KarinaJ Denim Targets the Comfort-First Shift Reshaping Global Fashion
- ByStartupStory | January 8, 2026
For decades, denim has been marketed as a wardrobe essential which is versatile, durable and timeless. Yet for millions of women, jeans remain one of the most uncomfortable items they own. Waistbands that dig in, rigid closures, and fits that work for an hour but not an entire day have become accepted inconveniences. A Yale School of Management student is now building a startup around a simple premise that jeans should adapt to daily life, not fight it.
Karina Gupta ’26, founder of KarinaJ Denim, is designing premium slip-on jeans that accommodate natural body fluctuations throughout the day, without sacrificing structure, durability or style. The venture, currently preparing for its first commercial launch, reflects a broader shift in consumer fashion, where comfort, adaptability and inclusive design are becoming mainstream expectations rather than niche preferences.
An Everyday Problem, Overlooked by an Entire Industry
Gupta’s startup did not begin as a fashion trend play. Instead, it emerged from personal frustration. Despite buying high-end denim for years, she says she never found jeans that felt consistently comfortable from morning to evening.
“Jeans are designed to fit one static moment,” Gupta says. “But our bodies don’t stay the same through the day, whether because of long work hours, travel, stress, or something as basic as sitting.”
Traditional denim relies on fixed closures like buttons, zippers and rigid waistbands which lock the wearer into a single measurement. Even custom-made jeans, Gupta argues, fail to solve the issue. Measurements taken at the wrong time of day can result in garments that feel loose or restrictive hours later.
At the other extreme are pull-on alternatives like jeggings, which offer flexibility but often compromise on fabric quality, durability and polish, making them unsuitable for professional or semi-formal settings.
This gap between comfort and credibility became the foundation for KarinaJ Denim.
From Curiosity to Concept
Gupta does not come from a traditional fashion background. Her early learning curve involved reaching out to apparel professionals, suppliers and consultants, largely through online networking. One early conversation with consumer brand consultant Amy Kapolnek helped crystallise the idea as a viable business rather than a personal pain point.
Seeking deeper industry exposure, Gupta attended Kingpins, one of the world’s largest denim trade shows in New York. There, she engaged directly with manufacturers, textile specialists and denim technologists, gaining insight into fabric sourcing, construction techniques and the realities of large-scale production.
A mentorship relationship with Katie Ague of Artistic Milliners proved particularly influential, providing Gupta with a technical understanding of denim that shaped the product’s eventual design philosophy which is premium fabric, longevity and thoughtful construction.
Building the Product, Slowly
Over the next three years, Gupta focused on product development rather than rapid scaling. She worked on multiple prototypes, refined fits, and built a vetted supply chain with a U.S.-based manufacturer. The denim itself is sourced from mills that supply established global brands, ensuring durability and finish comparable to traditional premium jeans.
The differentiator lies in the construction. KarinaJ jeans use a slip-on design that removes rigid closures while retaining structure, allowing the garment to adapt subtly to the wearer’s body over the course of the day.
“The goal was never to make casual or lounge denim,” Gupta says. “These are meant to look like proper jeans, just without the discomfort.”
From Idea to Brand
For much of its development, KarinaJ Denim remained under the radar. That changed when Gupta began formalising the brand during her time at Yale School of Management. She launched a website, established social media channels, and conducted professional photoshoots, one in New York and another in collaboration with Yale’s undergraduate fashion community.
The response, she says, was immediate and encouraging. Interest came not only from friends but from people outside her immediate network, many of whom resonated with the idea of jeans designed for real, everyday wear.
“That validation mattered,” Gupta notes. “It told me this wasn’t just my problem.”
Yale SOM and Entrepreneurial Support
Gupta credits Yale SOM’s entrepreneurial ecosystem with accelerating KarinaJ’s progress. Courses such as the Startup Founders Practicum provided structured feedback, exposure to experienced founders, and a disciplined approach to building a consumer brand.
Equally important was the peer environment. Being surrounded by classmates building startups across sectors, from apparel to health technology, created a support system that helped balance academic demands with entrepreneurial ambition.
Through Tsai CITY, Yale’s innovation hub, Gupta also received mentorship on branding, storytelling and long-term scalability from advisors including venture consultant Margaret Cartiera.
Preparing for Market Entry
KarinaJ Denim is now preparing for a Kickstarter launch in February 2026, a route increasingly used by early-stage consumer brands to validate demand and build a loyal customer base.
The initial collection will feature four styles; bootcut and straight-leg silhouettes, each in light and dark washes. Gupta says the objective is not rapid expansion, but careful growth driven by customer feedback.
Kickstarter, she adds, allows the brand to connect directly with early adopters who value functionality as much as aesthetics.
A Market Ready for Change
KarinaJ’s timing coincides with a broader shift in the global apparel market. Post-pandemic consumers have prioritised comfort and flexibility, forcing brands to rethink long-standing design norms. Adaptive clothing, once associated mainly with medical or accessibility needs, is increasingly influencing mainstream fashion.
Major retailers have begun launching adaptive lines, while denim brands globally are experimenting with elasticised fits, extended sizing and new fabric blends. For Indian consumers too, especially urban professionals balancing long workdays and travel, the demand for functional yet polished clothing is growing.
While KarinaJ Denim is currently US-focused, its value proposition of everyday comfort without compromising on appearance aligns closely with evolving consumer preferences in markets like India.
Looking Ahead
For Gupta, the success of KarinaJ will not be measured by trend cycles or fashion headlines.
“If someone wears these jeans all day and doesn’t think about them, that’s success,” she says.
As the brand moves toward its first commercial launch, KarinaJ Denim represents a new generation of consumer startups; founder-led, problem-driven, and built around lived experience rather than abstract market gaps.
In an industry long defined by rigid norms, Gupta’s approach suggests that sometimes, the most meaningful innovation is simply designing for how people actually live.
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