Paid Vaca Interview with Teddy King

Online retailer and streetwear destination Paid Vaca recently caught up with Teddy King, DJ and current manager of U.S. sales and press for Japanese clothing label Lafayette. For King, it was his background in New York’s music scene that led him to streetwear. Forays into the industry with his own lines led to an introduction to Lafayette. From there, it was just a matter of time before he came a part of Lafayette’s push into the American market. As they say, the rest is history. Check out a few excerpts from the interview below, and head over to Paid Vaca to see the interview in full.

As the current manager of US Sales & Press for Lafayette, how’d you become acquainted and affiliated with the Lafayette team?
Back in 2010 DJ Clark Kent introduced Lafayette to the Boundless Movement and me. Clark Kent has always supported what we were doing and was also a big part of the Lafayette movement worldwide as well. So instantly I became a big fan and in love with the Lafayette line and brand mission. So we started supporting each other and I did a few music projects with Lafayette and traveled to Japan to DJ and started to build the relationship. Shortly after that I was offering the brand to wholesale account in the US, acting as a salesman and marketing. As things progressed we then worked on launching a US web-store. Privilege New York launched this past April and has been on a roll ever since. So now I am currently working full time. We now have a home base here in Brooklyn NY. We have an office and started a brand new US company side. I’m running and managing the Privilege website from the office and also using it as a Lafayette showroom and warehouse.

What region/city is home base for the Lafayette team? Would you say that this city has a significant influence on the creative process behind the Lafayette line?
The first Lafayette store was opened in Fujisawa, which is the country beach side out side of Tokyo. The next Lafayette store was opened in Yokohama, which is like the Brooklyn of Tokyo. Each store has different styles and people with in the cities. The Fujisawa store has a big section of used goods, which is like a Thrift store. The Yokohama store has 2 floors and one floor is dedicated to brands like J crew & Polo. And the other has brands like Acapulco Gold, Deadline & am AfterMidnight.