Unsung Hero: One Force Behind the Kingpins Show Shares Her Story
There are a lot of people behind making the denim industry’s magic happen.
One of them is Vivian Wang, managing director and global sales at Olah Inc, who helps lead the charge on building one of the denim industry’s premier events, Kingpins.
“Vivian came on to help us with our Los Angeles show in 2006. We had just launched the Kingpins Show in New York in 2004, so essentially we learned all about building a successful trade show together. Since then, Vivian has been instrumental in helping to build the show to what it is now, the biggest denim sourcing show in the world with editions in New York, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and China,” Kingpins founder Andrew Olah said. “Now Vivian leads our Kingpins Asia efforts, where she has been instrumental in growing our Hong Kong show, which is celebrating 10 years in 2019, and launching our Kingpins China City Tour in 2016 as well as a companion consumer-facing denim festival for the Chinese market–which is back this September for the second edition.”
Carved in Blue caught up with Vivian to find out how key her role is to what Kingpins does.
Carved in Blue: How long have you been doing this job? What keeps you there?
Vivian: 2019 marks my 13th year working for Kingpins Show. I stay because I truly believe in the Kingpins Show concept and I’ve grown to love the denim industry. My role at Kingpins has given me the opportunity to get a global perspective on the denim world, working with mills, resources and brands from all over the world and creating a denim community.
Carved in Blue: How important is your role to the greater business?
Vivian: I think of myself as bridge between Kingpins Show, our exhibitors and the brands who visit our shows all over the world. Essentially my role is to forge relationships and support our goals across all our shows.
Carved in Blue: What does the denim industry mean to you?
Vivian: The denim industry is so unique and is full of people who are motivated by passion—for authenticity, tradition, innovation and change.
Carved in Blue: What do you love most about the job that you’re doing?
Vivian: I love that I have a front row seat to the changes happening in the denim industry. Andrew Olah, our founder, is pushing the denim industry in important new ways. He has big dreams for the denim industry and helping him realize those dreams is very gratifying. I also am very energized by our shows in Asia–Kingpins Hong Kong and the Kingpins China City Tour in Hangzhou and Guangzhou–and the responsibility of translating the Kingpins spirit in Asia.
Carved in Blue: What do you love most about denim in general?
Vivian: Denim is for everyone.
Carved in Blue: What’s the best perk about working in your role?
Vivian: There are many perks to my job, but the best is getting to work with our amazing Kingpins team, which is small but mighty and endlessly inspiring.
Carved in Blue: What’s one idea you have for the denim industry that you don’t think enough people are talking about?
Vivian: China in general–no one really talks about it but there are mills and brands doing important and innovative work there that Kingpins is working to spotlight. We are also working on bringing global resources to China via our China City Tour.
Carved in Blue: What does Carved in Blue mean to you?
Vivian: Carved in Blue is a voice for the industry, insight and sharing.