Intergenerational Learning – Youth Inspires Experience at the adidas Brooklyn Farm

Hey Hannah! My name is Kimisha, but I go by Kim. I’m a Chicago creative, entrepreneur and visionary. I created my first brand, Kim Products in 2015 with custom made denim pieces. The more I produced the more attention I got from local kids my age. This caused me to step deeper into streetwear, what I believe really captures the youth, and eventually broaden my products.

I was actually part of a basketball focus group interview in Chicago where I stood out to one of the Creative Directors of the Farm [Denis Dekovic]. He invited me to come to the Farm and explore in a new space. I was able to stay at the Farm twice for two weeks each, and both times I was able to produce four garments, and present to the designers at the Farm my thought process and inspiration behind each of the pieces.

I really got to understand silhouette and patternmaking with the different machines and fabrics with the staff on site and it brought me to a higher understanding of the cut and sew process. I couldn’t expand on those areas in Chicago for money and time reasons, and I was still at school. For Kim Products I rely on wholesale pieces which I customize, but it is my ultimate goal to push out a full collection. Last year, I got accepted to Parsons School of Design, so I am building on the knowledge that the Farm has provided me with as we speak!

My pieces are built around the idea of customization: I want to make things special for people in my city. Not enough credit is given to the art scene in Chicago – it would be running half of the scene right now if it had the right resources! My items are well priced to make them affordable – the money I make I reinvest back into the brand or help friends and family. It’s like the big brother/big sister phenomenon of making sure everybody eats.

In terms of the design, the simplicity of the primary colors I use on my pieces are analogous to my personality: I am not a complicated person – and primary colors are like the purest form of expression.

Give communities a budget and a platform, give them control over what should be done, how it should be done and what’s going to work for the community, what should be invested into, what should not, what’s long term and what’s not – then you don’t have to hire five managers to come into the community and ask the question.

I really just want to be able to create my entire life and never lose the aspect of having the ability to create and having the spirit to create.

Honestly, I’m just really big into planning and preparing. The more you plan, the more familiar you are with what you’re presenting. Also, nobody’s going to be confident in something that they’re not passionate about. I’m really just trying to make sure that I’m passionate and honestly just super familiar with whatever I’m talking about. That definitely helps.