How Bobby Kim Became Disney’s First-Ever Creative Director for Merch

Disney Consumer Products works with hundreds of licensees around the world, and that scale can easily sap creativity. King sees things differently. “At The Hundreds, we’ve done 30 or 40 collaborations and consider ourselves masters of relationships. There are hundreds of relationships and friendships here. If there’s a collaboration king, it’s Disney.”

King was drawn not only to Disney’s best-selling blockbuster franchises, but also to what he calls “B characters”—the obscure, emotionally resonant characters who thrive in subcultures. He noted that Asia has long understood and loved them. Walk through a Disney store in Tokyo or Shanghai and you’ll find characters like Bianca the mouse from 1977 rescue workersor Lucifer, the cat from cinderellaelevated into an entire product universe unfettered by its original narrative.

“It makes sense to look beneath the rocks and discover universes that no one else has thought of,” King said. “Being the first to share them, to convince them – that’s always been my idea.” This also applies to how he views design teams. “We can’t just be inspired by trends. Because of the reach of this company and the reach of these brands, we have the opportunity and the ability to drive trends,” he added.

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Making Disney product archives more accessible to fans and designers is also part of the plan. “Vintage Disney is a universe unto itself—a market for collectibles, not just T-shirts but watches and all types of products that people’s entire identities revolve around,” he told me. “There are some key figures in the community. A lot of it is very familiar and local to me from a streetwear perspective.”

The attitude of outsiders also informs how Kim views Disney’s biggest icon as the company approaches the centennial of Mickey Mouse’s birth in 2028. Mickey is a clean and universal logo. But younger consumers prefer characters who feel imperfect, emotional, and even a little anxious.

“In the old cartoons, Mickey would scream, he would get angry, he would express emotion,” King said. “That’s how people want to feel today. I want Mickey to become not just an icon, but a friend – maybe even a guide. Someone who helps you cope with uncertainty.”

At every level, fashion and beauty will be key tools in reinventing Disney stories and characters. King will be involved in all of Disney’s high-end collaborations, but he’s quick to dismiss the idea that luxury is the only cultural driver. “Walmart is as important as Coppany,” he said. “They play an equal role in the ecosystem. Disney is committed to meeting people where they are.”