Who’s behind KICKIT?

KICKIT is about to come back on April 8th in Rome, after the indisputable success of their last event in September. This time the Italian streetwear market event will be two times bigger than the previous one and will take place at Officine Farneto. Sellers are coming from all the most relevant streetwear capitals: London, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen and many others. New and more specific info about the event will be provided in the upcoming weeks. Now it’s time to know who is behind Kickit and what’s the brand philosophy. Let’s ask them a few questions.

The Team:

Fabrizio Efrati: owner and founder

Valerio Coretti: brand strategist

Federico Barengo: communication manager

Jacopo D’Andrea: art director

Simone Efrati: marketing manager

Sofia Greganti: key account manager

Claudia Landi: interior designer

Marta Beggio: internal coordinator

#1 How did the idea of KICKIT came up to your mind?

Fabrizio Efrati: As a shop owner, I’ve been passionate with streetwear and sneakers for all my life. So when I had the opportunity to bring one of my biggest passions to the next level I caught it at the speed of light. I also chose a team composed exclusively of young people, because I really believe in the power of new generations. They are fresh, smart, creative, passionate, but also have an incredible knowledge. So the idea came very naturally to me. Sometimes I believe I didn’t choose Kickit, Kickit chose me [laugh].

#2 What’s the philosophy behind KICKIT?

Fabrizio Efrati: I really want to bring the European streetwear scene to Italy. I think that Italy has got an incredible potential that is under-exploited too frequently. Italians also tend to be really narrow-minded and they often think small, as a direct consequence. I want to think big and destroy all borders and boundaries. KICKIT is about loving and sharing. These two words mean a lot to me because they represent how I deal with the most important things in my life. Streetwear is surely one of them. I live out of this, clothes and sneakers are literally what brings food to my table. That’s why I’m so thankful and why I pay so much respect to them. I want KICKIT to be something people come at to share their love for streetwear.

#3 What’s new about KICKIT?

Valerio Coretti: for sure the way we are interacting with the online communities. We try to stay as much connected to our public as we can. We are not just organizing an event and we don’t want people just to attend. We are building a brand and we want people to be an active part of the process. We try to stay in touch with all the realities that we find interesting from Facebook groups, to forums, to online magazines, to emerging brands. Our eyes are wide open 24/7 and every time we see something fresh and new, we try to bring it on board. 

Federico Barengo: we also try to focus very much on communication. Today that can make the difference between a huge success and a complete failure. Our kind of communication is built on the philosophy of the brand. We are just trying to be as inclusive, as we can, especially with younger generations. We want everyone who is passionate about streetwear and sneakers to come and share the love. That’s the reason why we try to reach the largest amount of people every day, using new media and alternative strategies in order to find an effective way to stand out.

Jacopo D’Andrea: images are the most important thing today. I know it’s funny to say that during an interview, but words are dead. People have a very few time to read things carefully and that’s why images are becoming so fundamental to our culture. They can tell you in less than one second more than what a thousand word could tell. They can just leave a fleeting impression or a deep trace. It only depends on what image you choose. I think this is just the start of a sort of neo-primitive communication, made only by rudimental-yet very meaningful-signs.

#4 There is someone you want to thank?

Fabrizio Efrati: First, I want to thank my wife Marcella and brother Simone Efrati. They are working really hard to make KICKIT grow every day bigger, without them we could never make it. Then I want to thank our staff of kick-ass girls Marta Begio, Sofia Greganti and Claudia Landi. They are also part of the family. In the , nd I want to thank everyone who supported us and made this beautiful dream come true.