Kids of Immigrants

What Kids of Immigrants does

Kids of Immigrants (KOI) is a privately held, founder-led streetwear and lifestyle brand established in 2016 by Weleh Dennis (Liberian-American) and Daniel Buezo (Honduran-American) and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The company designs, produces, and sells apparel — including heavyweight cotton tees ($50-$80), hoodies ($90-$110), jackets (up to $175), mesh jerseys ($80), and accessories ($10-$45) — under a brand narrative centered on immigrant identity, family, and community, with signature woven-label messaging and patchwork/chenille detailing. Production is LA-based with hand-sewn finishing on many pieces.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model, with the primary sales channel being a Shopify e-commerce storefront (kidsofimmigrants.us) that ships globally, complemented by a single flagship retail store at 4873 Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles that doubles as a community venue hosting watch parties, workshops, exhibitions, and youth programming. The brand has executed co-developed collaborations with tier-1 partners including Nike (Nike x KOI, 2024) and previously Vans (Old Skool 36 DX, 2020), plus a Buchanan's "Family Reunion" charitable capsule, and has attracted organic celebrity adoption (Odell Beckham Jr., Playboi Carti, Kehlani) and earned media across GQ, Vogue, Hypebeast, Forbes, and similar outlets. Pricing is unit-based across collections, all sales are one-time purchases with no subscription, and the catalog spans roughly 134 SKUs across the 10 Year Collection, core Tees and Hoodies, Accessories, and the Nike x KOI line. The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional funding and remains under the operational control of its two co-founders.

Name

Kids of Immigrants

Legal name

Kids of Immigrants

Website

https://kidsofimmigrants.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kids of Immigrants is a Los Angeles–based streetwear brand founded in 2016 by two first-generation co-founders, selling premium apparel and accessories direct-to-consumer via a Shopify storefront and one LA flagship, with tier-1 collaborations including Nike.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Streetwear Apparel

NAICS

Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers (458), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (4581)

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Streetwear & Contemporary Apparel Retail (CRAAABAM)

Keywords

• Streetwear apparel
• Lifestyle clothing
• Graphic t-shirts
• Hoodies and jackets
• Direct-to-consumer fashion

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Kids of Immigrants generates revenue through direct-to-consumer sales of apparel and accessories via their e-commerce website and flagship retail store. Products include t-shirts ($50-$80), hoodies ($90-$110), jackets ($175), mesh jerseys ($80), and accessories ($10-$45). All transactions are one-time purchases with no subscription component.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kids of Immigrants designs, produces, and sells direct-to-consumer streetwear apparel and accessories — including heavyweight cotton T-shirts, patchwork and heavyweight hoodies, garment-dyed jackets, mesh jerseys, and accessories such as beanies, enamel pins, sticker packs, and keychains — rooted in first-generation immigrant storytelling. Products are sold through a Shopify e-commerce storefront globally and a flagship retail store in Los Angeles, with select collaboration items distributed through Nike retail channels.

Product overview

Kids of Immigrants is a multi-dimensional lifestyle streetwear brand founded in 2016 by Weleh Dennis (Liberian-American) and Daniel Buezo (Honduran-American). The brand bridges diverse cultures and experiences through intentional product and powerful storytelling. The core product portfolio includes t-shirts (short-sleeved and long-sleeved), hoodies (heavyweight, patchwork, zip-up, and cropped styles), jackets (shell jackets, poplin jackets, polar fleece), mesh jerseys, and accessories (beanies, key chains, enamel pins, sticker packs, socks, scarves). The brand maintains collaborations with Nike featuring jerseys, t-shirts, socks, and scarves. Products are made with love in Los Angeles, CA, with many items featuring signature details like woven labels with messages such as 'Made with love and built to last generations for the people, by the people' and 'Shout out to immigrant parents who came here with nothing but gave us everything.' The brand operates a flagship store in Los Angeles and sells exclusively through its e-commerce platform built on Shopify.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tees Collection

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NikecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNike collaboration (Nike x KOI) featuring apparel and accessories including jerseys, t-shirts, socks, and scarves. Products sold through KOI website with co-branded marketing. Represents a significant brand partnership elevating KOI's market positioning within athleticwear.
• VanscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrevious collaboration featuring Classic Canvas Old Sklow 36 DX silhouette shoes and socks celebrating immigrant families. Featured in GQ, Hypebeast, Forbes, LA Times, and other major publications.
• Buchanan'sminorStrategic or Co-development Partner"Family Reunion" collaboration (Casa Pina 2.0) with Buchanan's whiskey brand. All proceeds donated to More than a Meal to provide meals for communities and funds for local organizations building sustainable food programs.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Madhappy: LA-based lifestyle/streetwear brand with flagship stores, DTC e-commerce, premium pricing, and a mission-driven narrative—closest peer on the flagship-as-community model.
• Stüssy: Heritage streetwear brand with similar cultural narrative, premium pricing, and global DTC + flagship retail model. Closest analog in terms of brand-led streetwear DNA and pricing architecture.
• Online Ceramics: Small-batch LA streetwear brand with DTC-first distribution, premium pricing, handcrafted aesthetic, and a tight community following—closely comparable on scale and operating model.
• Gallery Dept. LA streetwear/art label with premium price points, celebrity wearers, limited DTC distribution, and a craft-driven product story—comparable on positioning and cultural cachet.
• Noah: Independent NYC streetwear/lifestyle brand with a values-driven narrative, premium pricing, and DTC + small flagship retail footprint—analogous brand-building playbook.
• Born x Raised: LA streetwear label with hyper-local cultural storytelling, premium pricing, limited retail footprint, and strong celebrity and community credibility—operationally and aesthetically comparable.

Broad incumbents

• Represent: Larger DTC streetwear brand operating in a similar price band with broader assortment and stronger global distribution—useful as a scaled-up reference point.
• Carhartt WIP: Established workwear-rooted streetwear label with premium apparel pricing and global DTC + retail—useful comparable on durable, heavyweight cotton product positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/koiflagship
• Xx.com/KOImmigrants
• Facebookfacebook.com/koimmigrants
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kids-of-immigrants

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kids of Immigrants