“I was born and raised in the center of São Paulo, almost in Cracolândia”, recalls Igor Morais, founder and CEO of Loja Kings. With R$300 borrowed and an unusual desire, he opened his first store in Galeria do Rock, central region of the capital of São Paulo while still a teenager, selling black music CDs. “Then I started looking for sneakers and streetwear clothes. That’s when everything turned around.”
What started as a 15 m² store evolved into a chain with 185 stores spread across across Brazil, making Igor one of the most influential voices in the urban market in the country. When no one talked about streetwear in Brazil, Igor not only believed in the segment but also raised the flag.
The entrepreneur was the new guest at Level Uppodcast presented by Roberto Indech, head of institutional relations for variable income at XP.
Pioneering bet on streetwear
“The young Brazilian dressed wrong,” says Morais. “Urban boy wearing surfwear? I thought it was totally wrong.” It was in this understanding, still rare at the time, that he saw a cultural and commercial opportunity.
“20 years ago, no one paid attention to casual. Today, at Nike, casual must be 80% of global revenue”, he provokes. This early reading made Kings the first to invest in urban fashion in the country. “We brought a culture of sneakers, caps, accessories… when no one talked about it.”
One of the brand’s turning points was the entry of Nike as a partner. This credibility opened doors and windows for Kings’ accelerated expansion.
“I was lucky enough that Nike took a chance on me. The segment didn’t exist in Brazil, but I already knew about it”, says Igor. “We did a very beautiful and very true job.”
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Digital explosion before “publishing”
Kings’ growth is also due to a surgical reading of the impact of social media long before influencers were an industry.
“At the beginning of Instagram, publishing wasn’t business. I sold exclusive sneakers to Anitta, Ludmilla, Léo Santana and gave them Kings clothes to post”, he remembers. “Just for the present, they posted everything.”
This seeding roots strategy, as he himself says, made Kings explode. For Igor, the true impact of this influence market is on smaller influencers. “There are influencers with five million who don’t sell anything. Engagement is more real, more direct and much cheaper with micro-influencers”, he says.
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Another Kings strategy is not to bet on just one platform. “Tiktok Live is selling like a physical store,” he says. The company set up its own structure for daily lives, while monitoring trends among teenagers such as the return of Snapchat. On YouTube, a weekly podcast reinforces the brand’s presence. “We don’t have a fixed segment. From Caio Castro to Supla: what matters is history”, says Morais.
Despite the size he has achieved, Igor is transparent about the emotional side of the journey. Today, Kings employs around 800 people, many of whom are young people from the suburbs in their first job.
Regarding the future of business, he does not believe that online will replace physical retail in the short term. “Physical sales are still very strong. The future is virtual pushing physical. It is hybrid”, he concludes.
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To learn more details about the story behind the Kings store and the power of social media for business, watch the full episode on Level UP. The program is available as a video on YouTube and in its podcast version on the main streaming platforms.
Level UP
Level Up is the newest program in InfoMoney. Roberto Indech, head of institutional relations for variable income at XP Inc., presents a relaxed chat with influential and relevant people in their respective niches, from different market segments, who enhance their businesses through personal social networks. Check out new episodes every Wednesday at 7pm.
