Celebrating Heritage and Honoring Tradition: Kith's Dynamic Entry into Seoul

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As Seoul emerges as one of the world's fastest-growing fashion capitals, we sought to create a launch that would honor both Kith's dynamic NYC roots and Jinro's 100-year heritage. To commemorate the opening of Kith Seoul and Jinro's centennial anniversary, Selfhood facilitated a unique partnership between Kith and Jinro, resulting in Jinro's first-ever co-branded bottle alongside a custom capsule of apparel and accessories. From the outset, Selfhood played a pivotal role in connecting the two brands, guiding the creative process, and overseeing the project through to its highly anticipated launch at Kith's flagship store in Seoul.

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The collaboration between Kith and Jinro aimed to create a bottle design that seamlessly blended the distinct identities of both brands while highlighting the connection between New York and Korea. Selfhood was committed to ensuring that the final design would be a true reflection of this cross-cultural partnership.

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Acting as Jinro's agency, Selfhood collaborated closely with Kith on creative direction, marketing strategies, and collaboration management, while simultaneously advising Jinro on how best to convey their rich brand identity and cultural heritage. We developed a comprehensive strategy, timeline, and schedule, clearly defining roles and responsibilities to ensure seamless execution from concept to launch.

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We began with collaborative discussions to ensure that Kith's modern, streetwear-inspired aesthetic could harmonize with Jinro's traditional soju heritage. Key elements from both brands were identified: Kith's minimalist, urban style and Jinro's iconic toad and Chinese character logo, with contemporary twists like creating the first-ever black bottle.

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Through design workshops, we experimented with various concepts. After prototyping and gathering feedback from members in both cities, a final design was selected that elegantly represents the collaboration—a modern black silhouette with the Queens Unisphere as a backdrop to the Jinro toad, and holographic elements in the label. The R&D process for the black bottle was particularly challenging and required extensive trial and error. Achieving the perfect shade and finish while maintaining the bottle's integrity involved numerous iterations, but the result was a flawless design.

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The process for the capsule collection mirrored that of the bottle, with a lot of back and forth to settle on designs that everyone loved and that truly conveyed the essence of the collaboration. The apparel and accessories featured elements representing both New York and Korea, while staying true to the defining features of both Kith (their iconic box logo) and Jinro (the toad). To further honor Korean traditions associated with soju, we also offered soju shot glasses and somaek glasses, rounding out the collection with items that added depth to the experience.

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The full collection is comprised of a manteco wool jacket, fleece hoodies, tees, headwear, and is complemented by a four-pack of shot glasses and a two-pack of somaek glasses, all reflecting the spirit of this unique partnership.