Nigo is one of the most iconic streetwear designers in the world, his latest project, Human Made, was a natural fit for KFC given its Americana style. And in the words of Nigo himself, “I’ve always been inspired by retro Americana, so this KFC collaboration was perfect for the HUMAN MADE brand. After having the chance to visit KFC headquarters and see their archives, the collection came together perfectly. The Human Made x KFC Capsule collection was designed to celebrate American culture which influences HUMAN MADE’s designs, while incorporating the history and iconic flair of Colonel Sanders and the KFC brand.”

Partner with an influential streetwear designer to create an exclusive line of KFC and Colonel Sanders-inspired apparel. Rather than broadly going after people interested in “fashion,” we wanted to speak to the most passionate community within that broader interest group: streetwear fanatics. These individuals are some of the most passionate and fervent “fashion” fans, and they’re always chasing after the latest, most authentic and hard-to-find items. But they are also extremely discerning, making them hard to win over. Our challenge, then, was to find a collaborator that would still feel new, exciting, unexpected, and legitimate. Not only is Nigo one of the most iconic streetwear designers in the world, his latest project, Human Made, was a natural fit for KFC given its Americana style. To launch the exclusive KFC x Human Made Collab line, Hypebeast completely revamped a KFC store in Manhattan and turned it into an immersive one-day pop-up.

The Colonel was the ultimate chicken salesman. He would do anything and everything to promote Kentucky Fried Chicken. So over the past few years, he’s appeared in some pretty unexpected places. While other brands play in broad, generic culture, we’ve found a successful formula in appealing to specific subcultures. By doing it in the most authentic way possible, we’ve been able to generate news that resonates within those communities and then trickles out to the mass media.

This approach was especially true of our KFC Limited e-store launch, which earned rave reviews from some of the most credible sources in the fashion world. The news then trickled out from the fashion press to more mainstream news outlets. This approach was especially true of our KFC Limited e-store launch, which earned rave reviews from some of the most credible sources in the fashion world. The news then trickled out from the fashion press to more mainstream news outlets.

Hundreds of streetwear fans from across the U.S. lined up to purchase their own limited-edition piece from the collection. News of the pop-up and collection earned over 95 million earned impressions from publications like Paper magazine and Fast Company. We sold out of multiple products at the one-day pop-up event and eventually online at HBX.com, including a $260 papier-mâché bucket and an iconic part of the Americana-inspired collection, the red KFC bandana. Following the launch, Nigo sold the collection under his Human Made brand at his flagship store in Tokyo. The partnership gave KFC a well-respected place in streetwear fashion. We met our goal to build credibility within the streetwear community around the world and Pharrell wore the most iconic tee from the KFC x Human Made collection on stage at his concert the next weekend at Miami’s Art Basel.