Known for blending high fashion with modern streetwear, Kith founder Ronnie Fieg has elevated his brand’s partnerships with some of the industry's most iconic names. Kith is teaming up with Giorgio Armani for the first time, launching The Archetype—a collaborative menswear collection for the fall/winter 2024 season. Through this collection, the duo seeks to celebrate the men Armani has influenced, representing their personas through four capsules: The Artist, The Entertainer, The Traveler, and The Entrepreneur.
“Even from our earliest conversations, I knew I wanted this collection to revolve around suiting. To me, “suit” and “Giorgio Armani” are synonymous. As I began ideating on the story to tell, I knew I wanted to pay homage and respect to Mr. Armani’s career and life by representing the men who I feel he has inspired the most,” said Ronnie Fieg. Continuing, “There are so many people around the world from different walks of life who have been influenced by Mr. Armani and who share the universal language of wearing a Giorgio Armani suit. This is how we came up with the concept of The Archetypes.”
Each capsule in the collection is built around the archetype’s personality, delivering premium materials and timeless styles. The Artist capsule, crafted entirely in black, highlights pieces like a double-breasted virgin wool suit, a trench coat, and a bomber jacket. The accessories feature a monogram-debossed leather document bag and cable-knit scarves. Meanwhile, the Entertainer capsule captures a more luxurious vibe, showcasing a navy velvet suit, drawstring pants, silk bandanas, velvet bucket hats, and a leather double-pouch holder.
The Traveler capsule's palette shifts to earthy browns and tans, with garments like a three-piece lightweight wool suit, a cashmere turtleneck, and a suede duffle bag. This capsule features outerwear for adventure, including a cupro track jacket, an alpaca wool field coat, and accessories like a fedora and passport holder. Lastly, the Entrepreneur capsule embraces a blend of dark browns, navy, and black. Key pieces include a single-breasted jacket with a detachable scarf, a cashmere overcoat, and a midi puffer jacket. The accessories lineup ranges from woven leather rucksacks to reversible belts and jacquard ties.
The footwear in this collaboration is no less impressive. The collection introduces three styles: a chukka boot, a hiker boot, and a loafer. The chukka boot, made from smooth suede, features a collaborative Kith & Giorgio Armani logo on the heel tab and footbed. The new silhouette of the hiker boot is crafted from premium Italian leather, showcasing debossed branding throughout. Finally, the loafer features a distinct braided Armani logo with Kith branding.
In addition to the garments and footwear, a graphic apparel and headwear range featuring collaborative Kith & Giorgio Armani logos will be released. Sweaters, tees, caps, and beanies will all be available in this expansive collection.
The campaign for The Archetype focuses on four prominent figures representing the spirit of each archetype. Renowned film director Martin Scorsese stars in The Artist campaign, reflecting his deep connection to Armani, having directed the Made in Milan documentary about the designer's life. Actor and musician Lakeith Stanfield embodies The Entertainer, showcasing his versatility and charisma. Hollywood icon Pierce Brosnan represents The Traveler, known for his sophisticated style and global adventures in film. Finally, Kith’s founder, Ronnie Fieg, stars in The Entrepreneur campaign, exemplifying his journey in building a global fashion empire.
The launch of the Kith x Giorgio Armani Collection will begin during New York Fashion Week with a pop-up at Townhouse on the Upper East Side from September 6-7, 2024. This exclusive event will allow visitors to shop the collection early and experience rooms inspired by the four archetypes. Following this, the collection will launch during London Fashion Week on September 12 at Giorgio Armani’s Sloane Street store. On September 13, the collection will become available at select Giorgio Armani and Kith stores in the U.S. and Canada, and online through Armani.com, Kith.com, and the Kith app. The next stop will be Milan Fashion Week, where another pop-up will occur at Giorgio Armani’s Milan store on September 18. The final launch for Europe, Japan, and Korea is scheduled for September 20, with an exclusive pop-up planned in Shanghai for September 28 to conclude the rollout.
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Images via Kith
Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. Concerts, music, trying new restaurants, and catching the latest movies are some of the things I enjoy when not writing for Sole Retriever. Email: nick@soleretriever.com
