In an Instagram post from Tuesday, Kith founder Ronnie Fieg announced several initiatives for the brand surrounding diversity and inclusion for 2021. The message follows a tense 2020 summer that called for companies, particularly those profiting off people of color, to seriously step up their diversification efforts.
Fieg promised the public last June that he and the brand could “do better” and has since “gone to work.” He explained in his recent statement that though Kith started as “a medium to bring childhood dreams to life,” it has evolved into much more.
One can argue that at the very foundation of streetwear are youth, minorities and Black creatives, groups Fieg has vowed to include in upcoming initiatives outlined in his post. “I’ve worked on changing what we do as company and added the responsibility of giving back to a culture that has constantly influenced and inspired me. Not just now, but indefinitely.” he says.
Kicking off on Monday, a commencement of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic Washington speech, with the helping hand of MLK III, will “raise [funds to] support his continued activism and critical humanitarian work.” Throughout February’s Black History Month, Kith plans to shine light on independent Black artists with various releases that will help spread awareness and raise money for each. The brand will also team up with Notorious B.I.G.’s estate for a second collaboration with proceeds supporting education through the Christopher Wallace Foundation.
As for the brand’s future endeavors, Fieg confirmed that 15 percent of Kith’s multi-brand apparel will come from Black designers and they are continuing to rightfully place people of color in senior positions throughout the process. 2021 will mark the launch of the Kin Foundation, an organization formed at the hand of Fieg and Sharifa Murdock, Kith’s Chief of People. Building “stronger bonds in our communities” is the goal as the brand approaches its 10th anniversary this year.
Read Fieg’s full statement below.
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