What if the cool cats in fashion unknowingly sit on one of the golden keys to sustainability? Our collaboration with KITH and KSUBI got us thinking...

1. IS CREDIBILITY THE
UNTAPPED KEY TO
SUSTAINABILTY?
Some 38 years ago, back in June 16 of 1982 a boy was born
in Queens, NY. He was named Aaron Fieg, which perhaps
doesn’t turn any heads, but mention is nickname Ronnie
Fieg and everyone with a serious interest in streetwear will
nod in recognition and admiration.
In his early teens, he found himself immersed in
sneakerhead culture as he started working at David Z, a
legendary retailer in Greenwich Village.

2. AARON FIEG
PICTURE FROM INSTAGRAM
instagram.com/ronniefieg/

3. Fast forward through the years at David Z and his daily
commutes back to Queens (supplying cool kicks to his
friends), the successful collaborations in sneakers (like
with Asics) and of course, the revolution that the Internet
brought to streetwear and how that affected the market,
Fieg came to co-found Kith in 2010. The first two shops
opened in New York in 2011 and within a year, the first Kith
clothing line was launched based on public demand.
It’s safe to say that Fieg’s deep understanding of credibility
together with his passion has been instrumental in
building Kith to where it is today.
From his first sneaker collaborations ’til today, he has
attracted more or less every credible label there is and
launched a ”Kithified” version of it while keeping the
credibility.
That’s no small achievement
in the world of cool.

4. In 1999, a graffiti artist
and a poet both
originating from
Australia met at a bar in
LA and found that they
shared a common passion
for making ”the denim
brand that was missing in
the market”.
In other words what was to
become Ksubi.
The catwalk show in 2001 included 169 rats and the pure,
unapologetic, power of the subculture brand saw a long row
of celebrities becoming instant fans.
Music was always an important part of the brand and as a
measure of its influence on pop culture, the brand has
repeatedly been referenced in the lyrics by some of the
most credible artists around. After a rather bumpy period
and a rename from Tsubi to Ksubi after a lawsuit, the brand
is still a shining rebel star in the denim sky.

5. Being trusted with manufacturing the collaboration
between Kith + Ksubi using our responsible production
methods is definitely something we’re proud of. From the
start, it was clear that having a passion for the product was
a key ingredient in the collaboration, something that we all
share and cherish.
The element of incorporating sustainability was a trigger
for all and the products are made with the latest production
methods, both in terms of social and environmental
sustainability.
In short, a collaboration
unified by passion.
This story could have ended right here and the headline
could have been something along the lines of the above. ”A
COLLAB UNIFIED IN PASSION”. However, the key to
making a sustainable product is not only to secure social
and environmental sustainability in production, but also to
make the product desirable enough to give it a long life.

6. In other words, to make a product that is credible and
therefore valuable on the second hand market.
The textile industry, that we are part of, is facing a lot of
challenges and we, as so many others, aim to be part of the
solution. To create a regenerative model that supports
circularity is not easy, but together we can do it.

7. Starting from design, every garment from the Kith+Ksubi
collection is loaded with credibility and will definitely have
a second life on a credible re-sell forum. Perhaps some of
them will even be given a third, tenth and fiftieth life
through one of the rental models before being repaired for
re-use. Recycling is suddenly pushed into a very distant
future.
This is rather easy to
understand, but it got us
thinking.

8. Of course everyone can understand that Aaron Fieg of KITH
is a unique person that achieved something that very can,
but what if there are elements in this that can be
transferred to the world of fast fashion?
Is credibility a key to sustainability? If yes, can we
incorporate this into everything we do?
Does credibility have the
power to change everything?
Cross Textiles, January 2021