There’s something poetic about a padel court in the middle of Grand Central. The pace of the city fused with the speed of the game. Now that’s the kind of fused flavour we’re here for. The quiet confidence of a brand that knows how to move through culture
without asking for permission.
This week, Kith announced Kith Ivy, a luxury padel brand and club that feels less like a brand launch and more like the start of the next trending reference in ‘community building’ marketing.
To mark the moment, they’ve installed a fully functioning court inside Vanderbilt Hall. The same space that has hosted fashion week shows, Apple keynotes, and gala dinners now hosts four walls and a net.
Beautiful.
Padel has been bubbling for a minute let’s be honest and the OAH team are as hooked as the next failed millennial tennis prodigy. Especially in Europe. But it’s never been this visible in the States from our POV. Kith is early in this space and they’re helping shape the aesthetic around it. As always, through design, curation, and proximity to culture.
The name Ivy hints at classic American sport. We’re getting tennis club culture, letterman jackets, Sunday whites. But there’s a twist. Dressing the court in something new. Bringing padel to the heart of the city and giving it context beyond the baseline.
What makes this play from Kith so interesting is that it feels bigger than a one-off drop. This looks to us like a move to creating a new world for the brand to exist in. A new narrative to own.
The court at Grand Central is just the start. A physical manifestation of the Kith Ivy mindset. A space where you can be in it, not just observe it. And if you’ve followed Kith for long enough, you know that spatial storytelling has always been one of their strongest assets.
But there’s also a bigger undercurrent here. A shift happening in sport and fashion that’s hard to ignore. Padel isn’t the end. It’s a vehicle.
We’re watching a broader trend unfold. Where brands aren’t just aligning with sport. They’re creating their own version of it. And done well that shot is powerful…because athletes want a taste.
Kith Ivy sits right in that pocket. A move that’s as strategic as it is stylish.
Time slots for the court are now live via the Kith App.
One-hour bookings, open to the public. Just bring your game face and maybe something white.
We’ve got a feeling you’ll be seeing a lot more Ivy in the near future.
Shot of the good stuff
