Kith is celebrating Black History Month with a special collection, highlighting three independent artists who’ve teamed up with the brand for some stunning pieces.
b. Robert Moore, Delphine Desane, and Ludovic Nkothal have their work featured in the collection, which was released on Tuesday, with the artists receiving 50% of the proceeds for each of their respective looks—from T-shirts to long sleeves, and beyond.
“The history of this country hasn’t always favored us and it’s exciting to be a part of a dialogue that had the best interest in me,” Nkothal said in a conversation published on Kith’s website. “I love when we can reclaim things, change it our way and be able to retail Black history, the way we are doing right now. I haven’t always felt like I belong in this country, however the Black community always showed love. To be able to give back to that New York community is amazing. I owe everything to this city and the people that helped me maneuver throughout here. Being able to elevate this moment through art is beautiful. We always cherish Black art, but we don’t cherish Black history. With this project, we’re able to speak on both aspects so I knew I had to be included.”
The new looks come a year after Kith’s 2021 Black History Month Artist Series, which featured work from SUPERWAXX, Shania McCoy, and Marcus J. Brutus. As for this year’s artists, a gallery of their work debuted on Tuesday at Kith’s Manhattan flagship store.
“I’m an immigrant so it’s tough to feel like you belong here,” Desane explained. “I always feel like an outsider because of my origin being French from Haitian descent. The idea of belonging here and having my work be accessible to the culture is very important to me.
While each of the artists involved in the new collaboration are independent, that doesn’t mean they don’t have major followings and connections online. For example, Moore, who sees artwork as a form of therapy, has fans in Taraji P. Henson, Alton Mason, and Issa Rae. To him, the collection is something to be proud of.
“If we took a snapshot of every person, from 1% to 100% that was involved in this project and what that would look like, that would make me really fucking happy,” Moore shared. “Anyone can make a shirt, but to me it’s about the creatives and the person who is leading the ideas that are behind it and that was you from start to finish with me. That’s why I’m proud of it.”
Shoppers can get a look at Kith’s latest pieces—many of which are already sold out online—here.
