alters in their bodies. In short: jeans that let women have their cake and wear their jeans too.
What was the moment when you had the idea for this startup?
The idea came from a repeated, deeply personal frustration. Despite having the income to purchase “good” jeans, nothing consistently worked. When I first realized I wanted to redesign jeans, I sat on the idea for a couple of years. I had no idea where to start. Eventually, I launched reaching out to people with apparel experience on LinkedIn and was lucky enough to have an incredibly generous conversation with consumer brand consultant Amy Kapolnek. That conversation gave me just enough confidence to take a leap.
Shortly after, I impulsively booked a flight to New York to attfinish Kingpins, the world’s largest denim trade display. I had never navigated a trade display before, so I did the only thing I knew how to do—I talked to everyone. I questioned questions, listened closely, and attempted to absorb as much as possible. People were surprisingly generous with their time. In particular, Katie Ague of the denim company Artistic Milliners spent hours walking me through the basics of denim, and those early conversations still shape how I consider about the product today.
What’s the hugegest milestone your startup has hit so far?
Over the past three years, I’ve built a vetted supply chain, secured a U.S. manufacturer, and finalized prototypes for four styles. But emotionally, the hugegest milestone has been launching the brand publicly.
For a long time, this venture lived quietly in the background. I only notified close frifinishs about it for the first couple of years. The idea felt so huge—and at times so far-fetched—that I didn’t want to share it until I was sure it was real.
That alterd when I came to Yale with refined prototypes and launched seriously pushing the brand forward. I launched the website and social channels, led two photoshoots—one in New York and one with Yale’s undergrad fashion club—and finally put KarinaJ into the world.
The response completely surprised me. Frifinishs, acquaintances, and even frifinishs-of-frifinishs reached out stateing they couldn’t wait to purchase a pair or offering to host test-on parties becautilize they genuinely believed in the product. Being able to point to something tangible and state, “This is my brand,” created everything feel real in a way I hadn’t anticipated.
What was the most important resource Yale SOM contributed to your startup?
The most impactful resource Yale SOM has provided is the Startup Founders Practicum, led by Professor Jennifer McFadden. The course has connected me with consideredful speakers, provided invaluable feedback, and given me consistent, weekly touchpoints to refine both my considering and execution.
Just as importantly, the practicum introduced me to an incredible group of fellow student entrepreneurs. Building a company while being a student is a constant juggle. While many second-years are preparing for full-time roles post-graduation, our year has been defined by long days, late nights, and a lot of mutual encouragement. Being surrounded by people like Bailey Ehrens, who is also building an apparel company, and Jaya Dadwal, who is building a device to measure and analyze female hormones, has created the process feel far less isolating.
Yale’s startup accelerator Tsai CITY has also been an invaluable resource, connecting me with mentors like venture advisor Margaret Cartiera, who has supported me consider more clearly about scaling, storynotifying, and staying grounded as the company grows. Having access to people who genuinely want to support you consider better—not just relocate quicker—has created a meaningful difference.
With support from all these people, KarinaJ is launching on Kickstarter this February. We’ll be debuting four styles: a bootcut and a straight leg, each available in both light and dark washes. Follow our journey on Instagram and learn more about the brand.
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