Colm Dillane talks on his painting, the impact of Virgil Abloh and working at Louis Vuitton
12 October, 2023: Dinner with Friends: Regent’s Park, London.
Colm Dillane, better known as KidSuper, is challenging what it means to be a streetwear designer. From selling t-shirts in high school to on an ironing board in Soho, Colm started out making clothes in his college dorm in Brooklyn - which he was eventually kicked out of for selling the clothes from his own room. He found a store front in the Williamsburg area and immediately starting to work on it with his friends, turning it into an artist’s dream - a multipurpose studio with a music studio to a sewing room. In January of 2023, Colm was appointed Louis Vuitton’s first - and only ever - guest designer, leading to a CFDA nomination for the Menswear Designer of the Year award. In his most recent turn, Colm presents the solo-exhibition ‘Dinner With Friends, a 2023 Showcase of Oil Paintings in London, England.’
They’re incredibly rewarding to myself but it’s hilarious how quickly the world forgets about them, like ‘oh cool what’s the next one?’ — I’m saying ‘guys, I just gave you five of the best shows ever’ and they’re like ‘oh cool, but what’s next?’. I’m tired, I have to keep coming up with these good ideas? Haha.
This show in London marks your first solo exhibition in Europe. Will this be the first of many art exhibitions around the world? Do you have plans for your painting?
Yeah, there’s been a couple in New York and now I’m getting more known, people are more open to the idea of it.
As a painter? Or would you say your work in fashion has opened the doors?
Generally, I mean they both kind of help. It’s funny ‘cause I was at this show yesterday, which was like a fancy private show, and someone said ‘why are you doing clothing, you should stick to paint stick to painting’ and I was like ‘the only reason you’re here is because I did clothing - if I was painting I’d be in Brooklyn and you wouldn’t have heard about me.’
The great thing about clothing is there’s so many different avenues for it — there’s the videos to promote it, there’s these fashion shows, there’s this collaboration aspect, there’s the meeting people. Art, painting, doesn’t have that. There’s this idea of working with different brands or people which is really cool which fashion allows. I’ve got to meet so many interesting people because of clothing, whereas with the painting I might have just been locked in my basement alone; which I do enjoy but I really do like the “holy shit we’ve got this huge project, let’s trial these different things, we have to finish it by ...”.
I really do enjoy the fashion shows even though they’re the most stressful thing ever and they almost blow up.
The Impact of Virgil Abloh and Working at Louis Vuitton
Virgil was the reason we, or anyone ever, tried to go to Paris from America as a streetwear designer; ‘cause he has done it and we were like ‘oh I guess that’s where you’re supposed to do it’ and that’s where everyone is doing it. But he also seemed pretty unattainable — there was a slight image that he was attainable but still very unattainable. He shifted everything, he’s the real real reason we were in Paris — he made it cool and young and possible. All of America and American culture was going out there. And so then, I also think he opened the door to me being a streetwear person to being now a fashion designer.
But it was very funny, I got more credit when I did stuff in Paris than when I did stuff in New York. I was like ‘guys, New York, you should support me, I’m from here, you saw my whole life! I should be on the cover of all of this stuff’. And then Paris, I thought I’m going to get nothing here, yet Paris was like “Amazing show! Here’s a reward”. - it was crazy. The first time I did Paris I had no idea what was going to happen and I just thought it was funny to be like ‘yeah, I did Paris Fashion Week’. I remember thinking, can’t wait to do Milan after. They were saying ‘you know if you do one fashion show you have to stick to that city” and I was like ‘fuck’ - ‘cause I thought I was going to do Milan, London Australia. But Paris has been super supportive and open minded which I really wasn’t expecting. The whole fashion world has been way cooler and nicer. That was kind of interesting ‘cause I really didn’t think that was going to happen. I just did Paris ‘cause I thought it was funny and cool, I thought there was no way - it was more of a joke. Now it’s not a joke.
The first time I did Paris I had no idea what was going to happen and I just thought it was funny to be like ‘yeah, I did Paris Fashion Week’. I thought it was funny and cool, I thought there was no way - it was more of a joke.
LN - How do you feel the atmosphere differs from streetwear to high fashion? Where do you find differences and complications?
CD - People said streetwear is dead and now everyone has a brand. One of the things I don’t like with everyone having a brand is that they’re not working together and supporting each other. Many young people don’t want to work for companies, they want to have their own brand. Which is cool for a certain amount of time but also every brand needs help, there’s not going to be 50 successful brands. Sometimes you have to sacrifice being the man and supporting someone else. ‘Cause now when I get young kids working for me I can always tell they always want their own thing. Which is cool and all, but it was interesting when I was talking to the staff of Louis Vuitton, I was saying “you guys ever think of starting you own brands? I mean you work at LV, you are all the most trained people” and they were like “absolutely not”. Then if you ask an American kid who’s got any little bit of talent he’s like “I’m god’s greatest gift, I need to be the president of everything” and you’re like “dude you don’t know anything!”
Maybe that’s why the houses work way better in Paris than they do in New York.
Yeah, I mean the humbleness and appreciation of the team, as well as honouring your position and stuff like that. I was really thinking when I went into LV that the staff was going to be not wanting me there because they were trying to take the role, but it was the complete opposite. Man, it was awesome.
No it was easier, way easier. You have unlimited resources and they support creativity so so much. It was crazy, not what I expected. And everyone has a great sense of humour - well, most people. It was very cool. They were very honouring of the position too, like I was this very important person in the room. They would knock before they came in - I felt like I was trespassing!
And I feel like they were impressed that I could do everything: I can draw, I can Photoshop, I can use Illustrator etc. because I was doing everything myself for the brand, and most people aren’t as versed in everything. I think they were pretty surprised I could do that. They would be like ‘we want to change the jacket’ so I was saying ‘oh send me the file’ and they were confused. I said I’ll change it and they were like ‘I thought you were just going to pick a colour’. Haha, so that was cool.
Would you take up a full-time position with Louis Vuitton if they offered it?
Yeah for sure, no problem, you can’t say no to opportunities like that. And, you know, it wasn’t something I was searching for or thinking I was going to get but when you have that much access to that many opportunities and interesting people, of course.