Ksubi

If you are after premium denim with attitude, many fans say yes. Ksubi sits in the upper end of the denim market, and the appeal is its distinctive washes and the rebellious, lived-in aesthetic the brand built its name on. You are paying for distinctive styling and a strong cult following as much as the cotton, so the value comes down to how much that edge matters to you.

The K is silent. In Australian accents it lands as "soobie," and in American accents as "sue-bee." The unusual spelling is a clue to the brand's backstory, since it began life under a different name entirely.

It launched as "tsubi" in 1999, but in 2006 the brand changed its name to Ksubi as the result of a trademark infringement dispute. The reworked spelling kept the same sound while sidestepping the legal trouble, and the silent-K name has been part of the label's identity ever since.

Denim, and plenty of attitude. Ksubi is known for its signature denim and box-cross logo, the foundations the whole label is built on. The four founders started the brand precisely because they were dissatisfied with the denim fits on the market, so making their own jeans was the original point of the project.

Ksubi was founded in 1999 on Sydney's Northern Beaches by four friends: Gareth Moody, Dan Single, Paul Wilson and George Gorrow. Unhappy with the denim available at the time, they set out to manufacture their own jeans, and the Australian label grew from there into an international name.

Yes, Ksubi is an Australian fashion label, born on Sydney's Northern Beaches in 1999. While its flagship now sits in SoHo, New York, and it has stores and stockists across North America and Europe, the brand has also kept a strong home presence with standalone stores in Sydney and Melbourne. That Australian origin remains core to its identity.

The brand has deep ties to music and pop culture. In 2017 it released a sold-out limited collection with rapper Travis Scott, who christened its New York store with a 40-minute in-store performance, and in 2019 Kendall Jenner fronted and collaborated on the 8-piece "Sign of the Times" capsule. Ksubi has also worked with Jeremy Scott and teamed up with Kith for an NYFW show.

More than once, by design. The label made headlines worldwide in 2001 when it released 200 live rats onto the catwalk, and turned heads again in 2007 with a catalogue that propped its sunglasses on penises. In 2013 its provocatively-themed Sex! & Fashion capsule drew consumer backlash over its imagery. Courting that kind of shock has long been part of the Ksubi attitude.

Pip Edwards was named creative director of Ksubi in September 2024. Her appointment marked a new chapter for a brand that has changed hands and ownership several times over its history while holding onto its rebellious denim identity.

Ksubi jeans are generally described as fairly true to fit, so your usual measurements are a reasonable starting point, though styles vary so it is worth checking each cut. Because the distressing and washes are central to the look, treat them gently: wash inside out, cold and sparingly to preserve the fades and the worn-in character you paid for. The aesthetic is meant to age, not fall apart.

Ksubi's flagship is in SoHo, New York, with further stores in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami, plus its Australian standalone stores. Beyond its own shops, it is stocked by premium retailers worldwide, including Saks and Kith in the US, Harrods and Selfridges in the UK, and Holt Renfrew in Canada. The selective stockist list reflects the brand's premium positioning.