Ronnie Fieg - Building Kith - [Invest Like the Best, EP.399]
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Who is Ronnie Fieg and how did his early work at David Z shape his career?
I know firsthand how complex the tech stack is for asset management firms.
What was the story behind the iconic Jerry Seinfeld campaign for Kith?
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How does Ronnie define the “product philosophy” that drives Kith’s collaborations?
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Why did the Queens College sneaker project become a turning point for Kith?
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What is the concept behind Kith’s store design and community‑building approach?
Hello and welcome everyone. I'm Patrick O'Shaughnessy and this is InvestLike the Best.
How did the first ASICS Gel‑Lyte 3 collaboration launch Kith into the spotlight?
This show is an open-ended exploration of markets, ideas, stories, and strategies that will help you better invest both your time and your money. Invest Like the Best is part of the Colossus family of podcasts, and you can access all our podcasts, including edited transcripts, show notes, and other resources to keep learning at joincolossus.com.
Patrick O'Shaughnessy is the CEO of Positive Sum.
What lessons has Ronnie learned from working with global partners like Adidas, BMW and the Knicks?
All opinions expressed by Patrick and podcast guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of Positive Sum. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. Clients of Positive Sum may maintain positions in the securities discussed in this podcast.
What advice does Ronnie give to ambitious creators who are still searching for their breakthrough?
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My guest is Ronnie Feig, founder and CEO of Kith. At age 13, Ronnie started working at David Z, an iconic New York shoe store where he sold Timberland boots to Jay-Z and Wallabies to Wu Tang clan. He worked his way up from the stock room and earned his first collaboration in 2007 when he worked with ASICs on a new line of their Gell Lite 3s. That collection sold out in a day after being featured in the Wall Street Journal, catching the attention of Adidas's president. And launching Ronnie's reputation as a cultural touchstone. In 2011, he founded Kith, which has become one of the most influential brands in footwear, fashion, and culture. The business sells a unique curation of products that include Nike sneakers, Armani suits, Versace robes, watches, cars, and even $10 ice creams.
Our conversation is one of the best examples of life's work that I've ever recorded. It explores how Ronnie's pure love of product has shaped everything from a campaign with Jerry Seinfeld to his creative direction for the New York Knicks. Please enjoy this excellent conversation with Ronnie Fike. Ronnie, I have to begin our conversation with a fun little vignette and story that's personal, which is a couple months ago, my brother-in-law, who's a huge Kith fan, took my 10-year-old son, who's an emerging Kith fan, to the new Kith Kids store in New York. And it all started when I thought about it with that Seinfeld jacket. I'm sure if anyone's a fan of Kith, they can call to mind this image of Seinfeld wearing a jacket.
In a campaign that you did with him. And we saw this on my brother-in-law many months ago. And that kicked off our interest in you and Kith and your brand and the whole story. And it was such a cool moment to see my kid and my brother-in-law do this. And so I thought the Seinfeld thing would be an interesting place to start because it was such an iconic and interesting thing that you did. It was atypical, it was new. The clothes that you chose. were very distinctive on him. It just really surprised. And I would love just to hear about that episode, how you came to it, where the idea came from, what it's like to do those things. We're going to talk about lots of examples like it, but that's the one that viscerally hit me as it relates to the Kith brand.
And I would just love to hear the story of it.
That one's actually a really interesting and that's a good example of how long it could take for some things to come to fruition. Basically for about five years, I wanted to shoot Jerry and it became one of these bucket list moments for the brand and myself being such a big fan of Seinfeld and the show, but more importantly, what Jerry has meant to New York City.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Who is Ronnie Fieg and how did his early work at David Z shape his career?
0:00–0:04
2
What was the story behind the iconic Jerry Seinfeld campaign for Kith?
0:04–0:25
3
How does Ronnie define the “product philosophy” that drives Kith’s collaborations?
0:25–0:27
4
Why did the Queens College sneaker project become a turning point for Kith?
0:27–0:35
5
What is the concept behind Kith’s store design and community‑building approach?
0:35–0:39
6
How did the first ASICS Gel‑Lyte 3 collaboration launch Kith into the spotlight?
0:39–1:03
7
What lessons has Ronnie learned from working with global partners like Adidas, BMW and the Knicks?
1:03–1:22
8
What advice does Ronnie give to ambitious creators who are still searching for their breakthrough?
1:22–1:24:46
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy
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