KidSuper’s persona is not an act for Colm Dillane. Just like a kid who becomes best friends with a kid they just met, Dillane is driven to meet new people through his unconventional brand. He truly believes there is not a ceiling on how big your imaginations can be.
What motivated you to originally create KidSuper? How has your own blueprint in fashion influenced the world of art?
What inspired the creation of KidSuper was a combination of an outlet for my own artistic projects. And at the time when I started, there were not so many brands, specifically streetwear brands, that had an energy of optimism and positivity and that influenced you to be this amazing person. I felt there was always this exclusive and too cool for school brand identity that I was trying to break. But it is funny now because now it seems like every brand is more inclusive.
I was not coming from a performative angle that it is now a marketing idea for brands. The energy of KidSuper started when I went to Supreme at the age of 13, they just were so foolish towards me when I was there to potentially purchase a shirt. So I thought, would it be cool if I created a brand that made you feel cool and inspired you to be great? I never was impressed with someone that worked at Supreme. I was more impressed with people who were makers and creatives. I wanted a space that would inspire just that and connect people.
KidSuper was kind of this alter ego. Similar to the alter ego of superhero characters, when you wear KidSuper, you can do amazing things. I also know when you are 12 or 14, no one wants to buy your art, no one wants to tell you to direct a music video, and no one wants to allow you to do different things. But someone will buy a $15 T-shirt, that is what I learned for myself.
What I love about fashion, is that it does have potentially the lowest barrier of entry out of all art forms, which I think is quite cool. And it’s really cool to see people wear your work and participate with your work. And I always say if I see someone wearing KidSuper on the street, they are my best friend.
How have you been able to intertwine fashion and art to produce a whimsical brand? How does your sports background in soccer influence your innate ability to rise to competition within the fashion industry?
I was always using fashion as a canvas to showcase my artwork and showcasing art in every aspect from film to fine art. Obviously the painting and the drawings I had on clothes…but also the way that I presented the clothes to people is a form of art as well. Since I did not have the conventional fashion background, I was always trying to slightly prove to the world that I was skilled and I deserved to be among everyone else.
I might not have gone to fashion school but I just painted 30 paintings for a fashion show, designed the whole fashion show, and I had this amazing concept built. So you have to give me credit. I was always a great painter and I always loved art, so I brought it together with fashion.
I am always trying to make fashion more competitive than it is. I am always saying, ‘Well, I won Paris Fashion Week but no one shared the news. Where’s the ranking list?’ I remember my first conversation with Fédération de la Haute Couture when I finally got accepted on the official calendar. I asked, ‘Why do you guys not rank the fashion show? Why do you not list the rankings every year? And they shared that there is an internal list. Obviously it means nothing for Louis Vuitton or Dior but if I got number one, it would mean so much. They told me once that I did get number one once on their list but no one heard about it.
I have an amazing sports background. When you play on a sports team, you know there are a lot of people that are very different working together on a clear vision. You also know the ego, the emotions, and everything in between gets left outside of the pitch or the field.
We are here to play on the team. Let’s get this win. I have that perspective when it comes to fashion shows and presentations for KidSuper. I am a bit insensitive towards people’s feelings. I am like ‘who cares’ at times; the game is tonight and it is a business. Of course, we are doing what we love, creating, and I am making personal sacrifices as well.
One of the streetwear pioneers, Willi Smith, believed fashion should be a reflection of society, his customers were people who he walked past every day. Does KidSuper welcome authenticity as an element of its brand identity?
I think it is cool that at every store I sell KidSuper, the buyers always ask me to raise the prices.
‘Look, you have this suit that has patchwork and features artwork priced at $400. The closest next to it is a Gucci suit for $2,000. It is weird for us to put you guys next to each other, can you raise your prices?’
I want real humans, everyday people, to wear my clothes. The luxury aspect of KidSuper is the creativity and colorful palettes that might be difficult for people to wear unless you are naturally unique, want to stand out, or simply have a loud personality.
Do you believe the innocent kid and ambitious teenager within you is proud of the magic KidSuper continues to produce?
I am often thinking about what I wanted to do back then and what that I can do now. I am also asking myself, how can I never lose that optimism and gratitude? I want to always be grateful for the position that I am and grateful for the opportunities that I have.
A lot of fashion people get jaded and a lot of people in fashion believe they deserve more. There was never this pathway to make it in fashion. I could not believe everything was finally happening.
My pathway into fashion is a reminder for people, you can do it too! Because I did not skip any steps and I really did not even know what steps to take. I did not know anyone in fashion. I did not have connections. I did not know there was a lane. Now, I am winning fashion awards and participating in Paris Fashion Week. Even when I was applying for Paris Fashion Week, I almost did it as a joke because I thought it was impossible
I did get rejected three times. But once I am ever rejected, I become more motivated because I know I have your attention. The thing I worried about was a chance they would never look at my work. Once I got the rejection, I knew we were in the room.
