The Evolution of Kith: From Boutique Brand to Cult Status
Building a cult brand is tough.
It requires consistently showing up, fostering a community, addressing its needs as they evolve, and delivering messaging to prospective members about your offerings in new and novel ways.
Oh and you have to do that in ways that can cut through the social chatter & media discourse.
Sh*t is easy, right? Right?!
Anyway…
One way to achieve that status is to tap into culture via brand collabs.
Brand collabs are nothing new. For reference, Supreme does them, and they always sell out. Every time.
Other brands outside of fashion do them, too.
Almost every week, another brand finds a way to create a wacky combination that generates PR, and hopefully gets them into the cultural conversation.
They work (sometimes), but It’s gimmicky as hell.
However, when done correctly and with intention, a collab can put you squarely in any cultural conversation and make people feel compelled to buy — like good marketing should.
The most recent brand collab that elicited those vibes for me (a collab that sadly sold out in minutes) was from none other than
KITH.
Ronnie Fieg’s brainchild is one of the most popular brands in streetwear, and Kith’s penchant for leveraging other great IP for capsule collections doesn’t go unnoticed.
In fact, it’s given them a coveted distinction that most brands seek:
Cult Status.
In just over a decade, Kith has transformed from a single store to a global phenomenon -- all while staying true to its roots.
Ronnie Fieg didn't just make a brand; he built a community that resonates with a generation who values style and substance.
And look… It' hard to create that kind of brand, but don’t trip.
Today we’re gonna talk about Kith, and how they’ve leveraged culture to become one the best streetwear brands out there.
IT ALL STARTS WITH RONNIE…
Fieg's journey into the fashion world began long before Kith's inception.
His career technically started at the age of 13, working at David Z, a footwear store owned by his cousin David Zaken.
He quickly learned the business & climbed the ranks as David’s right hand man.
Ronnie was doing so well that eventually he was approached by Asics to a collab.
It was a collab that would see them create 756 custom pairs of the Asics Gel lyte III — affectionately known as the 252 pack (because it had 3 colorways with 252 pairs in each color).
But there was just one problem.
Ronnie brought in the Asics account, but he hadn’t told David about the commitment to work on the 756 pair collab.
Not only was David upset, but Ronnie knew that he’d be fired if the Asics collection failed to perform.
That sent him into overdrive.
He appeared at the store everyday to ensure that sales would happen, and as luck would have it, a writer from the Wall Street Journal heard his story and plugged the shoes in his column, ultimately leading them to sell out.
Upon the success of the collab, Ronnie did a few more deals under the David Z name. However, he soon realized it was time to go and forge a path of his own.
He reached out to family friend Sam for investment, and he allowed Ronnie to sell his shoes in a few his stores.
That success led to Ronnie opening his own shop.
And with that, KITH was born.
But how is Ronnie Tapping into culture with his brand?
I. He’s A Charismatic Leader Worth Rooting For
One of the chief ingredients to making a cult brand is having a charismatic leader.
Think about any “cult” you’ve ever seen…
Aside from the crazy ideals of the cult, what stood out is the leader — he/she was able to draw people in and build a movement on the back of the belief.
The same thing happened with Kith, more or less.
Ronnie has a come up story that you can’t help but respect. It reflects all of ideals of the American Dream & the best of what Hustle Culture aspires to be:
For those who don’t know, at his Bat Mitzvah (where it’s customary for the person to receive money in celebration) Ronnie turned down money from his cousin David instead asked him for a job.
From there, he literally went from the mailroom to being David’s right hand man. And eventually learned enough about the game to be his own boss.
It’s Hustle 101. 50 Cent would be proud.
But it doesn’t stop there…
II. Capsule Collections with Iconic Brands
The genius of Kith lies in the IP they leverage. It’s all backed by Ronnie’s personal affinity for those brands and the iconic status they’ve elicited in both his life, and culture at large.
Here are few that stand out…
A. Kith For The Wire
The first “L” I ever took on a Kith drop was back in 2022 (Ronnie, if you see this we gotta talk)
The collection in question leveraged IP from HBO’s classic show “The Wire”, and featured a range of apparel that had characters like Omar, and Marlo across them
See below for a pic of Jamie Hector (i.e. Marlo) wearing a sweatshirt saying “My Name Is My Name” — his most remember line from the show.
Like all Kith collabs, this one sold out instantly.
However, what’s important to remember is that in the list of brands that Kith/Fieg could choose for a capsule collection, he only chooses to leverage IP where the story transformed culture.
That goes for this collection, his Star Wars collection and many of the one we’ve yet to see.
III. Tapping Into Nostalgia
One thing Kith is known for is using nostalgia in their Out of Home and digital promotions for their collabs.
In their work with Bergdorf Goodman they used Sopranos star Christopher Moltisanti (who’s real name is Michael Imperioli) to promote the pieces. Recently they worked with Jerry Seinfeld too.
These are just a few examples of collabs the generated nostalgia for Kith:
A. Kith For Tommy HIlfiger
One of Kith’s most iconic collabs is the capsule collection they did in partnership with Tommy Hilfiger.
Tommy was one of the most beloved clothing brands of the 90s and has since been adopted by Gen Z and one of their favorite callbacks to that era (even being worn by rappers like Ice Spice)
B. Marvel | Kith For Asics
2023 marked the 60th anniversary of the X-Men and with that, Marvel needed a way to commemorate its most iconic series (we’ll debate later, just keep reading).
They turned to Kith who in turn announced that they’d be doing a new collection, with a twist.
The collection was around limited edition X-Men themed Asics that referenced the iconic 90s version of the show that used to appear on Fox.
The catch?
Fans didn’t get a chance to decide what pair they were receiving, it was totally random. You could get a wolverine pack just as easily as you could a cyclops pack. Seriously.
The collection came in 7 colorways (each representing one of the core X-Men), and included apparel featuring all of our favorite characters.
And, of course… It sold out. Immediately.
C. KITH x Nike For New York Knicks
In 2020 Kith partnered with Nike for a capsule collection on behalf of the New York Knicks.
Although he could’ve reached out to a younger rapper or influencer to plug the collection, he decided to reach back into the past.
This was MSG. The Knicks. New York.
With Ronnie being a huge Hip-hop fan he saw the potential to work some a group that encapsulated everything that New York stood for:
Dipset
Below are some of the pieces from the collection but to capstone of the campaign was a 4ish minute freestyle from the Dipset crew at Madison Square Garden while wearing the new collection.
Do I even need to mention that it sold out?
Wu-Tang x Knicks For New York
Building on the success of their work with Kith/Dipset, the Knicks partnered with Kith again in 2022 for another collection.
This time they reached out none other than Wu-Tang Clan to bless MSG with some bars.
If that wasn’t enough, November 11th was named “Kith Night” at MSG where they announced that their collection would release 1 day early and they would host a special in-game presentation.
THE LOX
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. A few months after the Wu-Tang freestyle the Knicks doubled down.
Being a New Yorker through and Through, Ronnie reached out to none other than the Lox to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Kith.
On top of a show at Madison Square Garden, Hip-hop fans were also treated to a brand new freestyle from The Lox (who were also sporting some of the new Kith Collection) in their video.
IV. Infusing Himself Into The Brand
A huge part of Kith’s success is that it is inextricably linked to Ronnie Fieg.
Because of that, a lot of the limited releases reflect his personal interests and inspiration. For fans who want a deep connection to the streetwear brands that they champion, it’s the perfect union of a high-end brand with a leader they respect.
This ideal comes to life in partnerships like…
Kith For BMW
In the world of auto, it doesn’t get more iconic than BMW. Fieg and the BMW got together to create something was a step above what most capsule collections are.
The partnership included the usual suspects: accessories for the car, everyday house items like mugs and carpets, and of course co-branded apparel.
But, it also included something else…
A remodeled BMW E3 — Ronnie’s favorite car, and a beloved silhouette by BMW (and hypebeast) enthusiasts.
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
Kith has had success that a lot of brands, let alone streetwear brands will ever realize.
Its success is from a mix of product quality, storytelling, and a good pulse for what’s happening in culture.
Moreover, everything about Kith is vertically integrated which helps ensure the health and success of the brand.
In Ronnie’s words “we do everything on our time” — that means their is no pressure to meet a schedule or hype cycle. THAT is what differentiates them from the average brand.
Who knows what the future holds for Kith, but I’ll definitely be tuning in (and trying to beat the bots), I suggest y’all do the same.
Peace.