Kingpins’ Vivian Wang on Continuity and Denim’s Global Connections
Kingpins Show has a new CEO. After two decades at the helm, Kingpins founder Andrew Olah is moving into an advisory role, with Vivian Wang—formerly managing director and head of global sales—named as his successor.
Vivian has been part of Kingpins since the trade show’s start in 2004. With a background in graphic design, she created the Kingpins’ logo. Vivian also played a key role in bringing Kingpins to global markets, and the show’s presence now spans New York, Amsterdam and China, with pop-ups in other locations.
Carved in Blue caught up with Vivian to discuss how Kingpins has grown and her vision for the show going forward.
Carved in Blue: Could you briefly talk about your background, including your career pre-Kingpins?
Vivian: Of course! I studied fashion design and textile design in college. My first jobs after graduation were in graphic design. As it happened, I ended up freelancing for several LA-based denim companies, including Lucky, J Brand, Citizens for Humanity and Guess. I met Adriano Goldschmied when I was working at AG.
While there, designer Nicole King (who went on to lead design for companies such as The Gap, 7 For All Mankind, Koral, Ralph Lauren and her own brand, N’gai the Collective) introduced me to Andrew Olah, who was getting ready to launch a new denim trade show in New York and hired me to design the Kingpins logo and the invitation. The first Kingpins was held in 2004. I joined the company full-time two years later when Andrew asked me to produce the first Kingpins show in Los Angeles.
Carved in Blue: What attracted you to working in the denim industry?
Vivian: I was fortunate to get my start in the denim industry at a time when business was booming in Los Angeles. There were many premium denim brands based here or coming to Los Angeles to create their products. I recognized right away that this was a fascinating business filled with people who are passionate about jeans. I could not have asked for a better education in this industry than working with Adriano. He taught me so much about design and product development. He instilled in me a respect for mindful design and I grew to love denim, its endless variation and ability to evolve in ever-new ways.
Carved in Blue: You’ve been with Kingpins since the beginning. How have you seen the show grow and develop over the years?
Vivian: In those first few years, we were so excited to spread the word about Kingpins and gather the denim community together, which meant a lot of international expansion. Ultimately, we decided we didn’t need to be everywhere all the time. It was better to focus on just a handful of cities and produce shows with the best exhibitors and the best programming. That was when we landed in Amsterdam, hosting our first show there in 2014.
Carved in Blue: Now that you are taking the reins, what is your vision for the show’s future?
Vivian: It’s important to all of us at Kingpins that we maintain the same environment and ethos that we have cultivated over the last 20 years.
That said, in recent years I have personally been interested in fostering ties between the experienced denim community and the next generation of denim creatives. I think there is a lot both groups can learn from each other, and I want Kingpins to offer opportunities for them to connect and collaborate.
One of the pioneering ideas Kingpins founder Andrew Olah had for Kingpins was to expand the idea of who should participate in a trade show. He saw the value of having all members of the denim supply chain talk together and share ideas to create better, more sustainable and responsible products. I believe that we can continue to expand the community to include the end consumer and have been making small steps in that direction with our B2C content in China and Hong Kong.
Carved in Blue: Kingpins and trade show group Messe Frankfurt entered a strategic partnership in 2023. What does Messe Frankfurt’s investment mean for Kingpins going forward?
Vivian: My goal is to maintain the essential DNA of Kingpins and remain authentic to the denim community. I am proud of what Andrew and I built, and there is no need to change something that has been working well for 20 years.
Internally, it is a big deal for the Kingpins team to be part of a company with such extensive experience and global reach in the trade show business. We are just beginning to take advantage of that experience and reach, but I don’t envision any alteration to the Kingpins experience for exhibitors or attendees.
Carved in Blue: What is your favorite denim garment in your closet? What about it puts it in the top position?
Vivian: For years, my favorite jeans were the old AG Jeans Angel fit—until I visited Nihon Menpu in Okayama, Japan, last year and discovered my new love: Sugar Cane, made by Nihon Menpu.
Though it’s technically a men’s jean, I fell for it the moment I put it on. The deep, natural indigo, the beautifully crafted selvedge denim woven with sugar cane fiber—it all makes the garment truly unique. And the fit? Perfect on me. I can’t wait to see how these jeans evolve over the next 10 years, 20 years and more
Carved in Blue: From your perspective, what is the outlook for the denim industry?
Vivian: I am optimistic about the denim industry—despite ongoing uncertainty that makes long-term planning difficult for everyone. I am encouraged by the strength of the global connections in the denim community. Many of us have worked together for decades through good times and challenging times. We have watched this business grow and evolve and work together to make better, more sustainable products. At Kingpins, we continue to see companies introduce new innovative products and propel denim forward. Many companies come to us to ask help coordinating collaboration projects to demonstrate those new innovations to the community. I find that very encouraging.