Collaborations
 |
As of 2021, Culture Kings has collaborated with Champion, [9] Timberland, [10] Odd Future, [11] Kappa, [12] and G-Shock. [13]
| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founders |
|
Areas served |
|
| Products | Clothing and accessories |
| Owner | a.k.a Brands |
| Website | culturekings |
Culture Kings is a streetwear clothing and accessories retailer established in 2008. [1] 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. [2]
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.[ citation needed ]
On 8 January 2017, Culture Kings' Acacia Ridge warehouse was destroyed in a fire, resulting in the loss of $500,000 worth of products. [1] [3]
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. [2] Culture Kings original Southport store was closed in 2018.[ citation needed ]
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. [4]
On 24 July 2021, Culture Kings opened its first storefront outside of Australia in Auckland, New Zealand. [5] In November 2022, Culture Kings opened their first U.S. store in Las Vegas. [6] 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. [4]
In 2022, Culture Kings received a Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame Award. [7]
In October 2023, CreditRiskMonitor reported that Culture Kings' parent A.K.A. Brands was nearing a potential Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. [8]
| |
As of 2021, Culture Kings has collaborated with Champion, [9] Timberland, [10] Odd Future, [11] Kappa, [12] and G-Shock. [13]
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. [14] 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. [14] This culminated in the destruction of artwork in the lane by masked men, whom sprayed the lane with fire extinguishers. [15] [16] 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. [17] [15]
In 2021, boxer Mike Tyson lodged a civil case against Culture Kings for allegedly using his image and name in products without permission. [18] [19] The products in question feature Tyson's image with text including "Mike Tyson", which has been trademarked by Tyson since 2010. [19]
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