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| Designed by famous graffiti artist Doze Green |
I wanted to start this
a bit differently than previous interviews with Alex. I feel it's
important to get a little history to have a better understanding of
how Kikwear came to be so let’s start with a bit of a history and
then well get to the future of Kikwear.
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| Resident DJ Rafer Rawb knows how to keep his Kikwear Phatties looking great |
Alex has been fortunate
enough to have worked for himself since high school, teaching tennis
during his summers. After graduating in 1987, Alex attended San Diego
State University and studied Business Finance. Four years into his
planned 5 years of college education (1991) his best friend and the
co-founder/Kik partner, Gregg, came to Alex with a plan. This plan
lead to the first Kik style called “Longy's”, a breathable, plush
back band, knee length boxer. With the birth of Longy's came an array
of patterns and fabrics including plaids, stripes, and
solids so there was a huge variety to choose from. As any guy that
has had to deal with the hassles and discomfort of an inferior boxer
will tell ya, these things were basically the “Rolls Royce of Boxer
Shorts.” Instead of heading back
to SDSU to finish up his degree, Alex chose to stay in Los Angeles to
start Kikwear and wrap up the courses he needed to earn his degree.
Alex continued taking night classes at various local colleges, Cal
State L.A., Cal State Northridge and Santa Monica City College. After
travelling for a year between multiple colleges he was still unable to
find courses that would satisfy the requirements for the upper level
finance classes he needed to graduate and ended up 9 units shy of his
degree. But having started Kikwear at the age of 21, I think most of
you would agree that in the 22 years Alex has run the company, he
may have learned a bit more than those 9 units would have ever taught
him.
Me: We've seen
the explosion Kikwear has seen in popularity in the EDM scene, but
what's next for the company?
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| Zoe VanWest sporting her Kik 69ers for a photo shoot |
Alex: Kikwear
re-launched last December and the timing was perfect heading into
2013. The EDM scene has indeed exploded globally and it seems the one
thing missing was an iconic clothing brand for the old skool and new
generation of ravers to have new gear they could proudly wear and
support. We opened the doors in 1991, but there was a huge gap that
our product wasn't out there in the scene. Now that we're back in
action, we've started to reach the massive number of ravers around
the world. What's next? Well, we're going to continue building the
Kikwear brand with new styles, colors and there's a ton of excitement
about that. However, the next big corporate move is the reboot of
Kikgirl. We're fired up to bring this brand back and it seems that a
lot of girls are ready for it too. Zoe VanWest designed some awesome
gear and Rob VanWest is leading the way with the KG graphics.
Me:
Can we expect to see some sweet casual clothing coming in the
near future? Personally, I loved the classic button ups and was
wondering if we might be lucky enough to see a return of
those?
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| Kikwear Street Team Leaders of Atlanta, GA. Ricky Trentini and Desiree Chomenko |
Alex: We do plan on expanding the Kikwear brand
this year and into 2014 with a broader base of styles. We know that
the ravers love the Kik phatties, but we've also had a ton of
business on our new 23" micro-suede cargo pant. We plan to
continue launching new phatts, but also add some smaller leg opening
styles such as 23" and 26" denims that are in development
now. As for other categories like button down shirts, we still
haven't decided on how quickly we want to introduce gear in that
arena. There is so much we can do with both the Kikwear and Kikgirl
brands that we're mulling over. Let's just say that within the next
year or so, both brands will be expanding their offerings in order to
hit a bigger consumer space while staying true to our EDM roots.
Me: Any big
projects in the works? Are we going to be waiting with baited breath
for some festival sponsorship or major events?
Alex: Kikwear is
continuing to sponsor events all over the country and Canada. As we
approach festival season, it's possible that we're going to
participate in some of them. We aren't really divulging that info
just yet, but we are talking to a lot of festival event promoters. We
also hope to sponsor events in Europe and Australia down the
road.
Me: What's your favorite part of being CEO at
Kikwear?
Alex: My
favorite part of being the CEO of Kikwear is far and away interacting
with all of the amazing people in the EDM community. I love talking
to our fans on FB, street team members, Kik DJ's, event promoters and
so many amazing individuals that have become part of the Kikwear
family. It's pretty awesome getting to know so many amazing
people in this scene around the world and developing close
relationships with them. I'm very hands on, so I've had the pleasure
of working closely with a vast number of extremely talented and
dedicated people. I get a huge thrill from that interaction that
wouldn't be attainable if I didn't put myself out there.
Me: How do you
juggle being the CEO of Kikwear with being a husband and father? Does
it get overwhelming at times?
Alex: The
dynamic of being so close to the Kikwear action and being both a
husband and father to three amazing young children and incredible
wife has been interesting. It's sometimes tough to shut off the
electronics when I get home from work, and I'm trying to find a good
balance with that. Since I'm in charge of all the FB content and
moderate the page there are messages or time line posts coming in
constantly. Often times, I need to answer questions or help someone
that wants a suggestion on something to purchase at Kikwear.com, so
this is a work in progress. The EDM community has a different
schedule than me at times. And if a potential customer posts a
question that isn't immediately answered, he/she can get upset which
is understandable. I do my best to address everything in a timely
manner, but occasionally something slides to the next day.
Me: What can we
expect to see with the next line that will be hitting the site? Can
we expect new colors (I love my classic olive green phatties) and
fabrics?
Alex: We are
adding fresh new colors and styles in April that will primarily
consist of t-shirts, head wear and accessories. The next wave of new
pant colors and styles will be hitting Kikwear.com in May-July. Pant
production takes significantly more time than the other categories
we're currently offering.
Me: What have
you heard from the fans as far as feedback?
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| Kikwear kandi cuff made by East Coast Street Team Leader Laurie Forte |
Alex: The
feedback from our fans and customers has been overwhelmingly
positive! They are just thrilled that Kikwear is back and
available again while Kikgirl is gearing up for her big re-launch
in 2-3 months. I think the overall excitement that we're back is
amazing and we will continue to support the EDM community because we
absolutely love it and all of the people who make this great movement
tick. It's all about freedom of expression and P.L.U.R.R
Many
thanks to Drew "Inkkie" Ross, our outstanding and loyal
National Street Team leader of New Hampshire for asking me these
questions for this blog piece. I hope you got some more insight into
Kikwear Industries after reading this.
As always it has been
my pleasure working with Alex to bring the many Kikwear fans out
there another hearty dose of Kikwear knowledge. Big things are in the
works and with a dedicated man at the wheel don't expect this ride to
end any time soon. Thank you everyone out there that has supported
Kikwear over the years and big props to my Kikwear Street Team
family. Without dedicated fans this wouldn't be possible. And this
has truly been a dream come true for me. Remember to be safe out
there and keep the spirit of the scene alive. Live for tomorrow but
dance like it may never come.
P.L.U.R.
Drew 'Inkkie' Ross
