Today we share chapter 12 of 25, looking back on the year Kuyichi almost disappeared, and the people who chose to start again.
Sometimes you have to lose almost everything to rediscover what a brand is really about.
A brand in rough waters
Not every important chapter begins with success. This one begins at rock bottom. And with the decision that the story isn’t over yet.
After years of growth, Kuyichi ran into serious trouble in 2015. The organisation had grown too big, costs were high and several changes in management had caused the brand to lose its focus. New shops, extensive collections and high overheads eventually made the situation untenable.
Kuyichi went bankrupt.
It could have been the end of a brand that was founded to change the denim industry. But the mission behind Kuyichi was still relevant. Perhaps more relevant than ever.
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SS16 campaign shoot
A new beginning
Peter Schuitema, who had been responsible for Kuyichi’s sales for years, refused to let the brand and everything it stood for disappear. Together with Guido Keff and investor Floortje Dessing, among others, he took over Kuyichi and made a fresh start possible.
No big office. No sprawling organisation. No overloaded collections.
Kuyichi started again. Small, focused and convinced that the brand still had an important role to play.
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Celebrating the takeover at Peter’s home, 2016
Back to basics
The first new collection was built from Peter’s attic. A small, dedicated team reviewed the prototypes in the back garden.
Peter focused on rebuilding the business and commercial side. Bjorn Baars, who had been involved with Kuyichi since the early years, worked on the new collections, denim development, brand identity and creative direction. Drawing on years of experience, together they brought Kuyichi back to its essence: strong denim products, GOTS-certified cotton, reliable suppliers and a story once again close to the original mission.
After the takeover, we didn’t want to simply carry on where the old Kuyichi had stopped. We seized the moment to rebuild the brand, with the original mission as our starting point.
Every choice had to be made again: from materials and suppliers to fits, prices and the way the brand operated.
The focus shifted from growing bigger to working better.
The focus shifted from growing bigger to working better.
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Prototypes from the first collection after the relaunch, at Peter’s home, 2016
A stronger foundation
This period laid the foundation for the Kuyichi of today: more independent, more efficient and more closely connected to its original mission.
Not everything from the past needed to come along. But the pioneering mindset, the denim expertise built up over the years and the belief that the industry can work differently all remained.
The bankruptcy wasn’t something to celebrate. The courage to start again, and to bring the brand back stronger, was.
The bankruptcy wasn’t something to celebrate. The courage to start again was.
Kuyichi came back without guarantees and without big resources, but with a clearer story and renewed determination.
Sometimes you have to lose almost everything to rediscover what a brand is really about.
This was chapter 12 of our 25-part series celebrating 25 years of Kuyichi.
Stay tuned for the next chapter of our journey. In the meantime, you can browse our latest styles or revisit our previous chapter.
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SS16 campaign shoot
New in
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Sometimes you have to lose almost everything
to rediscover what a brand is really about.
25 years of Pure Denim Pioneering. Every chapter a choice, every choice a step forward.
25 years of Pure Denim Pioneering
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