New York Daily Photo Analytics

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

On a Roll

Success begets success. Much of business success is built on momentum - no one wants to go into an empty restaurant. Certainly there has to be a level of quality to prime the pump, but once things get going, people will beat a path to your door.
You see this in the arts all the time. A tiny percentage prosper and the rest starve. And I don't believe that there is a direct correlation between financial success in the arts and talent. There are many in an art genre that are as talented or nearly as talented as those at the very top, but just don't get the accolades, for a variety of reasons - the disparities between talent and income can be huge. Success is a package deal - talent, promotion, image, connections, buzz, whim and some luck. When those elements work together, momentum builds. The more underlying quality you have, the better your chance of long term success. Everyone wants the hot thing, not the second hottest thing. It's like Google search results - most click the first result; not too many go to page two.
Kidrobot seems to be one of those places. They have an extremely engaging product line - very creative ideas and well executed. Everyone seems to love those little figures. See their website here. Kidrobot currently has stores located in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami and Toronto and their products can also be found at many boutique retailers around the world. Founded by designer Paul Budnitz in 2002, Kidrobot is a designer and retailer of limited edition art toys and apparel. They merge urban street trends, fashion, and pop art. Products feature unique collaborations with top international artists with backgrounds as diverse as graffiti, fine art, fashion, industrial design, graphic design, illustration, and music.
Many of their artists attain celebrity status - you see evidence of this with frequent crowds at the shop when they have guest artist signings. The event in the photo was a reopening from one store location to their new location at 118 prince in SoHo. I recommend a visit if you are in the area.
When momentum builds, you're on a roll. Kidrobot does not need any promotion from me - these guys are on a roll ...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love your explaination of success.

So true. Especially in the arts.

Anonymous said...

They are cute though

Anonymous said...

Hey , the guy(on the left) is me. I was playing lap steel, and Will is playing my guitar. My beloved Epiphone Triumph. It was such a thrill and pleasure to play with him. He is a really nice guy. great shot!
Sean Daly