KidSuper's Colm Dillane Has Always Been an Underdog
KidSuper founder and Louis Vuitton guest designer Colm Dillane reflects on his journey from screen printing t-shirts to the runways of Paris.
Bursting with youthful energy and enthusiasm, Colm Dillane talks about making graphic tees in high school with the same exuberance that he speaks about his recent shows at Paris Fashion Week. In fact, Dillane’s personal story is one of wonder, perseverance, and dedication to his craft. Raised by his mother, a Spanish artist, and his father, an Irish fisherman, Dillane and his family moved between New York, Wisconsin, Chicago, and Mexico, before settling in NYC when he was 13—with the young Dillane’s varied interests also adding to his travels, including a stint playing soccer in Brazil before he went on to study math at New York University. In the process, KidSuper, his homespun streetwear brand and creative studio, evolved from youthful endeavor to the centerpiece of his creative and professional life.
With no formal art or design training, Dillane has gone against the odds to navigate KidSuper from small Brooklyn storefront into internationally recognized brand that has collaborated with the likes of Puma and Stuart Weitzman. His entrée into high fashion came with his unlikely planning of a runway show during Paris Fashion Week Men’s in June 2019; Dillane has received industry accolades for his collections since. In January 2023, the designer presented his Fall/Winter 2023 collection in Paris via a comedy show hosted by Tyra Banks, just two days after making headlines for Louis Vuitton’s Fall/Winter 2023 Men’s collection as the house’s first guest designer since the passing of Virgil Abloh in 2021.
Now, in his latest venture, Dillane is bringing his bright, pop-infused styling to a limited-edition run of Superplastic’s art toys. The collectible and entertainment company also teamed up with legacy fashion house Gucci last year. Here, L’OFFICIEL speaks with the designer about his creative journey, and the magic and possibility of the many moments along the way.
L’OFFICIEL: You have built your career over many years of hard work. When you look back at your trajectory, what stands out to you?
COLM DILLANE: Well, there was converting my dorm room into a store. I remember the day—I had the spray can in my hand, and I was like, “I should not spray this.” And then I was like, “Fuck it. Let me spray paint the wall.” Looking back now, that set the trend of creating spaces where people come to congregate. Getting kicked out of my dorm inspired me to get a space in Brooklyn, which I found on Craigslist. The only reason I picked the space was because it had a bathtub, and I thought, This is a store that has a bathtub that I can live in. And that was a moment of magic because I didn’t even really look at the location, and it ended up being one stop from Manhattan, right next to [the streetwear brand] Mishka. Then I threw a big opening party, and the next month, no one came into the store. So many people would have been disheartened, but to me, this was another moment of magic. I decided that I would make the space so cool that people would want to come. I built a recording studio in the basement, I turfed the backyard, I built sewing machines, and I had a photo studio. I don’t know if I should even say this, but I stole a vending machine door to be the door for the recording studio. Even if it wasn’t the best studio, it was the coolest. at led to musicians wearing the brand, and that led to the basement going platinum. [Ed. note: Dillane invited the musician Russ to use the studio, and the resulting album, There’s Really a Wolf, went platinum.] Then, from there, I started making merchandise, album art, and music videos. at was also a moment of magic.
L’O: When did you become interested in incorporating high fashion into your work?
CD: Actually, someone walked into the store and asked what was next. I jokingly said, “Paris Fashion Week.” The girl she was with repped a French company that works with Paris Fashion Week, and she asked if I wanted to meet her boss. When I got there, he asked what kind of venue I was looking for, and I said, “Well, it would be cool to have a bullfighting ring,” which is kind of circular because my mom is from Spain. When I left, I thought, Did I just plan a Paris Fashion Week show? So, there were even moments of magic when I doubted myself, but no one else did.
L’O: How does your collaboration with Superplastic, “KidSuperplastic,” build on everything you have created so far?
CD: I think one of the coolest parts is that each toy has a real paintbrush attached, so there is an actual use to it, besides it being a beautiful sculpture. I also like the idea of it overseeing you in a way, or inspiring you to pick up a paintbrush. At the heart of KidSuper, there is this idea of pushing you to make something, or pushing you to be a part of something greater. There is a little bit of magic in making you feel like this is the day you are going to do something special: Take the leap.
L’O: With KidSuper, you have taken a very authentic, out-of-the-box approach. Do you feel that that has contributed to your ascent?
CD: I didn’t have a preconceived idea of what I needed for success. I was just genuinely passionate and excited about making things. I was so energized by my ideas that I never slowed down. I also never compared myself to other brands because I didn’t even think that it was really possible to be in the same league. I was so happy that, Wow, I just made a t-shirt and now this person is wearing it, and now I am designing this person’s album cover and, oh my god, I did an art show and people are buying it. I always felt myself to be a little bit of an underdog. And now I am here, and it is a kind of bizarre but cool realization. KidSuper is really just a testament to hard work, good ideas, and talent breaking down what you think fashion needs.
"I always felt myself to be a little bit of an underdog. And now I am here."
L’O: What would you say to your 14-year-old self?
CD: I would not have expected me to be here. If you ask my 14-year-old self, I didn’t even think that it would be possible. What I did best was that I was really excited and truly, genuinely grateful for all my opportunities. I didn’t take anything for granted, and I never felt like I deserved something; I didn’t skip any steps. I was very true to myself and to the vision. And now, here we are.
