Brooklyn Borough Prez names Colm Dillane of KidSuper as inaugural ‘Brooklyn Arts Ambassador’

Borough President Antonio Reynoso on Wednesday named Brooklyn’s Colm Dillane of KidSuper as the inaugural “Brooklyn Arts Ambassador.”

At his 2025 Brooklyn State of the Borough, Reynoso announced his new Brooklyn Arts Ambassador initiative designed to celebrate and support the borough’s creative community.

He said this initiative will provide mentorship for emerging Brooklyn artists, strengthen connections between creatives and cultural institutions, and expand public engagement with the arts.

Helping the Borough President develop and lead the initiative is Brooklyn’s first-ever Arts Ambassador, renowned multi-disciplinary artist and fashion designer Colm Dillane, also known as KidSuper.

“From the Notorious BIG to Basquiat, Brooklyn is behind some of the greatest artists and cultural movements of all time,” Reynoso said. “Even so, too many of our creatives lack support systems to take their careers to the next level.

“I’m proud to name Colm Dillane as Brooklyn’s first-ever Arts Ambassador because he’s lived that journey firsthand,” he added. “From launching KidSuper while still in school — without formal fashion training or resources—to showcasing his brand at Paris Fashion Week, Colm embodies the hustle, ambition, and persistence of Brooklyn creatives.

“Together, we’ll make sure the next generation of Brooklyn creatives have the resources they need to take on the world,” Reynoso continued.

“The Brooklyn Arts Ambassador is one of the greatest honors I have ever received,” Dillane said.  “I grew up in NYC and started selling t-shirts in my high school cafeteria in Brooklyn Tech. I often say that New York is my greatest inspiration, the combination of ideas, ambition, and optimism are at the heart of everything I do.”

Reynoso said Dillane, who spent his days as a student at Brooklyn Tech making and selling t-shirts, started KidSuper only a few blocks away from Barclays Center.

He said KidSuper blends fashion, art, and community storytelling and is known for its bold, colorful designs and playful approach to fashion.

In 2021, Dillane was awarded the coveted Karl Lagerfeld Special Prize by global luxury goods corporation LVMH.

In 2023, he guest-designed the Louis Vuitton Homme Autumn/Winter 2023 menswear collection. Dillane has collaborated with major brands like META, Bape, Canada Goose, Stuart Weitzman, Bose, the Brooklyn Nets and PUMA.

Today, KidSuper Studios is based in Williamsburg, where Dillane has built a hub for creatives that features not only his design studio and store but also an art gallery, podcast studio, screenprinting shop, and more.

As the inaugural Brooklyn Arts Ambassador, Reynoso said Dillane was charged with the unique honor of redesigning a Limited Edition run of the official Brooklyn pin.

Describing his inspiration, Dillane said, “As many artists before me I used to doodle on my high school notebooks, I would always use this specific font that I would write bubble letters on all of the papers. This bubble letter font was something I would use on t-shirts, artwork, graffiti moving forward.

“What a full circle moment to use that same font and aesthetic for the official pin for the Brooklyn Borough President,” he added.

Moving forward, Reynoso said Brooklyn Arts Ambassadors will oversee an annual competition inviting Brooklynites to submit their own designs for the official pin.

He said this new competition builds on a beloved tradition started by former Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, who handed out thousands of gold “Brooklyn” script pins throughout his 12-year tenure as a symbol of borough pride.

“Now the pin’s legacy evolves with a bold and fresh design that will reflect both Brooklyn’s rich history and its dynamic future,” Reynoso said.

Throughout the year, Reynoso said he and Dillane will announce additional pillars to the Arts Ambassador initiative, including a public art show giving new Brooklyn artists an opportunity to demonstrate their creativity and capture the spirit of the borough through their art.