Following, the Boston Marathon Bombings last spring, Brandon Muto and Matias Gonzalez-Bunster began to pitch ideas to one another about how they could help people in need after extraordinarily catastrophic events. Their vision quickly transitioned towards one where they would create unique lifestyle apparel that would simultaneously work to benefit people with disabilities. Shortly thereafter in t
he June of 2013 the two friends, who had met in high school, created Kings of the Playground (KOTP) with three main principles in mind: Do Good, Look Good, Feel Good. As they look towards the future of their brand, they hope that their company will serve as an intersection for commerce, sustainability, and social responsibility. With these core values in mind, they have worked towards creating high-quality shirts that are entirely organic from the fabric to screen-printing, as well as partnering with the Walkabout Foundation where KOTP will donate 15% of their proceeds to the charity. The foundation is very close to the duo as it was started by Matias’s family in 2009 after his brother, Luis, was left paralyzed from the chest down after a tragic car accident twenty years ago. The charity focuses on funding research for finding a cure for paralysis as well as donating wheelchairs to people in need throughout the world. Their capsule collection is inspired by graphic simplicity, illustrating an effortless cool vibe because giving back and looking good shouldn’t be a challenge. After all, it’s good to be king.
