Empowering Youth: Kids Worldwide's Robbie Kingsmill Stuart on Mission, Service, and Staying True to Yourself
By Julia Gamolina
Kids Worldwide was created by Robbie Stuart, a Brooklyn-based Canadian with over a decade of experience in fashion, merchandising and retail. After spearheading educational workshops for youth out of the River Fund NY beginning in 2018, she realized her strong desire to build a brand that directly impacted local and underprivileged communities.
Robbie’s mission is to empower kids to explore their potential and realize the possibilities available to them through creative expression. In her conversation with Julia Gamolina, Robbie talks about creating a brand that gives back, leading your own endeavor, and working with kids, advising those just starting their careers to pave their own paths.
JG: You've worked for some of the coolest brands in fashion prior to launching Kids Worldwide. Tell me about your career and what you learned that fueled the start of KWW!
RKS: I started my Career at Elizabeth and James and then went on to Alexander Wang where I worked for six years. After that I went on to Helmut Lang where I worked for over five years. I am so appreciative and incredibly grateful for being able to work for such amazing companies and learn and grow so much. Working at these companies gave me the knowledge and the confidence to believe that I could create my own brand. The experiences also provided me with really incredible relationships in the industry which has really helped me build Kids Worldwide.
How and why did you eventually launch KWW? What were you hoping for it to do?
Through volunteering at the River Fund since 2012, one of the things Swami — River Fund’s founder and CEO — says is that the way that you combat poverty is to focus on the youth. So, during this past year I was doing a lot of self-reflection and thought to myself that I want to work with kids and help them get on their feet, as well as to provide them with experiences and access to people and opportunities that they wouldn't normally have. The goal of Kids Worldwide was and is to be able to make an impact and help people that need the help. The clothing was secondary and icing on the cake.
“Doing your own thing is beautiful but it can also be exceptionally challenging. Because I am so invested and care so deeply about Kids Worldwide and its success, disappointments and setbacks can feel super personal...as time moves on, I am becoming better at embracing the waves and riding them.”
Thanks so much for inviting the Madame Architect team to lead a workshop for the River Fund. How did you get connected to the organization?
My husband and I got connected to the River Fund from a fellow Canadian friend who told us about it. We went during Hurricane Sandy and the moment we first met Swami and the team, we were incredibly moved and we both knew we wanted to do more.
Looking back at it all, what have been the biggest challenges through your career? How did you both manage through perceived disappointments or setbacks?
Doing your own thing is beautiful but it can also be exceptionally challenging. Because I am so invested and care so deeply about Kids Worldwide and its success, disappointments and setbacks can feel super personal. So, if something doesn’t sell as well as we would like, or if production is delayed all of these things can feel very heavy. I think slowly as time moves on, I am becoming better at embracing the waves and riding them.
What have you also learned in the last six months?
I’m learning to be more patient with myself and embracing the bad days without letting them define me. I’m also learning to give myself time to feel my emotions and then pick myself back up and keep going. I think that having a very clear vision and mission keeps me going even when things are challenging because I know deep down I really believe in what we are doing and all of the possibilities.
Robbie with her daughter.
What are you most excited about right now?
We just came off an incredible collaboration with Free People so I am feeling very happy with how it all turned out and really excited for what is to come. The Free People collaboration was a notable milestone in our brand journey and provided us a lot more exposure, so I am feeling really hopeful for the future and more opportunities for KWW and the youth.
Who are you admiring now and why?
I always admire Swami Durga Das as he has fully committed himself to a life of service. He lives and breathes the River Fund and helping to support people in need. Whenever I am frustrated or upset, I often think, “What would Swami do?” He always says that freedom comes with responsibility, so whenever I am feeling down, I take action. I go to the River Fund to host a workshop, I work with the kids, and it makes me feel grounded and connected back to our “why.”
“...whenever I am feeling down, I take action. I go to the River Fund to host a workshop, I work with the kids, and it makes me feel grounded and connected back to our “why.””
What is the impact you’d like to have on the world? What is your core mission? And, what does success in that look like to you?
I would like to have a brand that stays true to our mission — empowering youth through educational programming and giving back to the community.
Success looks like having the largest impact that I can, working with more and more youth across the country, doing collections that give back to the community, and involving the kids as much as they are interested and helping the youth land amazing jobs!
Finally, what advice do you have for those starting their career? Would your advice be any different for women?
Learn as much as you can. Make mistakes. Find mentors who you respect and appreciate and can learn from. Your career journey is long you can always pivot and change paths.
Also, speak up for yourself. Each person is unique — there is only one you and that is what makes you special. Believe in yourself, know your worth and pave your own path and don’t care what other people think!