Fifteen years is an impressive milestone for any brand to hit, and that’s why Ronnie Fieg has big plans for Kith’s upcoming anniversary. He enlisted the help of one of Japan’s greatest designers, who goes by Mr. Horiuchi, owner of Proleta Re Art. The result is a 15-piece capsule of items handpicked by Fieg that mark key milestones in the growth and legacy of his brand.
“When I thought about the most elevated way to showcase my favorite products from the past 15 years, I honestly couldn’t imagine anyone else reinterpreting them,” Fieg tells Complex. “Proleta’s approach was unlike anything I’d seen before.”
The one-of-one pieces took three years to complete, and Fieg spent time at the Proleta Re Art studio in Tokyo during their creation. A Patrick Ewing Knicks Leon Jersey nods to Fieg’s lifelong Knicks fandom and role as the team’s first-ever creative director since 2022. A Yankees cap marks the longstanding partnership with the iconic baseball team. Other items include an embellished western belt, duffle bags, Alonzo Jacket, Webster Jean, and more that showcase the evolution of Kith’s lineup.
“For this collection, I am presenting a series of works based on a concept called UROBOROS, which is inspired by traditional Japanese ‘BORO,’ a subject I have been continuously researching for nearly 20 years,” says Mr. Horiuchi. “The project led to ideas and final results that I would never have come up with on my own. It expanded my range of creative expression and technical possibilities, allowing both myself and my work to continue evolving.”
These aren’t just display pieces for Fieg’s personal archive. He’s actually wearing them.
“I wore the Knicks Leon Shirt to Kith Night at Madison Square Garden. I’m going to wear all of these pieces,” says Fieg, who calls the jersey his favorite of the bunch. “I chose the products that mean the most to me, whether they’re pieces I wear or cherish as works of art.”
But the Kith x Proleta partnership isn’t just for Fieg. In addition to the personal items, Proleta also designed a special take on the Kith box logo hoodie, complete with a studded logo hit on the chest, which will retail for $8,800 and be limited to just 10 pieces. The hoodie will be released on Kith’s web store on Nov. 16. There are also four regional-exclusive pairs of extremely limited Clarks Wallabees: red for Japan, black for New York, maple brown for Paris, and navy blue for London. They will retail at $1,982 a piece and only be available in each respective city’s stores.
“I wanted to give people around the world who truly appreciate this work a chance to own a pair,” says Fieg. “Giving each region its own unique color within an already extremely limited release makes every pair feel even more special to its owner. It also creates a community among those trying to complete the set. That sense of connection and individuality is what I’m always trying to infuse into everything we do.”
Fieg initially discovered Proleta in 2022 through Junya Matano, the Kith Japan Regional Brand Director. He was wearing a Levi’s denim jacket crafted by Proleta that Fieg jokes he “wanted right off of Junya’s back.” After that, he saw Japanese style icon and former creative director of United Arrows & Sons, Poggy, in a pair of Air Jordan 1s customized by Proleta. He knew it was time to formally connect.
“I asked Junya to reach out on my behalf to express my admiration for their work,” he says. ”The relationship grew from there through years of conversation and an inspiring visit to their studio.”
Fieg has long been an admirer of Japanese craftsmanship and style. First, it was as a sneaker fanatic in the 2000s. Before social media,, he developed a network in Japan to hunt down and barter for exclusive sneakers like Co.jp Nike Dunks. In 2020, he planted his official flag in Japan with the opening of Kith Tokyo. To date, Kith has three stores across Japan: Tokyo, Osaka, and Kids Osaka.
For Proleta, Fieg is the latest high-profile collaborator to add to his resume, which includes names like Yohji Yamamoto and Mr Porter. Since 2020, he has worked on hundreds of intricate and eye-catching custom projects, including custom bombers and jeans for celebs like ASAP Rocky and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Proleta does not mass produce its items, and instead focuses on low-volume production, typically one-offs. It has made all of his items collectible pieces of art as much as stylish, wearable garments.
“I feel incredibly honored. What made working with Kith particularly special was that, rather than rushing to decide what we would create, they took the time to build a genuine relationship first,” Mr. Horiuchi tells Complex. “That meant a great deal to me, and it allowed me to stay motivated throughout the entire process, driven by the desire to complete something truly special for such an important milestone in Kith's history.”
It’s hard to boil down 15 years into 15 items, but Fieg and Mr. Horiuchi succeeded, making something truly unique in the process.
“It’s the perfect balance of celebrating what we’ve created over the years and pushing our craft into its next chapter,” says Fieg. “I truly cherish these pieces.”