“Dude, I can’t believe we’re here now!” So said a starry-eyed Colm Dillane earlier this week as he walked me through his new KidSuper store and dream factory in Williamsburg, which is officially open tomorrow after what he calls “years and years of dreaming and planning.”
It was almost two years ago when Dillane, who is 31, first gave me a tour of the location, pre-renovation, on 158 Roebling Street, just an eight-minute walk from the Bedford L train stop. Back then, Dillane had just procured the building (with a 5-to-15-year lease), which takes up just over half the block, and was in the early stages of outlining what to do with it. He shared plans for an art gallery, a recording studio, a screen-printing shop, a retail space, an outdoor coffee area, a private bar space, a photo studio, an outdoor mini soccer field, the KidSuper offices, and—phew!—even his own apartment. Yes, the building is that big—around 10,000 square feet—and yes, Dillane has made most of those elements happen. Save for the soccer pitch and the outdoor area, all will be open from tomorrow. Think of KidSuper World as his very own version of Ken’s Mojo Dojo Casa House in Barbie.
So, who’s funding the dream? “I think everyone has seen how many partnerships I’ve done over the past two years,” said Dillane, “but I also don’t flex anything.” He’s right about that. Dillane does not have a Lamborghini, nor does he post photographs of himself with a Birkin in a private plane. “KidSuper is doing well, so the brand pays for the brand, but all that other money is being used here,” he said.
His spring 2024 show was presented by Meta, and there was a Canada Goose capsule on his fall 2024 runway. There’s also been a Stuart Weitzman collaboration, a Coca-Cola mash-up, an ongoing Jägermeister partnership, a Superplastic toy line, a Creatively sponsorship, and a LoveSac deal that helped furnish the space. “Louis Vuitton was the coolest thing ever, and it was incredible, but it didn’t pay for this building,” said Dillane of his turn as guest designer for the label in 2023. “If people think I’m selling out, they should at least know where the money is going.”
“Doing something commercial and then something super artistic,” as he puts it, is his KidSuper MO. There was an art auction, a comedy show, and even a theater play with Dillane in its starring role. “Those fashion shows are fucking impossible,” said the designer, “and doing this while planning shows?” Well, let’s just say he’s been keeping busy. There are retail associates to interview, artists to find to fill the space, and additional partners to woo, all while planning his shows and working on his collections.
Around a decade ago, Dillane moved into the first KidSuper store and HQ, which doubled as his living space. It was a makeshift—and much smaller—version of this Williamsburg space, but it set the foundation for what would come next. Dillane has painted the façade of this new building in the same pastel tone of turquoise and transferred some of its walls, which he and his friends painted over the years, to this location. His challenge moving forward will be making this place self-sustainable.
KidSuper has been showing in Paris since 2019. Dillane credits the French pocket of the industry as the first to welcome him and recognize him as more than “just a streetwear brand,” which is how New York saw him at first. Still, he believes he couldn’t have built this anywhere else. “New York is where everything is possible,” he said, adding that, after moving frequently as a kid, this is always where he wanted to set up shop.
“My mom is from Spain and moved to New York in the ’70s, and she would always talk about that era and how everyone was collaborating and working together,” he said. “I’m always like, Where are those spaces?” To say that New York has changed in the decades since is an understatement. But Dillane thinks that it’s still possible to build a communal space. Last week, The New York Times published a timeline of how gentrification has changed Williamsburg. Is Dillane worried about the optics of opening this mega fashion space in the neighborhood? “I don’t feel a type of way about it as long as I’m doing things that I think help the culture of New York City.”
KidSuper World opens to the public tomorrow. Dillane is hosting a gala this evening to celebrate, and before that he’s hosting a series of panel talks: The first panel, featuring Dillane and MSCHF founder Gabe Whaley, will be about turning buzz into business; the second will be about music direction with Director X and Hidji; and the third will be a conversation between Russ and Joey Bada$$ moderated by Rob Markman. A food truck will be open from 5 to 7 p.m. ahead of the gala at 8 p.m. Scroll through for an inside look at the new space.
KidSuper Alterations, KidSuper Market, and KidSuper Library
The front of the building will feature a retail space with KidSuper merchandise and an alterations specialist, a mini market with “weird snacks from all over the world,” and a library stocked with books Dillane expects people to rent “and hopefully return.” Expect everything from Rizzoli volumes to classic novels.
The Recording Studio
Modeled on a campsite, the space was created by comedian Mark Gagnon, who hosts the Camp Gagnon podcast.
The Art Gallery and Photo Studio
The gallery will showcase Dillane’s own art alongside exhibitions by emerging artists. He’s currently looking for a curator and gallerist. “I need someone whose last name is something like Von Duchtenstein,” he joked.
The Screen-Printing Shop and Art Studio
The screen-printing studio is public facing, so folks can see the action through a window; it will be open to artists outside of the KidSuper team to rent out. Upstairs, Dillane has set up an art studio for his painting practice.
KidSuper HQ
Dillane relocated the KidSuper offices to the building. A window will allow visitors to the gallery to see what’s going on in the main studio space.
The Great Outdoors
Dillane plans to open a coffee shop in this space later this year. For tonight’s event, Canada Goose has converted it into a winter wonderland.
