Culture Kings
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 2008 on the Gold Coast, Australia |
| Founder | Simon Beard, Tah-nee Beard |
| Headquarters | Gold Coast , Australia |
Area served | Australia, New Zealand, United States |
Key people | Simon Beard (CEO until 2023, board member of a.k.a Brands), Tah-nee Beard (COO until 2023) |
| Products | Streetwear apparel and accessories |
| Parent | a.k.a Brands (since 2021) |
Culture Kings is a retailer specializing in streetwear apparel and accessories, established in 2008 on the Gold Coast, Australia by Simon and Tah-nee Beard. The brand currently manages eight locations throughout Australia and one store in Auckland, New Zealand.
History
Prior to launching Culture Kings, Simon Beard operated under the same brand name by reselling sneakers and hats on eBay. The inaugural physical outlet was inaugurated in Southport, located on the Gold Coast.
In January 2017, a fire incident at Culture Kings' warehouse in Acacia Ridge resulted in a loss of inventory valued at $500,000 and caused a temporary halt to their online retail operations.
By 2021, the company had grown to eight retail outlets: two stores each in Melbourne and Sydney, with additional locations in Brisbane, Perth, Gold Coast, and Auckland. The original Southport location ceased operations in 2018.
In March 2021, the founders divested Culture Kings to Boston-based Summit Partners' a.k.a Brands for $307.4 million in cash along with 23.3 million shares. Simon Beard retained his role as CEO while Tah-nee Beard took on the position of COO.
Culture Kings launched its first overseas store in Auckland in July 2021, followed by its initial U.S. branch opening in Las Vegas in November 2022. In January 2023, both founders resigned from their executive positions but continued as advisors; Simon Beard also remained a member of a.k.a Brands' board of directors.
The company was honored with a Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame Award in 2022.
In October 2023, CreditRiskMonitor indicated that Culture Kings’ parent company, a.k.a Brands, was approaching the possibility of filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Collaborations
By 2021, Culture Kings had formed partnerships with prominent brands such as Champion, Timberland, Odd Future, Kappa, and G-Shock. These collaborations have contributed to expanding Culture Kings’ product range and market influence.
Hosier Lane
In 2018, Culture Kings established a Melbourne store within Hosier Lane, an area renowned for its street art and traditionally characterized by unrestricted public access. After the store's launch, the company implemented murals and began controlling the street art activities, which altered the lane’s previous open-access environment. This change provoked masked protesters to vandalize the vicinity using fire extinguishers as an act of opposition against what they perceived as commercial exploitation of Hosier Lane by Culture Kings and the Melbourne City Council.
Mike Tyson lawsuit
In 2021, professional boxer Mike Tyson initiated a civil lawsuit against Culture Kings alleging unauthorized use of his likeness and trademarked name on their merchandise. The disputed products displayed Tyson’s image accompanied by the text "Mike Tyson," which he has held trademark rights over since 2010.