SUPREME: UNBOXED - What is Supreme? Part 3

What is Supreme?

Supreme is a collective experience.

Currently, Supreme New York is on a hiatus, preparing for the Spring Summer season. There's a lull in reseller and community activity, much like the snowboarding off-season. There are pictures to look at from last season, speculation on the upcoming season and stories to tell of Wins and Losses. Interestingly enough, people fill in the gaps with other passions, such as sneakers, Japanese streetwear and pouring over the surge of streetwear-influenced pieces appearing in the collections of traditional "luxury" brands, such as Prada and a slew of others.

Obviously, the main driving force behind this trend was the Supreme x Louis Vitton collaboration from SS17. Still creating waves that designers are riding, the evidence of it's wide influence could be seen on the runways of Paris and Milan. There's been a shift in perceived value. The justification for luxury goods used to be use of exclusive materials and detailing but that has changed in the era of the "$800 Hoodie" where exclusivity and social capital reign supreme. I became aware of this change of perception when I started to wear Supreme around Phoenix, AZ. There seemed to be four distinct reactions which I will discuss.

The first reaction is unawareness. Supreme is a brand that is off of most people's radar. Unless you participate in a subculture that is influenced by streetwear, most people have never heard of Supreme or Palace or BAPE. Supreme started out in skateboarding culture and it still sticks to those hard roots. Some Supreme enthusiasts declare that only skateboarders should be wearing Supreme. This territorial attitude is prevalent in the surf and skate culture as the "locals only" ethos. Only the right people are allowed to skate, surf certain spots. If you can hang and aren't a poser, you might be able to prove your worth to have access to such exclusives.

The second reaction is recognition. Although it original started with skaters, the brand was always a secret favorite of artists, musicians, culture buffs and, most importantly, the New York hip-hop community. Supreme is about as New York as it gets. The brand's cultural roots run deep into every dirty nook and cranny of the underground New York art and music scene. People who are familiar with hop-hop know the brand. There's a sideways glance of a mix of recognition, disbelief and curiosity that I've noticed when I've been out wearing Supreme.

The third reaction is a quiet appreciation. Supreme has a different look than what normally people wear out in Phoenix. The East Coast is such in every fiber of their pieces, I must admit. The West Coast and especially Arizona, is beyond casual due to the weather. Everyone wears t-shirts, shorts, jeans, sneakers and hoodies. The weather doesn't get to cold, so there's no need for a parka. There are only periods of wet weather that don't necessitate water-resistant outerwear. Some of the pieces meant for a colder climate look out of place, like wearing board shorts in Arizona--it's just not as comfortable out of context.

People have recognized the brand and/or the style of the pieces because I've gotten some rather nice compliments from men and women about the clothing. This is something not that I'm not used to. It's a practice of mine to let a stylish stranger that their outfit is working but it rarely goes the other way. One busy server at a local favorite of mine stopped with a tray to say how much she liked the Pullover I was wearing. Perhaps it's just the way the clothes fit. I found the cut in the shoulders to be perfect--even the sleeves are the right length. Some men, branded head to toe in sports gear, have given me the once-over. Their sideways glances tell the whole story. Sorry, man, it's just not Supreme.

The fourth reaction is welcoming. These are people are very familiar with Supreme and other streetwear brands. These are the people who smile when they first catch sight of the Box Logo on my hat or they recognize a Supreme t-shirt that I have one. These are the people who know and are in the know. This ranges in ages at well. I was out at Walgreen's and three boys on bikes, probably no older than 10 or 11, saw my Supreme hat and they stopped me. I realized at that point that just having an item of clothing was carte blanche in certain communities. I was now one of "them" even though I was older. We got to talking about Supreme and they knew the lingo and followed the brand.

I'm sure I became a topic of conversation later on in one of their households, like seeing an actual Pokemon in real life. A piece of clothing sparked an inter-generational dialogue about a common passion. That's community and that's what it's like participating in a community.


--DRUMS
Editor

SUPREME: UNBOXED - What is Supreme? Part 2

What is Supreme?

Supreme is a clothing brand.

At the core of this phenomenon are the clothes. The brand mixes a blend of styles to form its own unique "sauce". Most street wear brand's offerings are rather limited. The core of a capsule would be a t-shirt, a cap and a hoodie. Clothing items such as outerwear, jackets, accessories, and basics bridges the gap between street wear brand and a traditional clothing label. At the core of the brand is the skateboard ethos that translates well when it comes to Supreme's clothing but this quirk can be disconcerting when it comes to other aspects of the brand.

If you take a look at the Supreme Preview for Fall/Winter 2017, you'll get a better idea of the type of clothing Supreme offers. Everything from winter parkas to hoodies to skateboard hardware, all with the distinctive Supreme branding. The clothing and accessories with the traditional red and white Box Logo go for a higher rate in resale markets.

I cannot offer the same type of perspective on Supreme clothing as someone who has been following the brand for a few seasons. The only "benchmark" for athletic, street wear that I have would be Roots Canada. In some ways, the two clothing brands offer similar lifestyle products that have a unique culture and appeal. I have two hoodies and one 6-panel cap from Roots Canada that are favorite pieces in my limited closet. One hoodie has aged beautifully with holes, tatters and worn seams. When I first received the hoodie, I was impressed with the weight, the detailing and the construction. Even though it was made in China, the quality control at Roots Canada must be impeccable. Large raised felt lettering, Beaver logo embroidered patches, branded hardware for the hoodie drawstring--which also had Beavers screened on them. The cap is also just as worn, faded, and broken in. Perfect.

Earlier in the season before I became interested in Supreme, I was in the market for new hoodies for the coming winter months. I looked at the Roots Canada website and a few things caught my eye but I wasn't quite sold. I had an impression that what I was after was something similar in nature. I put off my purchases and began to look around for other cool, interesting, exclusive, well-made items. I have always been into exclusive materials. Roots Canada only has a few shops in the United States. I acquired my pieces from a store in Vancouver, so it in a way, it was a souvenir of the trip, much like a Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt back in day. One had to visit the destination to acquire the merchandise. That's what gave it it's panache and allure.

The most coveted item that Supreme produces is their seasonal Box Logo Hoodie. The modest hoodie has come a long way from its origins as the Baja Jacket or as it was known in certain cannabis cultures, the "drug rug". Originally imported by California surfers, the Baja Jacket has deep connections to the same surf culture that gave birth to skateboarding and snowboarding, so the Hoodie fits perfectly within Supreme's clothing culture. The Hoodie features a distinctive embroidered Supreme Box Logo. It comes in a variety of colorways--some of which are unique to that season. Some of the recent colorways will probably never be reused. The colorways and Box Logo color choices of FW17 were rather off-putting to some of Supreme's longtime collectors. The colors were odd pairings and divisive within the community, which was a notable phenomenon this season.

Second most desired item is the Box Logo Tee. A T-shirt at Supreme ranges from $34-$44 plus a flat $10 shipping charge. This shirt resells with markups of 500% and more depending on the design of the Box Logo. Every season Supreme offers an extensive variety of graphic tees of their own design as well as artist collaborations. One of the most popular releases of late was the Supreme x Louis Vitton collaboration. Quite a significant feat for a brand that was not widely known at the time.

The Box Logo Hoodie and Tee are the most desired items by collectors and resellers but Supreme offers other options as well. Supreme will release a seasonal preview and Lookbook a few weeks before the first drop of the season. This gives people an idea of what's coming down the pipe and a sense of the vibe of the collection. The collections are seasonal, so lighter wear is featured for Spring/Summer and jackets for the Fall/Winter. Jacket collaborations with notable brands such as The North Face and Stone Island are offered in limited runs and sell out in seconds.

Demand revolves around the "hype" surrounding particular pieces from the collection. The perceived value of changes on a whim. Supreme produced a yellow camo Box Logo Tee to celebrate the opening of their new Brooklyn store. Originally, it was to be made available in-store only but due to the incredible demand for the item, the queue was broken up by the police. Supreme quietly added the item unannounced to their webstore, instead. The yellow camo pattern fever broke out amongst the collectors and unreleased pieces like the Half-Zip Pullover and the Headband that featured the same yellow camo were THE items to have.

It's fickle market that's highly dependent on the culture of the consumer, which is an interesting change of the fashion hierarchy where advertisers and crony editors used to make decisions for the public. In today's market, commercial fashion seems very willing to "try anything" for crossover appeal. It doesn't work because the efforts are usually formulated from algorithms and analytics. Those efforts lack authenticity and "realness". A glossy print ad cannot compete with the power of human connection and community.

Next, let's talk people.

--DRUMS

Editor of @burneddolls

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