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
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
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