Day in the Life of Rickey Kim: Tastemaker

Rickey Kim, creative director of the Evil Monito Intelligence Agency, wears many hats—and sometimes he designs them, as well.

On any given day, Kim can be found designing anything from fedoras and BMX bikes to toys and sneakers for a bevy of brands; writing magazine articles for Nylon, Streetwear Today, LTD, Clark, Code or Theme; blogging about his life on www.mrkimsays.com; or planning parties and brand strategies for Evil Monito’s public-relations clients. Recently, he was writing a speech he is to deliver at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., on the topic of modern design theory. Next, he might be planning an art show for local underground street artists or organizing a pop-up store in his studio for a client.

“Every week is something different,” Kim said, standing in the new studio/headquarters he opened in October at 1830 Echo Park Ave. in Los Angeles’ gritty Echo Park neighborhood. Whatever he’s doing, hipsters and street-savvy brands are interested in being part of his world. “My job is to bring people together. I’m in the business of introducing people,” he said.

And since he left his position as creative director of Riottt (www.riottt.com), an online art/fashion/music/lifestyle community, earlier this year and walked away from The Social Trust , a photography and film studio he co-founded, Kim has had a lot more time to dedicate to Evil Monito. What started as an online magazine in his dorm room is now a public-relations firm that specializes in product placement and brand development. Kim also brokers collaboration deals between his clients and masterminds collaborations betweens disparate brands and Evil Monito. House of Cassette; Apolis; Keep Company; Klipsch Audio; and 10 Cane Rum, a division of the LVMH Moeuml;t Hennessy-Louis Vuitton company, are among his current clients. So far, Kim has created limited-edition Evil Monito sneakers for K-Swiss, hats for Kangol, socks and a BMX bike for Shadow Conspiracy, and premium denim for Japanese brand Fiber Ops. He also produceda series of shoes for Creative Recreation. More projects are in the works, but for now, Kim is keeping those under his signature Kangol/Evil Monito fedora. California Apparel News Manufacturing Editor Erin Barajas tailed Kim for a day to catch the jack-of-all-trades in action.

11 a.m.“I roll in. Check my e-mail again, make more phone calls,” Kim said. The morning is spent in meetings. Today, Kim and Kenny Mac, 10 Cane Rum’s marketing guy, plan upcoming events (which include dinners for editors, movie nights and weekly parties) and discuss last week’s party. Kim and photographer Robert Hamada plan the look for Cassette’s next photo shoot and brand look, and then Kim meets with an editor of a West Coast magazine to discuss editorial opportunities. Kim writes an average of five articles a month for magazines in places as far-flung as Germany, France and the Netherlands.

2 p.m.Lunch with Jon Phenom, a designer and filmmaker who made a documentary short about Evil Monito, its evolution, and its effects on fashion and street culture. Designer Peter James Lee of Cassette stops by for coffee. “What I like about our new location is that we are in a residential neighborhood; it isn’t corporate. There are people walking around, it is comfortable [and] people feel welcome and relaxed. I can walk to Delilah’s Cafeacute; and get a cup of coffee and a cupcake.”

2:40 p.m.Kim tweaks designs for a new project. “I’m going to brand Echo Park,” he laughs. Part of the project includes T-shirts and hoodies emblazoned with the name. Kim and Phenom joke about getting gang members from the neighborhood to pose for a group photo to use as the lining in the hoodie. They decide against it.

3:30 p.m.Kim fills orders placed on Evil Monito’s online store. Product ranges from limited-edition T-shirts, skate decks, pillows and figurines to Evil Monito’s own collaborations with brands. Mostly collector’s items, the stuff isn’t cheap, but he said domestic and international consumers eat it up. Kim—whose mind is like an encyclopedia of designer fashion and streetwear trends in Japan, Los Angeles and New York—rattles off the pedigree of the artists, designers and brands in his inventory.

5 p.m.Kim takes a breather in the backyard of the Evil Monito headquarters. Strung with lights, the yard was set up with a stage where singer CJ performed courtesy of Capitol Records during the housewarming party Evil Monito threw for its new digs. “It was a great night. More than 500 people were here,” Kim said.