Here's What Went Down With Hip Chixs Jeans After Shark Tank

Cast your mind back to 2013, and you may remember when Hip Chixs founders Aimee Urista and Megan Jackson Stoffer appeared on "Shark Tank" Season 4. The two met at Baylor University in Texas and bonded over their passion for jeans. That led to them creating their own denim line in 2009 — with a focus on the booty. Determined to make flattering pants for women of a range of shapes and sizes, their products featured niche angled pockets and a curved yoke (that's the V shape at the top) to really compliment the butt.

Not only was the bootylicious business centered around celebrating women's figures, but the products were designed with Texas weather in mind. Unlike traditional denim, Hip Chixs jeans were made from denim sateen. That gave the products breathability and comfort even in extreme heat, turning the idea that denim is a fabric to avoid in the summer on its head. Another big selling point? The jeans' ability to keep their shape without getting stiff. 

With so many impressive details, Urista and Jackson Stoffer felt confident enough to present their pants to Mark Cuban, Daymond John, Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner, and Robert Herjavec. But things didn't go as planned.

Aimee Urista and Megan Jackson Stoffer entered "Shark Tank" with a strong offer, as they sought to exchange 35% equity for $150,000. Compared to some other "Shark Tank" hopefuls, such as Fur, that was actually a pretty generous proposal. But even after Urista and Jackson Stoffer explained their premium denim line was created to flatter women's figures, the Sharks just weren't sold. Nor were they overly impressed with their lowly $12,000 in sales. 

Daymond John told the entrepreneurs the price point of $187 per pair was too high, while Robert Herjavec didn't think $150,000 would be enough to actually boost the business. So, neither handed over an investment. Lori Greiner was also unwilling to part with her cash. She thought the denim market was too saturated for them to make a real impact. Mark Cuban wasn't interested either, but he did share how impressed he was with the women and urged them to keep working as entrepreneurs. But the most unwilling to get on board with Hip Chixs was Kevin O'Leary. Mr. Wonderful didn't hold back in his critique of the denim business, blurting out after the women shared their profit margins, "You're making no money!" Yeah, that's definitely not something two businesspeople on "Shark Tank" want to hear. That meant the college grads were cast aside like an outdated denim trend and they walked out without a deal.

Having failed to secure a deal on "Shark Tank," Aimee Urista and Megan Jackson Stoffer attempted to get funding for Hip Chixs via a Kickstarter campaign. In a video created to boost investments, they revealed they were looking for a minimum of $50,000 to expand the range of styles and sizes. They also had even higher hopes of raising the $150,000 they originally wanted from the Sharks. "With $150,000, we can build the necessary company infrastructure for Hip Chixs, create seasonal collections, as well as design and develop other apparel categories," they explained. But, despite attracting 166 backers, the Kickstarter only raised $19,579 by its May 2015 deadline. On Facebook, Urista and Jackson Stoffer thanked those who donated and promised to honor the incentives offered, including handwritten notes and Hip Chixs merchandise. "We are figuring out the exact details and will let you know very soon. It is having people like you behind us that keep us fighting and pursuing our dream of Hip Chixs!" they wrote.

The two also hit the promo trail hard post-"Shark Tank." In September 2012, Urista spoke to People StyleWatch about Hip Chixs' ethos. "We want to motivate other women. And we also want to make women feel great, sexy, and beautiful in their jeans," she said. The entrepreneurs hopped on the influencer marketing train, too. The company teamed up with "American Idol" alumni Sonika Vaid, who modeled the bottoms on Facebook.

Despite Aimee Urista and Megan Jackson Stoffer's tireless efforts, Hip Chixs is no longer in business. The company's website, hipchixs.com, does not exist, and the brand's Amazon storefront has no products in stock. But there are still remnants of the company online. The brand's Facebook and X (previously known as Twitter) pages are still available. Both share a bittersweet final post uploaded in February 2017, which confirmed it had signed a deal with Front Door Fashion. But that wasn't enough to keep the business afloat. 

Due to a lack of funding, Hip Chixs struggled to fulfill its promise of creating jeans for a range of body types. That resulted in disgruntled customers making their voices heard on social media. "I like your jeans but not in my size and the cost is too high," one person commented on a May 2015 Facebook post. Hip Chixs confirmed its sizing issues that July, responding to a Facebook customer who asked about different lengths, "Right now our inseam is 34. Hoping to expand at some point but this is all we offer." It's also likely the business was heavily impacted by the rise of fast fashion, as a plethora of online businesses (such as Shein, Boohoo, and FashionNova) offer similar denim products at much lower price points.

According to Megan Jackson Stoffer's LinkedIn, she ended her position as Hip Chixs co-founder and creative director in July 2015. However, in 2020, she founded her own tissue paper art company, Megs Blooms, which is still in business at the time of writing. She also works as a photography stylist manager with fashion company Fossil Group, and serves as director of business development at the sustainable jewelry brand The True Gem. On her private Instagram page, Jackson Stoffer describes herself as a director, entrepreneur, wife, and mom, among other things. Clearly, she's kept herself pretty busy post-Hip Chixs.

As for what Aimee Urista has been up to since Hip Chixs ended, her LinkedIn reveals she's taken a big career U-turn. In January 2023, Urista began work as a self-employed fitness trainer. She also works part-time with the fashion and fitness company SculptHouse. But while her LinkedIn no longer makes any reference to Hip Chixs, her Instagram does. In old posts still on her grid, Urista showed off the now-former company's merch, including hats and t-shirts. Her grid also features a photo of herself and Jackson Stoffer on "Shark Tank." These besties clearly remained close after the show too, as Urista shared a post celebrating more than 20 years of friendship in January 2023.