Culture Kings

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Culture Kings is a streetwear clothing and accessories retailer established in 2008.^[1] Founded in Gold Coast, Australia by Simon and Tahnee Beard, Culture Kings has 7 storefronts open in Australia, as well as one storefront in Auckland, New Zealand.^[2]

History[]

Prior to Culture Kings' founding, co-founder Simon Beard re-sold shoes and hats on eBay under the name 'Culture Kings'. Beard, with wife Tahnee, founded Culture Kings in 2008 and opened the first Culture Kings store in Southport, a suburb of Gold Coast.

On January 8, 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 one store each in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Gold Coast, Paramatta, and Auckland.^[2] Culture Kings original Southport store was closed in 2018.

On July 24, 2021, Culture Kings opened its first storefront outside of Australia in Auckland, New Zealand.^[4]

Collaborations[]

As of 2021, Culture Kings has collaborated with Champion,^[5] Timberland,^[6] Odd Future,^[7] Kappa,^[8] and G-Shock.^[9]

Controversies[]

Hosier Lane[]

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.^[10] 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.^[10] This culminated in the destruction of artwork in the lane by masked men, whom sprayed the lane with fire extinguishers.^[11][12] 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.^[13][11]

Mike Tyson lawsuit[]

In 2021, boxer Mike Tyson lodged a civil case against Culture Kings for allegedly using his image and name in products without permission.^[14][15] The products in question feature Tyson's image with text including "Mike Tyson", which has been trademarked by Tyson since 2010.^[15]

References[]