Kia Marie, also known as Notorious Kia, is a groundbreaking creative in the sneaker, beauty, and fashion industry. Born in Brooklyn, Kia’s mission is to inspire the masses to be more creative with their fashion and live a more sustainable life by sharing thrifting tips, styling ideas, wardrobe makeovers, and DIY tutorials.
A renowned sneakerhead, Kia created #SneakersAndSustainabilty which connects the love of sneaker culture and the preservation of the environment.
Among her many accolades, Kia has been honored as part of Ulta’s Muse 100, which celebrates Black creatives across several industries, and the CCNYC’s Creative Class of 2024, which recognizes creatives who are making an impact in their respective sector.
She is also the co-founder of Kontent Queens, “a platform and podcast dedicated to empowering creators of color, providing them with tools and strategies to build impactful and sustainable careers.”
An in-demand consultant, Kia has collaborated with several brands including Nike, Adidas, Ray-Ban, Nordstrom, H&M, the Gap, Puma, and HP–bridging fashion, beauty, and tech.
Kia spoke about the first pair of sneakers that made her a sneakerhead and how those kicks got her in trouble with her mother.
“When I was 15, I got the ‘Air Jordan 15 OG Low.’ I was so surprised that my mom got them for me from the swap meet. I was so hyped and so pressed to wear them. I had these red shorts, and my mom told me to not wear those shorts because they were too short,” Kia told BET.com. “Me and my friends went to the mall and I had on one outfit in front of my mom and swapped into the Jordans and red shorts at the mall.”
“My mom eventually came and got us and I didn’t know what I was thinking. I turned the corner and she was right there. That was probably the first time I was put on punishment,” she laughed.
Although she’s lived in numerous places, as a student in West Virginia State University and Temple University in Philadelphia, as well as California, her sense of style and love of kicks was first sparked by the energy and vibes of New York City.
“Growing up in New York, sneaker culture was always a thing. My best friend would get a new pair of Jordans all the time and I used to just admire them. I fell in love with Jordans through her,” Kia recalled. “I couldn’t get them but I was close enough that I could touch them. Also running track, playing basketball, and getting the East Bay Magazine, circling the ones I wanted knowing my mom was not going to get them, really taught me a lot about different materials and the technical aspects of sneakers as well.”
“I’ve always had foot issues and I suffered a serious ankle injury later on in life, so the only thing I could wear was sneakers for a while,” she continued.
Although she always loved sneakers, she became a full sneakerhead when she began amassing a serious collection over the years.
“I lived in so many different places from college and I never lost a sneaker. There was something inside of me that told me that even though I wasn’t wearing these sneakers anymore, keep them in the boxes,” she said. ‘That’s when everything started for me as a collector.”
Along with loving sneakers and fashion, sustainability has become a major component of Kia’s brand and she lives by the axiom “Less consuming and more creating!” She believes that you can still be stylish and concerned about the future of the environment.
“I think being sustainable is more intuitive. When I started thrifting in college, I stopped playing sports so I really got into fashion. I really started experimenting with my style and when I figured out that I could have unique, crazy looks without breaking the bank, it really built my confidence and I felt so free,” she said. “Over the years, I would do sustainability content, mainly about thrifting but then I broaden it to wearing different items because all of that is a part of sustainability.”
“I decided to buy clothes that I can wear in a bunch of different ways. I’m going to stop shopping because it’s a human rights thing,” Kia added. “There’s no way you can push out so many clothes and be kind to humans.”
She also noted that Black people have always been trailblazers in sustainability.
“In our culture, a lot of the things that we do are sustainable but we don’t always get the credit for it. Sometimes it’s out of necessity, right? But we’ve always been sustainable,” Kia said. “We know how to reuse things. We know how to be resourceful.”
When asked what advice she would give to Black women who are aspiring creatives, Kia said that they should be motivated by the opportunity to build a lucrative career and to follow their passion.
“I’m just going to say that the money should motivate you because there were billions of dollars put into social media in 2023 and even more this year. Black women and Black people in general, create most of the trends we see on social media,” Kia shared. “They try to talk like us, move like us, and dress like us. They’re taking our whole essence. So why not go and show who the originators are?”
“We also have to be intentional, and not just do it for money but focus on really building community. I think I’m a testament to show that you don’t have to have a million followers to have a sustainable business that has longevity,” she went on. “I’ve been doing this for 13 years and I don’t have a million followers but I can sustain my life, and I’m thriving. I’m not just surviving and struggling, I’m really living my life. Even if it’s just your side hustle, if you’re already on social media already, why not make some numbers?”
