The streetwear industry has been a longstanding canvas for artists to come together, collaborating on the next big thing. We’ve seen it all, from sleek, autonomous pieces with minimal branding to garments that have so many X’s attached, you’d think it was a naughty movie shop.
Supreme is few and far between when it comes to creative renderings of their own staples, along with societal favourites. The mini-fridge and toothpaste were a few cult classics that made a bit of sense in the grand scheme of life. But remember the parody that was the brick, or a personal standout – the Oreo cookies?
The giant of Lafayette street has been collaborating with artists, brands and lifestyle manufacturers for years now, so we thought it would be suitable to take a peek at some of Supreme’s best collaborations. From satiric drops to collector dreams, keep reading for a run down of the label’s most revered (and infamous) collabs.
LOUIS VUITTON
When we heard about this collab, it’s safe to say that everything stopped. We all dove head first into our phone screens, shrugging off the dreaded effects of blue light. All we wanted to know was how in the world we were going to get our hands on Supreme X Louis Vuitton.
And, as time has told, it was bloody difficult to do so.
The collaboration included 55 garments ranging from monograph stuffed outerwear to less provocative items like pillows and phone cases. Among the most popular was the bi-fold wallet, utility style backpack, and an array of all over print garments like baseball jerseys, trench coats and denim wear. In true Supreme style, we had some wacky accessories bestowed upon us like the swiss army knife in your choice of LV’s old burgundy or Supreme’s cherry red.
HANES
Whilst not necessarily the most evocative collaboration from Supreme, it definitely earned its place as a necessary mention.
The Hanes collab threw us for a loop, as the brand itself is known as a solid staple producer that provides your basic, everyday wear – whilst on the other hand, Supreme have made their cult name by producing outlandish products which teeter the line of consumerism. What came of the pairing was a selection of basic underwear and shirts which included Supreme’s infamous box logo. Whilst some may see it as a slightly more tame collaboration, others found it to be an affordable entrance into the label.
NIKE/AIR JORDAN
I understand and recognise the sacrilege that is pairing of these two labels. Not because there’s any animosity, but due to the longstanding history and effect on fashion that each brand has had.
Supreme first collaborated with Nike in the early 2000s, offering us a range of sneakers including cement inspired dunks and quilted leather blazers. The brand has done a handful of silhouettes in between now and then, with some missing the mark, while others blew us away. In 2014, the Foamposite took the breath away of sneakerheads globally. Already a cult favoured silhouette, the Foamposite was dipped in an EVA foam shell and painted with a rather avant garde baroque pattern. Just a few years later, Air Jordan came by with their number 5 silhouette and took over sneaker YouTube for a solid 6 months.
My personal favourite? The desert camo colourway, which maintained Jordan’s classic fighter jet flame on the exterior of the sole, and a nubuck upper with more personality than others. However, the brand released a black and white pair as well, with each serving their own purposes in the sneaker game.
A BATHING APE
Probably not a name you would have expected to see due to the brand’s competitive nature in past years. However in 2002, BAPE and Supreme came together to release a box logo t-shirt with the iconic BAPE ape camouflage filling the boxes interior. Back then, the collaboration was considered sick – today, this collaboration might force readers to fall back into their chair and attempt to comprehend the whirlwind that would occur if the pair linked up.
THE NORTH FACE
It was tough debating between TNF and CDG for this last spot, but I finally chose to go with The North Face when I remembered this story.
In 2018, I was in my second to last year of high school. Due to the nature of the school, we wore uniforms that were casual, and allowed us to experiment while still maintaining the board’s wishes.
I recall walking into my first class of my day, and none of my friends had cared that I had walked into the room. Could they be ignoring me because I got off the game early the night before? Nope. Could it be that they were all on their phones? Nah. They were all laser focussed on a recent graduate who had just walked in rocking the complete metallic collection in gold.
The effects that this collaboration had on consumers could be compared to moments in history that gripped us to our phones. It all began in 2007 when the pair linked up for a summit series collection, which included two tri-coloured shell jackets which had a cheetah print inner hood lining.
Since then, we’ve been blown away by the pair’s offerings. The By Any Means Necessary puffer jacket in 2015 sent shockwaves through everyone’s social media feeds. The phrase itself has been popularised by social justice activists over the years, including Malcolm X. Pair that with Supreme’s bold choice of colours and futura font, TNF’s technology and poof, you have a masterpiece.
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