Ksubi Unveils First European Store on London’s Carnaby Street
Australian denim and streetwear label Ksubi last week unveiled its first stand-alone European store — on Carnaby Street in London, England.
Designed by London-based Brinkworth, the space occupies the ground floor and basement of the refurbished former Hearst Magazine office building on the popular shopping street with neighbors including End Clothing, Rolling Store, Replay and Levi’s.
More from WWD
Craig King, chief executive officer of Ksubi, said the expansion into London marks a milestone in the brand’s two-decade-plus history.
“London’s been calling us for some time with its buzzing music and arts communities. At Ksubi, we celebrate the triumph of the creative outsider — the rebels doing things their own way and to their own beat. We’ve found our L.A. and New York stores have become hubs for our crew to hang out and we hope London will be the same,” he said.
The store features a sculpture by the Nigerian-born, London-based artist Slawn, who has also worked with Ksubi on a limited-edition collection, launched exclusively for the London store opening.
Founded in 1999 as a creative collective, Ksubi was acquired by Los Angeles, California-based private equity firm Breakwater Investment Management in 2013.
In 2015, Australian streetwear chain General Pants Co. signed a long-term exclusive licensing and distribution rights deal for Southern Hemisphere distribution. King, at the time General Pants’ chief executive officer, also took over the helm at Ksubi — stepping away from his General Pants role in 2019 to focus solely on Ksubi.
In 2016, General Pants entered into a joint venture on the brand with Breakwater, along with several private investors, and work began rebuilding the business.
In May, Ksubi signed a wholesale partnership deal with Tomorrow Ltd., an international brand development platform, to expand the brand’s distribution across Europe and the U.K.
The brand, which offers a range of denim, T-shirts, leather goods and more from $40 up to $1,000, also counts retail stores in Miami, Florida, and Chicago, Illinois, as well as more than 300 retail partners such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Kith, Selfridges, End, Ssense, Matchesfashion, Neiman Marcus and more.
In the next three years, the brand plans to roll out 20 Ksubi stores in gateway cities around the world, with a second New York location.