Culture Kings
{{Short description|Australian streetwear retailer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Culture Kings
| logo =
| type = Subsidiary
| industry = Retail
| founded = 2008
| founders = {{Unbulleted list|Simon Beard|Tah-nee Beard}}
| areas_served = {{Unbulleted list|Australia|New Zealand|United States}}
| products = Clothing and accessories
| owner = a.k.a Brands
| website = {{URL|culturekings.com}}
}}
Culture Kings is a streetwear clothing and accessories retailer established in 2008.{{Cite web|title=Culture Kings Origins: From the Ashes, an Empire|url=https://www.shopify.com.au/plus/culture-kings|access-date=2021-07-24|website=Shopify Plus|language=en}} Founded in Gold Coast, Australia by Simon and Tah-nee Beard, Culture Kings has 8 storefronts open in Australia, as well as one storefront in Auckland, New Zealand.{{Cite web|title=CULTURE KINGS STORES|url=https://www.culturekings.com.au/pages/stores|access-date=2021-07-24|website=Culture Kings|language=en}}
History
Prior to Culture Kings' founding, co-founder Simon Beard re-sold shoes and hats on eBay under the name 'Culture Kings'. Beard, with wife Tah-nee, founded Culture Kings in 2008 and opened the first Culture Kings store in Southport, a suburb of Gold Coast.{{fact|date=July 2022}}
On 8 January 2017, Culture Kings' Acacia Ridge warehouse was destroyed in a fire, resulting in the loss of $500,000 worth of products.{{Cite web|date=2017-01-09|title=Culture Kings suspends online sales|url=https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/lifestyle/gold-coast-streetwear-giant-culture-kings-suspends-online-orders-after-fire-destroys-brisbane-warehouse/news-story/e04b5b0c43c604746c66e8a7b802ec6c|access-date=2021-07-24|website=www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au|language=en}}
As of 2021, Culture Kings has 8 stores open in Australia and New Zealand, with 2 stores in Melbourne, and Sydney, and one store each in Brisbane, Perth, Gold Coast, and Auckland. Culture Kings original Southport store was closed in 2018.{{fact|date=July 2022}}
In March 2021, the founders of Culture Kings sold the company to Boston-based Summit Partners' a.k.a Brands for $307.4 million in cash and 23.3 million shares in a.k.a Brands. Simon Beard remained CEO of Culture Kings while Tah-nee Beard was its COO.{{Cite web |last=Bailey |first=Michael |date=2023-03-20 |title=Why Rich Lister Simon Beard left Culture Kings |url=https://www.afr.com/young-rich/why-rich-lister-simon-beard-left-culture-kings-20230320-p5ctjx |access-date=2023-04-02 |website=Australian Financial Review |language=en}}
On 24 July 2021, Culture Kings opened its first storefront outside of Australia in Auckland, New Zealand.{{Cite web|last=International|first=Retail & Leisure|date=2021-05-14|title=Culture King Makes New Zealand Debut|url=https://www.rli.uk.com/culture-king-makes-new-zealand-debut/|access-date=2021-07-24|website=Retail & Leisure International|language=en-GB}} In November 2022, Culture Kings opened their first U.S. store in Las Vegas.{{Cite web |last=Bailey |first=Michael |date=2023-03-20 |title=Why Rich Lister Simon Beard left Culture Kings |url=https://www.afr.com/young-rich/why-rich-lister-simon-beard-left-culture-kings-20230320-p5ctjx |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=Australian Financial Review |language=en}} In January 2023, Simon and Tah-nee Beard left their executive roles at Culture Kings. Simon remained on a.k.a's board, and both stayed on as advisers to Culture Kings.
In 2022, Culture Kings received a Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame Award.{{Cite web |title=Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame: Culture Kings |url=https://leaders.slq.qld.gov.au/ |access-date=2023-06-20 |website=Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame {{!}} State Library Of Queensland |language=en}}
In October 2023, CreditRiskMonitor reported that Culture Kings' parent A.K.A. Brands was nearing a potential Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.{{Cite web|url=https://www.retaildive.com/news/retailers-at-risk-of-bankruptcy-2023/694548/|title=11 retailers at risk of bankruptcy in 2023|date=October 2, 2023|access-date=October 3, 2023|website=Retail Dive|language=en}}
Collaborations
{{primary sources|date=July 2021|section}}
As of 2021, Culture Kings has collaborated with Champion,{{Cite web|title=Culture Kings x Champion Collaboration Capsule|url=https://www.culturekings.com.au/blogs/news/culture-kings-x-champion-collaboration-capsule|access-date=2021-07-24|website=Culture Kings|date=20 December 2016 |language=en}} Timberland,{{Cite web|title=Timberland x Culture Kings|url=https://www.culturekings.com.au/pages/timberland-x-culture-kings|access-date=2021-07-24|website=Culture Kings|language=en}} Odd Future,{{Cite web|title=Odd Future x Culture Kings Collab Is Fire 🔥|url=https://www.culturekings.com.au/blogs/news/odd-future-x-culture-kings-collab-is-fire|access-date=2021-07-24|website=Culture Kings|date=22 August 2018 |language=en}} Kappa,{{Citation|title=Kappa X Culture Kings World Exclusive|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oR7BkhbbCE|language=en|access-date=2021-07-24}} and G-Shock.{{Cite web|title=Culture Kings X G-Shock Collaboration|url=https://www.culturekings.com.au/blogs/news/culture-kings-x-g-shock-collaboration|access-date=2021-07-24|website=Culture Kings|language=en}}
Controversies
= Hosier Lane =
In 2018, Culture Kings opened its Melbourne storefront in Hosier Lane; an important site in Melbourne street art due to its history and perceived 'free-for-all' status.{{Cite web|date=2018-08-27|title=Painting in Hosier Lane is not legal|url=https://cbdnews.com.au/painting-in-hosier-lane-is-not-legal/|access-date=2021-07-24|website=CBD News|language=en-US}} After its opening, Culture Kings created various murals and began enforcing street art usage within the lane, which went against the lanes previous 'free-for-all' status. This culminated in the destruction of artwork in the lane by masked men, whom sprayed the lane with fire extinguishers.{{Cite web|date=2020-02-12|title=One Of The Hosier Lane|url=https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/hosier-lane-paintbombers-spoken-out-against-commercialisation-of-art/|access-date=2021-07-24|website=Pedestrian TV|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=2020-02-10|title=Melbourne's Hosier Lane Has Been Paint-Bombed by a Group of Masked Artists|url=https://concreteplayground.com/melbourne/arts-entertainment/art/hosier-lane-paint-bomb|access-date=2021-07-24|website=Concrete Playground|language=en-US}} In an interview with The Age, one of the perpetrators stated this was done to protest the commercialisation of the lane by Culture Kings, as well as by the Melbourne City Council.{{Cite web|last=Miller|first=Nick|date=2020-02-12|title='Art is supposed to provoke emotion': Hosier Lane paint-bomber speaks out|url=https://www.theage.com.au/culture/art-and-design/art-is-supposed-to-provoke-emotion-hosier-lane-paint-bomber-speaks-out-20200211-p53zqu.html|access-date=2021-07-24|website=The Age|language=en}}
= Mike Tyson lawsuit =
In 2021, boxer Mike Tyson lodged a civil case against Culture Kings for allegedly using his image and name in products without permission.{{Cite web|last=Powell|first=Dominic|date=2021-06-08|title=Mike Tyson sues Australian streetwear retailer Culture Kings for 'deceptive' T-shirts|url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/mike-tyson-sues-australian-streetwear-retailer-culture-kings-for-deceptive-t-shirts-20210608-p57z1k.html|access-date=2021-07-24|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2021-06-08|title='Iron Mike': Tyson suing Australian streetwear retailer|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/boxing/boxing-news-2021-mike-tyson-suing-australian-streetwear-retailer-culture-kings/news-story/b7de2a552584d707e3920d66fdf8937f|access-date=2021-07-24|website=Fox Sports|language=en}} The products in question feature Tyson's image with text including "Mike Tyson", which has been trademarked by Tyson since 2010.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/permalink/61SLQ_INST/tqqf2h/alma99184084179502061 Culture Kings digital story and oral history: Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame 2022], State Library of Queensland
Category:Australian companies established in 2008
Category:Clothing retailers of Australia