Genuine or a Money Grab?
The Kith x The Sopranos collaboration
I have mixed feelings about the Kith x The Sopranos collaboration, and sitting with it for a bit has only clarified why.
I love The Sopranos. Kith, less so. This collab sums up that gap for me.
Kith is now so big they can collaborate with anyone. That scale is impressive, but it often comes at the cost of intimacy. A lot of their projects feel built for reach rather than sentiment, more brand exercise than fan service. This one feels no different.
One detail that really stood out was the decision to swap the Bada Bing address for a Kith store. Reading through comments online, it is clear many fans were not happy about it. For a show that means as much as The Sopranos does to people, that kind of change feels unnecessary, even a little tone deaf.
The Sopranos is the hero here, but it was not allowed to breathe. Less Kith logos and more restraint would have gone a long way. Tonal branding, subtle nods, and inside references would have respected the source material without competing with it.
I will always compare Kith to Aimé Leon Dore. They come from similar roots and draw from overlapping references, but the execution is fundamentally different. ALD has shown how referencing place, culture, and history can feel lived-in rather than layered on. The brand often lets the story lead.
Kith feels like the older brother with more funding, taking similar cues but turning the volume up. Bigger faces. Louder moments. Less intimacy.
If I were involved, I would have leaned into the old HBO marketing playbook. Street-level ideas. Inside jokes. Things only real fans would clock. Fake arms hanging out of caps in New York. Moments that feel playful, slightly unhinged, and deeply aware of the audience.
With something as sacred as The Sopranos, intimacy matters. Sometimes the most powerful move a brand can make is knowing when to take the backseat.
I am curious how others feel.
Did this come across as a genuine homage, or did it feel heavy-handed?
Do me a favor and leave a comment on my IG post, to help IG know, D5 ain’t dead.
As always, appreciate your time.
Hayden