Streetwear Brands: Culture On A T-Shirt
When people think of art, most would think of magnificent sculptures made of marble, paintings glistening with color, or incredibly, large, and granular murals. However, art can be found in various things within our own life, not just ultra-sophisticated art masterpieces created by the greatest artists of all time. One of these things is clothing, and more particularly, streetwear brands. The designs of brands like Bape, Stussy, and Supreme have not only altered fashion forever, but the realms art can take.
Streetwear was spawned from four main pillars during the late 19th Century, Surf culture, Skateboard culture, Hip-Hop, and Punk.
The first true streetwear brand was Stussy, widely considered the “Godfather” of streetwear. Shawn Stussy, a Swiss emigrant, began making designs by simply using his signature on surfboards in Laguana Beach, California. The signature itself actually took inspiration from graffiti art, which rose in the 1960s and the 1970s. This graffiti-inspired signature would become the ultimate staple of the brand, and it was later used on shirts, sweatshirts, and more.
Meanwhile, in 1994, James Jebbia, a former employee of the Stussy Brand, opened a small skate shop in New York City, the home of Supreme. The Supreme business model was simple, using limited quantities and the implementation of a “drop” model to build up hype and demand. And through this business model, the hype and demand did indeed build up. As of today, the brand has become a multi-billion dollar corporation. However, alongside its business model, the brand was incredibly appealing due to its aestheticism and art. Their logo, the most prominent piece Supreme owns, was inspired by the work of Barbara Kruger, and her use of the white Furuta Heavy Oblique font. The brand also implements art and photography in their skateboards, with collaborations with notable figures like Jeff Koons and Cindy Sherman. Not only that, they have collaborated with Louis Vuitton, implementing its signature red with Louis Vuitton’ logos, the Jordan brand, plastering its logo on the Jordan 5 sneaker, and with Northface. Supreme’s collaborations, poppy logo, and aestehtically-appealing designs have helped the brand become one of the most popular in the world.
Another prominent brand created just a year before Supreme was the Japanese brand, a Bathing Ape, or BAPE. Founded in Harajuku, Tokyo by Tomoaki Nagao, also known as Nigo, the brand has become one of the most popular streetwear brands in the world. Their most iconic feature, along with the other two brands, was their logo, a graphic illustration inspired by the 1968 film Planet of the Apes. The brand helped popularize the camo design, often used by the military, on civilian clothing. Their Shark Hoodies, one their most popular lines, implements this camo design. Despite them originating in Japan, they have also become incredibly popular in the US and the rest of the world. Collaborations with famous American musician Pharell Williams helped grow the brand significantly. The brand has gone on to collaborate with other clothing brands like Addidas and Crocs, and musicians like Kanye West.
These three brands, along with numerous other brands, helped grow the popularity of streetwear. Through their captivating messages to their eye-popping designs, Streetwear has become a force. Streetwear culture not only was an avenue for sellers and buyers, but blossomed into a community. Streetwear reflected social status, culture, and authenticity. It was swaggy and cool. It rejected the norms of what luxury brands could be, and reflected the culture of everyday people.
Overall, streetwear brands were incredibly influential. They demonstrated how art wasn’t just an aesthetically pleasing thing to look at, but a widely sought-after product that could bring a community together.