Ksubi or not to Ksubi

Ksubi or not Ksubi A lot of us remember the Sydney-based brand, Ksubi, back when it was still called Tsubi; when it was sold in only a handful of shops scattered throughout Darlinghurst and Paddington – some of us go as far back as when they were still selling stock out of the trunk of their cars at markets. We also remember when it all seemed to go a little wrong. They were everywhere. And we mean everywhere. Even Madonna was wearing their jeans (no thanks). Prices skyrocketed yet the quality remained only so-so. They became better known for their antics rather than their clothing and then there was the name change to Ksubi due to some US shoe company whining about infringements and to be honest, we had our doubts about them bouncing back.

But we stand corrected. After a slight slow-down on the fashion scene, a little rebranding, a little refinancing and some obvious redirection the Kusbi boys are back. Their latest Spring Summer range shown at this years Australian Fashion Week, collectively dubbed Bad Sports and the Last Resort, shows a new maturity in their designs whilst giving props to the skate, street and surf culture that the brand grew from way back when.

Still as much a denim brand as ever before, gone are the skinny jeans on even skinnier boys in favour of a more structured and tailored look. The pants still taper down at the ankle, but are more generous in their shapes and provide more room for movement. Gone are the blotchy liquid paper trademarks and gone are the threadbare shredded looks. What has come in its place is a well thought out, luxury sports look that would not look out of place next to likes of Philip Lim, Damir Doma or even Rick Owens.

I guess what we’re saying is, Ksubi has grown up. And we like it.