Please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about what you do.My name is Kenn Davenport A.K.A. Kenny Knyewtron. I am the managing partner and one of the three founders of Knyew. I handle all the day to day operations including buying, retail organization, logistics, and customer service.
What is life like up in Las Vegas, as far as music, nightlife, fashion, and popular culture?
Las Vegas is a city like no other in a lot of ways. We are a hospitality / service oriented city, so nothing really closes here. Life here is what you make it. There are two sides to Las Vegas. If you want to drink yourself into the ground, lose your life earnings gambling, or party in epic style you can do that. On the other hand, Las Vegas does have a growing sense of community. Vegas is almost like any other city…We just have a lot of hotels, casinos, and nightclubs. Nightlife, Pop culture, and a lot of fashion run hand in hand here…It can be rather corny at times. There are a few of us here trying to buck the trend and offer Las Vegas more.
Tell us a little about KNYEW and the people involved.
Knyew (pronounced new) was founded by DJ Crooked (Richard Sung), DJ Neva (Evan Boyd), and myself. Knyew stands for Keeping New York Every Where. Crooked and Neva have been DJing here in Vegas for over five years, both gents are native New Yorkers. What kind of brands does KNYEW carry? We carry brands that are very recognizable within the street wear and street culture community. Brands such as The Hundreds, Crooks and Castles, Diamond Supply, Huf, 10 Deep, Acapulco Gold, Black Scale…To see the complete listing of what brands we carry peep knyew.blogspot.com.
What are some of your favourite brands out right now?
The Hundreds, I have a lot of respect for what they are doing with the brand and for what they are doing for our industry. I really like what Mega and the boys are doing with Black Scale. Acapulco Gold is also one of my favorites as well.
What new upcoming events or releases are you currently working on?
I would tell you but then I’d have to kill you. Just joking. As I mentioned we are trying to bring more to Las Vegas. We plan on continuing our bi-monthly party here in Vegas called “Backspin” where we play nothing but old school hip-hop, r&b, reggae and classics. DJ legends like Riz from Crooklyn Clan and local favorites like Five and OB-One have made this event a platform for good music in Las Vegas. Everyone looks forward to our “Backspin” parties and we’re proud to bring this type of gathering for our peoples. We also plan on developing some cut and sew pieces this year like button-down shirts, crew neck sweaters and light jackets. Our most recent t-shirt designs like the “MLB” and “Token” have been getting a very positive response so it only seemed natural to further the KNYEW brand by expanding into some outerwear. I have a few collaboration projects in the works too but I can’t tell you about those. Really.
What would you say are the most difficult aspects or being in your line of work?
I only get to slim it down to a few things??? For me the most difficult aspect is…nothing big really. We opened Knyew and built it from the ground up. We have no corporation backing us or a silent partner with deep pockets. We do this for our own reasons with our own beliefs behind it. Everyday presents a new challenge for me, nothing stays the same from day to day. Making adjustments is a big part of what we have to do in our industry. I’m sure there are “purists” out there that want things to stay the same. If that was the case we wouldn’t be where we are today.
The fashion and music worlds are often tied together…What music artists out right now are grabbing your attention?
No one really, I feel that a lot of music artist get their gear for free. So do all of them wear it because they love it or because it is free? That isn’t attention worthy to me.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us Kenn. Do you have any last words or shout-outs?
Last words are for death row inmates and we’re far from dead. Much love and respect to my Knyew family DJ Crooked, DJ Neva, and Jazzy. Props to Mega at Black Scale, David at The Hundreds, the whole Triumvir crew, Acapulco Gold, Benny Gold, 10 Deep, Sole Society, and all of our loyal supporters! Thank you all! Thank you as well The Goodie Bag.
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