Supreme turned 25 this year. Its rise to dominance in the fashion industry is one of the most talked about things in both niche culture and mainstream media alike. And its imitators have gone to epic lengths to ride the coattails of the brand’s success. We’re obviously fans; but it’s not for the same reasons as most. For us, it boils down to Supreme’s aesthetic being based on skateboarding’s fashion sense in the ‘90s, and the level that it’s been able to elevate it to. James Jebbia breaks it down in a new piece published by GQ today to coincide with Supreme’s quarter century anniversary.
“The influence was the people who were around the shop—the skaters,” Jebbia says. “They would wear cool shit; they wouldn’t wear skate clothes. It would be Polo, it would be a Gucci belt, it would be Champion. We made what we really liked. And it kind of was a gradual thing. From a few tees, a few sweats, a pair of cargo pants, a backpack. But the influence was definitely the young skaters in New York. Also traveling to Japan and seeing their great style. Traveling to London. It was a combination of that. I never really looked at it as ‘This is what a skate brand must make.’”
Head over to GQ to read the rest.
Image Via Sue Kwon / GQ
