Kiwi’s Kanye coup
Kiwi sportswear company 2XU has grabbed the high-fashion headlines, thanks to its designs being used by Kanye West.
For his Yeezy 5 fashion show, West layered oversized sweaters and cardigans over compression wetsuits by 2XU.
Founder and former triathlete Jamie Hunt told Newstalk ZB it was the type of exposure he could “only have dreamed of”.
But he got the call only 10 days before the New York show.
“We got an email, saying ‘Kanye owns some of your product’, which was a shock.
“They said ‘he loves your design aesthetic . . . and would love to have one of your products on the catwalk for his fashion show in New York’.
“We had 10 days to design it, get it manufactured in Asia and then shipped to New York.”
The team designed more than West had asked for, just to make sure there was something included that he liked.
It was all worth it when the team saw their work sent down the runway, with logos intact.
“Most of the time . . . they want to take your logos away or cover them up,” Hunt said. “But he left them out there . . . so thanks very much Kanye for that.”
With the tight deadline, Hunt hadn’t had time to realise how big the exposure would be for his company. But his family soon set him straight.
“Honestly, I’m a 44-year-old father of three daughters, so I know who he is but I didn’t realise how big it actually was.
“When it came out I was having dinner with my daughters, and the first things they posted on Facebook was ‘Dad we’re so proud of you’.’’
2XU is moving its head office to Los Angeles to create more opportunities for collaboration. Hunt has one deal under way, after being approached by a “massive” name in NBA basketball.