For those of you who do or do not know, Kikwear, Inc. (http://www.kikwear.com) was created in 1991 by Alex Berenson and Gregg Ostrow in Southern California. They were best known for their wide-legged pants aka “kiks,” “phat pants,” and/or “phatties” that ended up being a major staple of American Rave Culture.
Story on the street says that the
masterminds of Kikwear, Inc. hated
the fact that the only men’s boxers that were available at that time did not
fit properly and didn’t give your precious treasures enough room to
breathe. With that being said, they
invented the “Longy Boxer!” This boxer was designed with a 2-3 inch drop in the
crotch area in addition to the length hitting your knees so lounging around in
your skivvies was possible. Also
included in this invention was THE most expensive “plush back” elastic to make
it extremely comfortable around the waist.
Now once the “Longies” gained recognition in the market, the company hit
the tradeshow circuit and was able to use this platform to open up hundreds of
retail accounts along with network with potential reps around the country!
Now, back in the early 90’s there
was no MySpace or Facebook. Major
marketing strategies did not evolve into social media yet. With the much anticipated winter re-launch of
Kikwear, Inc. coming in just a few
months, pioneers Berenson and Ostrow, intend on taking a crack at
reaching the masses through a plethora of social media services. And the best thing about it is, it has
already begun!!! Loyal fans of the Kikwear, Kikgirl, Greed, Greedgirl, and Candy Apple brands
are uniting to celebrate this re-launch of KIKWEAR! Yes that’s right only the men’s division. Kikgirl,
Greed, Greedgirl, and Candy Apple were divisions under Kikwear, Inc. which are currently out
of the market.
More recently Kikwear, Inc. and Halsey,
LLC (http://www.halsey44.com/, https://www.facebook.com/Halsey44)
have partnered up and created a men’s contemporary bottoms driven line that you
can find in high-end boutiques & fashion stores nationwide. I’m sure their fans are excited as well!
Will Kikwear, Inc. be involved in the festival circuit in the future?
Yes, but after the re-launch and in 2013.
Mums the word on distribution plans,
but Mr. Berenson had this to say, “The
reboot line will consist of some old skool denim wide and super wide leg pants
in addition to a range of never released wide legs in a non-denim, lightweight
flowing fabric that will appeal to core ravers. The assortment of styles will
be broad based and should appease both the old skool Kikwear fan plus the new
skool consumer who is getting acquainted with Kikwear for the first time. The
line which is slated to drop Winter '12, will be all pants and possibly a small
range of screen logo tees. There won't be any jackets, tops, or other
categories in the reboot line. In 2013, the line will be expanded as demand
warrants. Kikwear will stay true to its roots and make sure that our core fan
base is happy with the product offering.”
Furthermore, a strong social media
presence has been displayed in the past months by none other than Kikwear, Inc.
President himself Alex Berenson. Recently, he has been hitting up social
networking sites to compile this strong team of elite National &
International Kikwear Street Team members consisted of well-known DJ’s, entertainers,
event promoters, club owners, dancers, professional photographers, and
dedicated ravers who hit the party circuit.
This just shows how involved in his work and how humble he is to the
fans of Kikwear, Inc. and people
involved.
Now just who is a part of the
elite?
Just to name a few:
Based out of Florida, Zoe and
Robert VanWest. Zoe (http://www.facebook.com/zoevanwest/,
http://soundcloud.com/zoevanwest,
http://www.youtube.com/theladydeva,http://zoevanwest.tumblr.com/)
is a top tier entertainer in the hardcore UK scene while her husband Rob (https://www.facebook.com/robert.vanwest)
is her DJ and also incredibly talented graphic designer who is responsible for the
two new Kikwear ads featuring Zoe as well as the Kikwear Facebook cover
photo.
Vocalist, Writer/Lyricist, Producer
,Jett Insinna (http://www.linkedin.com/pub/jett-insinna/16/498/344,
http://www.youtube.com/user/jettina180, http://jett.bandcamp.com/track/endless-summer-berho-ft-jett, http://www.worldcollision.com/),
who is also based out of Florida, is also on the team.
DJs such as:
Flapjack (https://www.facebook.com/flapjackdj, https://www.facebook.com/flapjackthekandikid, http://soundcloud.com/flapjackthekandikid)
Bryan Skroller (https://www.facebook.com/skroller,
http://soundcloud.com/djskroller)
Shane Saiyan (http://djsaiyan.com/, https://www.facebook.com/djsaiyan,
http://soundcloud.com/djsaiyan, http://myspace.com/shanesaiyan, http://discogs.com/user/djsaiyan)
Joshua Renner (https://www.facebook.com/denot5, http://soundcloud.com/denot5, http://www.myspace.com/joshrenner, http://stickam.com/denot5)
The first member of the Kikwear
Dance Street Team is Chicago based, Mike Mitchell aka Slappa Tappa
(https://www.facebook.com/SlappaTappa,
http://www.youtube.com/user/ExtremeDanceAlliance).
Other notable members include:
Miaa Rigby(https://www.facebook.com/miaaglow)
– Pennsylvania
Adam Mister Secrets Hull (https://www.facebook.com/SecretsPLUR)
– Southern California
Kris Kaeser (https://www.facebook.com/Piercingbygumby)
– Pacific Northwest
Laurie Forte (https://www.facebook.com/LaurieAnnForte)
– NY
Keith Rampersad (http://www.purerave.com/user/Chaos_raver/)
– Canada
And myself, Julia Luangrath (https://www.facebook.com/julia.luangrath,
http://www.linkedin.com/in/jluangrath) representing NJ!
Do you think you have what it takes
to be a part of the team? “Like” our
Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Kikwear
and email Mr. Berenson ^_^ at “alex.berenson@kikwear.com”
Make sure to explain in detail what your specific involvement is with the Rave/EDM scene. The subject line should be Kikwear Street Team---your city/state to represent.
PLURR
