As a consumer, it is easy to underestimate the quality of work that goes into many products. I've underlined "quality" because it is the main reason why a product is successful in time. It is not necessarily the ingredient that makes it POP and becomes a worldwide success but it is 100% certain that if you create a product of quality it will progress and create a space for itself.
I believe a product of quality is not just about how it is made but it's also about the depth it has, the storytelling it creates and most importantly WHY it was made.
A modern-day visionary in storytelling is for sure Ronnie Fieg and his team behind Kith.
Their capability to creating capsule collections that seamlessly connect through detailing and color is probably one of their most important trades.
Ever since Fieg's first collaborations he has been capable to flip product aesthetics and consumer perspectives by simply placing color and material in a totally new way.
Perfecting the craft of storytelling through color.
I say "simply" but one the hardest tricks of a designer is the capability of visualizing how a mix of totally different colors can combine upon various panels and work together even before seeing the final shoe. Knowing which colors work well with each other and which patterns and shades can give a different depth to each story.
I can't forget the shocks I got when I started out working on product and daily doses of orange, teal and brown sneakers came through that worked perfect on paper and then looked like the work of art of a 3-year-old left alone to paint.
Of course, this all needs to be backed by a great product with very strong foundations as have most of the recent KITH collaborations have been, brands like Birkenstock, Russel Athletics, Asics, Diadora, Columbia Sportswear, Tommy Hilfiger. These are all brands that have an incredible story and history of their own and probably didn't even need another collaboration but my truly personal point of view; is that in the end what they all got from their work with Ronnie Fieg was a temporary fresh facelift. Something that as a brand with all of the day to day work is almost impossible.
Apart from showing my appreciation for Ronnie's work, today's post is about looking at a product in a different way and studying the quality of work that goes into it. Reading the story and not just buying into the hype.
Have a good weekend
Joe