Inside Kith’s Rapid Store Expansion — And What Makes the Williamsburg Flagship Stand Out
The Kith expansion continues.
Not long after revealing a door in Miami’s Design District, the Ronnie Fieg-led retailer has opened its second Brooklyn, N.Y. destination with Kith Williamsburg. The store, located at 25 Kent Ave., opened on March 24.
More from Footwear News
Kith Reveals 8th Street by Ronnie Fieg for Adidas and Clarks Originals Footwear
Kith Opens Miami Design District Flagship Just Weeks After Landing in Beverly Hills
“I’ve been living in Williamsburg for the past seven years and my headquarters is there. When I’m in New York, 90% of my time is spent between my home and my office, so I wanted to step into a space that’s a little north of where the action always has been in Williamsburg, to help pioneer the northern part of Williamsburg that is very beautiful. That’s always been the intention for the brand, to pop in on a block that is a place where we can help create a vibe,” Fieg said.
Inside, Kith will stock its in-house apparel, accessories and footwear for men, women and kids, as well as products from other top-tier brands. Also, the retailer’s Kith Treats cereal and ice cream bar is available to consumers as soon as they enter the store. The look of the Kith Treats area is executed with Rosa Aurora Stone and features a stainless-steel countertop and stools.
Courtesy of Kith
In terms of the store’s aesthetics, the new flagship was designed with elements synonymous with the company’s retail concept but adjusted with details that speak to Williamsburg being an industrial neighborhood. The space is minimalistic and executed in earth tones with a mix of brick, concrete, stainless steel, white oak and Rosa Aurora Stone. Also, Kith said the industrial ambiance is balanced with oak trees outside and the greenery that is spread throughout the store.
Also inside, Kith added a brick centerpiece used to highlight its footwear offering. The round brick sculpture, Kith explained, houses a locally-made, solid oakwood dome that is paired with a custom-fabricated chandelier of three concentric circles. The Kith Williamsburg changing rooms, according to Kith, are constructed with Venetian plaster and covered with Kith classic logo wallpaper.
To celebrate the occasion, Kith hosted a star-studded event last night in the Williamsburg store attended by celebrities with deep New York ties including Jim Jones, Carmelo Anthony and several others. Most importantly, these notable figures are the people who have been present during the ascent of both Kith and Fieg throughout the years.
“To me, the biggest highlight of last night was bringing my four favorite DJs of my lifetime into one space to spin — DJ Clark Kent, Stretch Armstrong, DJ Clue and Funk Flex. Those are the icons in New York City hip-hop. Bringing them in created an energy,” Fieg said. “And having my friends and family show up, between [New York Giants wide receiver] Sterling Shepard and [basketball stars] JR Smith, Carmelo Anthony — those are my New York guys, they’re very important people to me. Jadakiss, Fabolous, Nems, Nym Lo, Smoke Dza, those are my brothers and I just enjoy time together with them. These moments just give us a reason to all get together and have a good time. I felt that last night, it was a lot of fun.”
The store’s hours are Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET, and Sundays from 11 a.m. ET to 7 p.m. ET.
Courtesy of Kith
News on the opening comes on the heels of Kith revealing Fieg’s new collaboration with Adidas Originals and Clarks Originals. The trio created a new silhouette, available in three colorways that Kith explained unified “each brand’s identity into one.” The shoe features the Adidas Samba silhouette executed in the Clarks Originals signature suede, which sits atop the iconic Clarks crepe midsole and outsole. It also features leather heel lining, as well as Fieg, Adidas and Clarks Originals tri-branding on the tongue, tonal leather sock liner, fobs and box.
Kith Williamsburg has opened at a time when the company is rapidly expanding its brick-and-mortar footprint throughout the country. For instance, Kith announced late last month that it was opening a store in Miami’s Design District. The two-story store is located at 69 NE 41st St., and is the retailer’s second location in Miami. Aside from the footwear and apparel Kith consumers expect, the store also includes a Kith for Sadelle’s restaurant and a standalone Kith Treats across the street.
And in January, Kith announced it would soon open a flagship in Beverly Hills, Calif. Kith Beverly Hills, which is the second store in Los Angeles, is located on Rodeo Drive and consumes 5,500 square feet of retail space. The store also features a Kith Treats bar inside.
This expansion, Fieg explained, is to further give Kith consumers both longtime and new a home to gather and shop. The pace of the expansion, however, was not planned. Fieg said the opening of the new Kith stores was supposed to be staggered “very differently from the way they’re opening right now,” which is in large part due to supply chain delays.
“A lot of our materials are made in Italy, all of our stones are made in Italy, all of our millwork was made in Italy, so it took a while for the supply chain to correct itself. These were supposed to open six months apart, but it didn’t happen that way. They’re all opening kind of close,” Fieg explained. “There’s a lot of heart and soul put into these spaces. I want people to think about the brand through these spaces. That’s been a very important part of the brand since day one.”
He continued, “It’s been a great experience developing stores in different areas in the country and giving people other opportunities to shop the brand so they don’t have to go too far out of their way to get to stores in those areas. In Miami, we have two shops now, we have two shops in L.A. and we have three shops now in New York. Those are our homes and I wanted to make sure that I gave people great experiences in cities.”
Courtesy of Kith
Best of Footwear News
Sign up for FN's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
