Knicks X Kith: Why More Sports Teams Should Invest in a Creative Director

By Madison Antino, Senior Writer Edited by Tessa Reiner

On Wednesday November 5th, the New York Knicks faced the Minnesota Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden, and held their annual Kith Night—a partnership between the basketball team and high streetwear brand Kith. The brand’s founder, and New York City native, Ronnie Fieg, made history back in 2022 when he was selected as the Knick’s first ever creative director after helping design the team’s City Edition jerseys. The Knicks are one of the NBA’s most valuable teams, and they appointed Fieg to develop the team’s brand identity through merchandise and marketing initiatives. 

Hiring a creative director has become a growing initiative in the world of sports, where fashion is becoming increasingly important for teams and athletes alike. In 2020, the Cleveland Cavaliers hired American designer and visual artist Daniel Arsham as the team’s CD, known for his collaborations with Dior and Tiffany. The MLS, or Major League Soccer in the states, hired a league-wide creative director - Roman King, who held the same position previously with the WNBA and worked on its creative rebrand. US-based sports teams aren’t the only ones following the trend either. Crystal Palace Football Club of the Premier League tapped designer and sports marketing agent Kenny Annan-Jonathan for the position to lead apparel design and partnerships with fashion brands. 

Fashion brands venturing into sports is a growing trend lately - The WNBA announced a partnership with Coach and its newest team, the Golden State Valkyries held a fashion show. The NFL partnered with Abercrombie & Fitch and Breitling. Jordan Clarkson, one of the Knick’s newest pickups from the offseason was profiled by Vogue for his envy-inducing street style. A report from PwC projected the sports partnership market to grow to over $160 billion by 2030, and many of these partnerships will most likely be fashion related. As the market continues to grow, it’s clear more teams need to explore partnerships with the fashion industry and create a strong brand identity. 

The Knicks play in a fashion capital and are one of the most valuable sports franchises globally. It’s surprising that it's taken decades for the team to take on a creative director and hone in on its brand identity to explore fashion - if a Yankee hat can be a cultural icon, why can’t a Knicks hat? According to WWD, merchandise and apparel is the third largest source of revenue for the NBA. In a time where Fanatics holds a monopoly over sports apparel and cheap quality with high prices is normalized (A 100% polyester Jalen Brunson jersey costs $119), partnering with brands to craft untraditional merchandise that will hold up should be a growing priority for every team. 

Kith’s prices are inflated for what they sell, but this year’s capsule for the Knicks is almost entirely sold out, and the City Edition jerseys designed by Fieg are actually embroidered, a rare occurrence in sports merch when most replica jerseys on Fanatics are entirely screenprinted. The idea of a creative director for a sports team seems to work with fashion’s impact on different leagues and athletes. The NBA’s Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships Lisa Piken Koper told WWD that the position might open up for the league as a whole to continue to attract new bases of consumers, demonstrating the future of fashion in sports.

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