Streetwear hype

The Düsseldorf-based fashion company LIVE FAST DIE YOUNG, or LFDY for short, is one of the best-known and most successful streetwear brands in the German-speaking world - and now wants to take off internationally. Vivid spoke with CFO Karl Krumland about brand identity, authenticity and independence.

The story of LFDY begins with a screen printing machine. Shortly after graduating from high school in 2005, Lorenz Amend from Düsseldorf invests in one to try out his penchant for design and print on T-shirts. His inspirations are graffiti and hip-hop. Amend deliberately chooses oversize cuts for his shirts - unconventional at the time, but now the defining street style. He did not study fashion or worked in the clothing industry, but is fuelled by his passion for streetwear and a desire for creativity. At first, he produces solely for his own use, in a backyard in Flingern. Demand increases rapidly and the first sales via Ebay follow. Finally, in December 2012, LIVE FAST DIE YOUNG Clothing GmbH is founded and its own online shop is launched. Nine years later, LFDY is already generating a turnover in the mid-eight-figure range with streetwear and has five stores with people queuing around the block when a new collection is dropped. No other German streetwear label is growing so rapidly.

LFDY has five stores with people queuing around the block when a new collection is dropped.

The opening of a flagship store in Amsterdam in December 2021 marks the start of the brand‘s internationalisation. One thing has not changed since their humble beginnings in the backyard: LFDY is a direct-to-consumer brand. The products are sold exclusively on the website and in the company‘s own stores. LFDY deliberately does without investors as well as classic advertising and relies almost exclusively on social media for communication. And thus remains independent and authentic.

The label‘s fashion signature: oversized and boxy cuts, solid canvas qualities in plain colours, provocative prints. The bestseller from the “360 g/m²” collection is the “Felony Hooded”, a black hooded jumper with a penalty notice printed on the back. The identity of the label can be experienced in the stores. Like in a showroom, the pieces are divided into different collections, individual items hang strikingly on the rack with loud rap blasting through the speakers. LFDY brings together a whole community of loyal fans. Among them are influencers, musicians, athletes and artists.

Showroom-style LFDY stores display shirts and sweaters individually.

Ein Interview mit Karl Krumland, Chief Financial Officer LFDY

Mr Krumland, LDFY is growing more dynamically than almost any other German fashion brand.
How do you explain this rapid success?

We have laid the foundation for this exponential growth over the course of the last few years. You can’t establish a brand like this on the market overnight, nor can you reproduce it ‘artificially’ using marketing magic formulas. We didn’t start with a business plan that specifically envisaged this exponential growth - but it is a very nice confirmation of our entrepreneurial actions. Starting from a very authentic brand, we deliberately adjusted a few parameters: in addition to the launch of our fourth store, which we opened in Berlin on the Ku’damm in 2019, we invested at the same time in deeper inventories, in our e-commerce activities, in the expansion of logistics, which we run ourselves, as well as in personnel and organisation. The mix of authenticity, consistent DTC orientation combined with a multichannel strategy and an unconventional and innovative marketing approach is the basis of our success.

“We didn’t start with a business plan that
specifically envisaged this exponential growth.”

Speaking of expansion: What growth do you expect in the next 5 years and what steps do you plan to take in the near future?

After exponential growth in turnover over the last three business years, we are deliberately moving into a year of consolidation this year. For us, this means adapting the organisational structures of the company to the level we have reached. We are planning very specifically on a rolling 12-month basis and develop a vision for the next five years.

What distinguishes streetwear from other fashion segments?

Streetwear has infiltrated the fashion industry and has become synonymous with a modern zeitgeist. What started as an extension of skate and hip-hop culture is now the mindset of international fashion weeks. Who would have thought that one day we would see Jordans on the Dior catwalk? With streetwear, the focus shifted from the craftsmanship of the garments to the brand identity. Streetwear now is a form of self-expression.

How do you bring the brand to life in your stores?

In a world driven by e-commerce, a store makes it possible to experience the brand physically, regardless of the individual concept. In addition, we always try to implement our current idea of how LFDY wants to present itself as a brand through the interior design. We create a showroom aesthetic by presenting each collection item only once, usually hanging. And at the same time, a lounge character with the right music as a place for the LFDY community to gather.

What do you particularly appreciate about Düsseldorf as a location?

We are very lucky that our hometown is a strong business location, especially with regard to the creative and fashion industries. This allows us to create value-added networks and develop our company in a very suitable environment. Düsseldorf is also a very liveable city.

What promotes creativity and what kills it?

As the size of the company increases, we realise that it is a great challenge to combine creativity with the required professionalism as well as large numbers of hits in combination with the necessary degree of calculability. My part in the company revolves around numbers, administration and organisation. It was and is always a challenge to reconcile this world with the world of creative people. But it is also an essential part of our success that we manage to combine these two worlds quite well.

How does LDFY communicate and implement their approach to sustainability?

In connection with the growth of recent years, sustainability is becoming increasingly relevant for us. It is a matter of great importance to the management and the entire team that we comply with certain ESG criteria, and we also actively demand this from our suppliers. In this context, we have joined the ‘amfori’ network, the world’s leading business association for free and sustainable trade, as a first step. Through this network, we can, for example, screen suppliers according to ESG criteria or have audits of our production sites carried out. We have also been able to reduce the amount of plastic we put into circulation by switching our shipping packaging to cardboard. Looking ahead, we are searching for ways to recycle defective goods and replace the remaining plastic with more sustainable material. •

livefastdieyoung.com

LFDY in numbers

Founded in: 2012
Managing directors: Lorenz Amend (Founder & CEO), Karl Krumland (CFO / COO)
Turnover: approx. 50 million euros in 2021, increase by more than 160 percent on average in the past 3 years (CAGR)
Employees: 100
Stores: Düsseldorf-Ackerstraße, Munich-Lindwurmstraße, Cologne-Ehrenstraße, Berlin-Kurfürstendamm, Amsterdam-Hartenstraat