Meet team krost

The KROST team includes people from a variety of backgrounds all coming together to accomplish a simillar goal; to produce meaningful products that encourage & promote social responsibility & change.

Samuel Krost

Founder & Creative Director

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Keeler Near

Head Designer

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Alexander Lee

Head of Finance & Operations

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Batel Braun

Head of Marketing

CONNECT WITH BATEL

Jordan Himmel

Production Manager

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Daze Lizardo

Community Manager

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How did you first get involved with KROST?

It wasn't until the summer after graduating that I realized what I wanted to do as a career. Hobbies and side hustles, including building my own brand, is what I spent my free time on outside of my everyday 9-5. I didn't mind the late nights, the slow results or the stress becasue I knew I was setting myself up for something that will come, eventually. One day, a friend of mine had reposted the brand to his IG story which led to me surfing Krost's page and instantly sparking my interest. I first became involved with the brand through the Weekly Community Sessions that were being hosted by the team during the peak of COVID-19. After around 7-8 Community sessions, I felt confident enough in the relationship I had built with Sam and reached out to him directly with my portfolio. After a few meetings and my proven dedication to the mission, I was brought onboard.

What makes you believe in the mission of the brand?

Previously, from an outside perspective, I was really drawn in by how much the team really cares about these causes and makes an effort to use their platform to spark change. But it wasn't until I was a part of the team that made me realize, these individuals are doing whatever it takes to make sure change is made. You are who you surround yourself with and being around such warmhearted individuals makes me believe in the brand.

What helps take your mind off of things?

Laughing with people I love really allows me to forget about everything happening around me and focus on the present. It helps me realize that in that exact moment, I'm happy.

Narendra Wickremetunge

Content Manager

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How did you first get involved with KROST?

I first got involved with KROST when I was connected with Sam through a mutual acquaintance. I didn’t know much about the brand, however, I remember seeing their recent collection on Instagram and thought they had an amazing slogan. The more I learned about KROST and what it sanded for, the more I wanted to be a part of it. I love helping the community and spreading positivity, and KROST allows me to do that through my love for apparel and through the content we produce.

What makes you believe in the mission of the brand?

After relocating from Sri Lanka to the greater Los Angeles Area, my family always provided assistance to the community we grew up in back in our homeland. Lending a helping hand and consistently giving back is second nature to me and it aligns with KROST’s mission. I never had materialistic items growing up, but I always had an abundance of support from my friends and family, which is why KROST’s impact can create real and meaningful change in society through an avenue I am passionate about, clothing. A little bit of assistance can go a long way and I’m here to help the next or current generation(s) in any way possible.

What helps take your mind off of things?

What helps me take my mind off things is drawing while listening to music. I’m a creative first and foremost, so my brain is always working 100 miles an hour. Doodling and putting an actual pencil to paper allows me to exercise my brain differently. Our lives are extremely dependent on electronics so when I’m capable of stepping away from the the deep abyss of my computer, I let my ideas flow without restrictions. Nine times out of ten it doesn’t lead to something useful, but it allows me to create something straight from emotions and/or current state of mind which I find is important to my well being.

Katie Cleland

Content Manager

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How did you first get involved with KROST?

With a background in Fashion Marketing, it has always been important for me to work for a brand that I believed in. I came across Krost after seeing it feature in Paper magazine and was instantly captivated by their commitment to social responsibility through the message of “Support Your Friends”. It was a fresh and youthful approach to activism in a way I hadn’t seen before in the fashion industry and knew it was a story I wanted to be a part of. I reached out to them on Instagram and asked if they have any opportunities within the company and applied to intern with their content team. I sent my portfolio and began working with the team shortly after.

What makes you believe in the mission of the brand?

In today’s society we live within a narrative of comparison, judgement, hate and division. The idea to support one another is counter culture to what we are told to believe in order to find success. The mission of SYF not only promotes a story of togetherness but encourages a mutual respect for differing beliefs. I’ve always been inspired and challenged by the friends around me- they’ve understood my experience and I’ve learned from theirs. From my own passion for mental health awareness to my friend's fight for equality, we are able to understand how these issue plague our world and can share in effort to make a positive change for each other. There’s a powerful unity in caring for one another and seeking to make our world a better place.

What helps take your mind off of things?

Working out is my go-to as well as being creative!

John Kalnins

Design Associate

CONNECT WITH JOHN

How did you first get involved with KROST?

I first got involved with Krost when I found the brand on Instagram. I knew that I wanted to be a part of a brand that was doing more than just pushing product into a toxic consumerist society. When I saw how Krost was built behind this mantra of "support your friends" and how they were giving back to these causes that I cared about I knew I wanted to be a part of what they were doing. I sent Sam a message commending him on what he had built so far and let him know I would love to help out if they needed it and he got back to me almost immediately. A few days later I sent Sam my design portfolio and we were sitting down to talk about how I could help with upcoming collections.

What makes you believe in the mission of the brand?

On a more surface level the phrase "support your friends" is very important to me because I wouldn't have moved to New York to follow my dreams of making it as a creative in this industry if it was not for the support of my friends, constantly challenging and lifting me up. There are also not many greater feelings than when you support someone close to you in pursuit of their dreams and watch them reach their milestones. On a more personal level, I am connected with the brands mission to tackle societal issues largely because of my childhood upbringing. I was in foster care and orphanages around different parts of the inner city in Boston for the first 7 years of my life. I was always curious why I was one of the only white children... I was adopted at the age of 7 by my two mothers. By no means were we rich but my moms worked hard to put me through private school in Middle School and High School. I remember my white friends in high school locking their car doors when we would drive through neighborhoods I grew up in as a young kid. After seeing two very different sides of life I started to realize what role being a white person has played in my life and how I was most likely awarded things others were not because of the color of my skin. I started to realize the systemic oppression of minorities in our country and that not enough white people were educating themselves on these issues or acting in ways to end the oppression. I think it is important to look inward and use personal experiences to find what you are passionate about and figure what positive impact you want to have on this world.

What helps take your mind off of things?

I love making art and I love being in nature. Being able to create things in the outdoors is definitely my "happy place"