Kith Becomes an Institution
Their latest runway and marketing campaign have everyone talking
Fashion weeks - specifically the big four (New York, London, Paris, and Milan) - have historically been reserved for high fashion brands. It’s only been within the last decade or so to see an influx of mid-luxury brands participate in these events. Fashion weeks now seem to be at an interesting inflection point. Earlier this year the British Fashion Council decided to cancel London Men’s Fashion Week that took place each summer, while other fashion weeks in cities like Mexico City, Shanghai, and Tokyo seem to be swelling in popularity. Some brands choose not to be bound by the confines of these events and instead host their own runways on their own terms. Ten days ago Kith did just that, and aligning it with their Fall ‘25 marketing campaign made it resonate spectacularly well.
Before this event, Kith hadn’t hosted a runway since 2019. There could’ve been a number of reasons for this but my suspicion is that Ronnie Fieg (Kith’s founder) wanted the entire team to focus on the growth of the company. More storefronts, stronger and more frequent collaborations, high quality collections that look good, etc. have all led to Kith’s massive success today. Titled “Institution,” the runway made a statement on several levels. The word institution has power behind it. It shows a permanence within an industry or vertical. It separates you from the brands who hop on the latest trends to a brand who sets the standard. Over the years Kith has proven they’re able to be part of the conversation of what’s cool within menswear.
Runway Show
The show took place in front of their newly remodeled flagship store on Lafayette Street in NYC’s NoHo. Regular models strutted the runway, but there were also some familiar faces like NY Knicks player Jordan Clarkson and rapper Jim Jones. About half of the runway represented the brand’s love and affiliation of sports culture. They’ve done previous capsules in partnership with the Yankees, the Knicks, and the Giants, so this continues to be intertwined with what they create.
The other half of the runway was made up of more elevated outfits. These smart casual looks make the models, and the subsequent consumers who will buy them, look like their style is top tier, yet effortless.
We also can’t forget to mention the footwear that the models wore. The latest loafers, dress shoes, and sneakers from brands like Blackstock & Weber, Birkenstock, Adidas, and Clarks. Footwear is at the start of a resurgence with so many brands making waves and Ronnie made sure that the models had the perfect shoe to complete their aesthetic.
Fall ‘25 Marketing Campaign
The brand’s latest marketing campaign was released a few days later and, like many others that came before it, was completely star-studded. Something that Kith tends to be very intentional about is highlighting its NYC roots and that the brand is deeply embedded within the city’s culture. Comedians (John Leguizamo and Chris Distefano), athletes (Malik Nabers and Nigel Sylvester), musicians (Noriega and GASHI), local legends (Mark Iacono and Cugine) and more can all be found within their multi-layered campaign. More than just product photos, this marketing push for their new collection featured short interviews with the aforementioned people and even a new song.
We should expect more events, activations, and campaigns on this level from them moving forward. Kith has shown the world time and time again that they aren’t moving with culture, they’re creating it.