Meet the Brothers Behind King Brothers Clothiers

Kenny and Danny King. Photos: Chris Emeott

Twins Danny and Kenny King open bespoke suiting business in Edina.

Growing up, Danny and Kenny King shared nearly everything, as most twins do—friends, a car, a room at home and later a room at college. But the one thing they didn’t share? Clothes. “That’s how people could tell us apart,” Danny says. “That was our life growing up, ‘Kenny’s wearing red; Danny’s wearing blue.’ Subconsciously, we understood that what we decided to wear each day is who we are; that’s how people are going to see me.”

It didn’t take long for the brothers to realize that clothing didn’t just identify them. It’s a way for individuals to set themselves apart. “What you wear is communicating something,” Kenny says. “A person looks at someone else based on what they’re wearing and says, ‘This person is serious, this person is experienced [or] this person cares.’ All of these things are being communicated, whether you intend it or not. That’s why it’s important that you present yourself in a way that you feel is accurate in how you want to be perceived,” he says.

Ties add color, pattern and personality to a wardrobe.

Though the brothers didn’t share clothes growing up, they now share in the business of clothes. Danny and Kenny founded King Brothers Clothiers in 2011, and this past January, it moved from its Minneapolis location to 50th & France in Edina. With many of their clients already traveling from the western suburbs, the King brothers say Edina was a natural fit for their move.

After beginning careers in other industries—Kenny in TV news and Danny as a youth pastor—the Kings found themselves with an opportunity to launch a neckwear line in partnership with former WCCO broadcaster Don Shelby. From there, Shelby introduced the Kings to his personal suiting contact. Shortly after their neckwear line was in stores, the brothers found an interest in the custom suiting sector of the clothing industry. After an unofficial apprentice period, the Kings learned they both had a passion—and talent—for suiting.

Designed for Men and Women

Fast-forward 15 years, and the Kings’ hard work and talent has attracted high-profile clients like Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and producer, filmmaker and keynote speaker Amanda Brinkman, who has been a client of King Brothers for over 10 years. She met them while working on the TV show Small Business Revolution. They had a common passion for entrepreneurship and helping others in their industries succeed, and it didn’t take long for her to ditch her off-the-rack purchases in favor of the Kings’ bespoke suiting. The first time Brinkman stepped on stage in a King Brothers suit, she says she felt effortlessly confident, thanks in part to how she was presenting herself. “It was so important to not be worried about the wardrobe piece of it but actually feel like my suits were part of what was going to make the event special,” she says. “While I’m up there as a speaker, I feel confident in what I’m wearing, and I think that comes across in my delivery.”

Amanda Brinkman takes the stage in a loose-fitting custom suit by King Brothers.

The Kings’ attention to detail doesn’t go unnoticed. Brinkman says she walks into her fitting appointments knowing she will be well taken care of. “They’re great at figuring out what exactly is going to work for you,” she says. “The lapels, the number of buttons, the length of the jacket and pants—everything is custom, so it works completely to not only your body type but your style and what you are going to feel the most comfortable in.”

Brinkman says the Kings have a way of making each client feel like his or her suit is of the utmost importance. “They created suits to match my brand colors,” Brinkman says. “Peacocks are really meaningful to me, and they surprised me with custom lining that had peacock feathers on it. They think about these small details that make a person feel unique.”

The Bespoke Difference

Bespoke is characterized as a completely unique pattern customized for each individual. Custom and made-to-measure practices work from basic patterns that aren’t necessarily made for each person’s individual measurements and shape. As certified master bespoke clothiers, the Kings construct each suit to each client’s specific measurements, and the suits are crafted by hand. The Kings send the measurements out to a sewing partner who produces them. For clients, this means a fit and quality they can’t get elsewhere. “We are able to account for body irregularities that a made-to-measure process that operates off of a block pattern or stock silhouette can’t,” Danny says. “We can have conversations about fit preferences. With the combination of measurements that we’re using for our process, a client will put on the finished jacket and be like, ‘I didn’t know that a jacket could fit like this.’”

Bespoke suits aren’t just for men; the finished products work just as well for women because the process is based on each body and individual measurements, not premade patterns. The difference in women’s suiting, as they’ve experienced, is a wider range of fit preferences and silhouette styles. It’s not the pieces that are different from the men’s fashion, but styles, such as fitted, loose, high-waisted or flared. Women’s fashion also changes quickly. “Women’s fashion goes so much faster than men’s style or fashion does,” Kenny says. “But there’s nothing that is ever going to go out of style about something that’s timeless and fits you right.”

Both brothers smile when asked about their biggest challenge working together because they can’t recall a time when they haven’t been on the same page. They are brothers first, business partners second. “We both really love what we do, and we love that we get to do it together,” Danny says. “The challenges don’t quite feel as challenging because you’re going through it together, and the rewards feel like double the reward because you’re experiencing it with your best friend.”

The Kings in their showroom at 50th & France.

Their goal is to take the burden of choosing an outfit off a client’s back. “We always say that we want you to look good, we want you to feel good and we want you to feel like you look good,” Kenny says.

King Brothers Clothiers
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