Community Is Key: A Letter From Managing Director Vivian Wang
Shortly after I joined Kingpins, I learned the maxim held by Andrew Olah and the Olah Inc. organization: “Do what you love / Love what you do.”
I thought that was pretty great life advice and I took it to heart. And that’s been true for me here at Kingpins for the last 20 years.
Another phrase you’ve probably heard me say is “Kingpins is a community.”
From Day 1, the show was never just a trade show. At first glance, Kingpins has all the hallmarks of a traditional trade show — the booths and the buyers and the networking over coffee — but we always aspired to be something different. It was organized to be more like a party and we wanted everyone at our Kingpins party — exhibitors and attendees alike — to not only have a successful show but to have an enjoyable one.
Think about the ingredients of a successful party. You want it to be in a fun and interesting location. You want there to be plenty of good food and drink. The activities should be engaging and entertaining. But the most important ingredient — the thing that makes it a fantastic event that makes you want to come back again and again — is the people you invite. And that is our community.
Over the years, as my denim journey took me from freelance graphic design to managing director of Kingpins, I have learned that many in our denim community feel exactly the same way about this business that I do: We do what we love and we love what we do.
Of course, our business has faced many challenges. But our community has prevailed— often by drawing strength from connection, our shared experience and our love of denim and the people that work in this business.
And the industry has certainly changed over these last 20 years —I think for the better. We think about the impact our business and our products have on people and on the planet. We design and innovate mindfully. It was not easy. And we are not done.
Our community is one of Kingpins’ great strengths and our camaraderie (even among competitors) is a valuable thing. It is always such a joyful thing to kick off a Kingpins show surrounded by the familiar faces of the many friends and colleagues who have been on this denim journey with me.
In recent years, I’ve talked to many of you about the importance of bringing in the next generation of denim talent. Our community is steeped in years of experience and expertise. We have much to share with the design talent of the future, who look at our business with fresh eyes.
My vision is to use the platform that we have built to create a bridge to the next generation and create a pipeline of emerging talent.
In addition to finding and fostering new talent, I see great potential in reaching beyond our business and cultivating connections in other industries. There are so many companies and individuals out there with innovative ideas that may be applied to our business. These individuals and those ideas could strengthen our community and lead to opportunities for meaningful change.
To reach these people. I need your help. Everyone of you knows people in other fields who inspire you. I ask you to invite them to come to a Kingpins show and invite them to join our community. Together, we can expand our reach to new people and new places.
I can’t wait to see you all in Amsterdam.
