About Streetwear

STREETWEAR IS THE MOST

INCLUSIVE STYLE

GENDER NEUTRAL & MADE BY PEOPLE OF ALL ETHNICITIES AND BACKGROUNDS

THE HISTORY OF

Streetwear

Pioneers of Streetwear...

Shawn Stussy - Stussy

In California in 1980, Shawn Stussy was a surfer who shaped his own boards for friends and the locals of Laguna Beach.

Branded with his Surname in Permanent Marker

Wanting to promote the sale of his surf boards, he began screen-printing his signature with the same graffiti-style, onto tees and shorts - to then sell out of his car.

With friends and locals purchasing his apparel - the designs became desirable to the public.

In 1984, Shawn began selling Stussy - the surf and skate brand.

This became the first Streetwear brand, originating from the California surfer scene, and then onto the New York skater scene.

Shawn Became the Pioneer of Streetwear

In 1988, he brought Stussy to Europe where it was very successful.

In 1991, his revenue hit $17 million. Then the next year, $20 million.

James Jebbia - Supreme

In 1989, James Jebbia opened a store in New York called Union - where he sold mostly British brands, and streetwear.

In 1991, James and Shawn Stussy partnered up to sell Stussy in store - where it did extremely well.

In 1994, Shawn decided to pull away from James, leaving him unsure of what to do next...

He was then on his own...

From his partnership with Shawn, James knew what it took to opperate a successful streetwear brand.

He opened up a new store-front in 1994 New York - Supreme

The store was very minimalist - not intentionally... James was very afraid of failure, and did not want a large stock of inventory for that reason.

With the store's success, he quickly sold out - leaving clients upset that they did not purchase the very limited apparel.

He then decided that every Thursday would be the day the store was restocked with the new-limited designs. This continues to this day.

This began a desire for the exclusivity that we still see within today's streetwear market.

Exclusivity

A key component of Streetwear is the scarcity aspect.

The idea that specific designs are very hard to get in hand, but those who really want them - will go to any extent, or price...

Creating the "Resale Market."

SNEAKER CULTURE

SNEAKERS HAVE BEEN A PART OF STREETWEAR SINCE THE EARLY 80'S...

BY THE LATE 80'S, SNEAKER COLLECTING HAD BECOME A MAJOR SUBCATAGORY OF STREETWEAR.

DUE IN LARGE TO NBA ALL-STAR MICHAEL JORDAN. ALTHOUGH THE STYLES OF SNEAKERS HAVE CHANGED THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, THE LINK BETWEEN STREETWEAR AND SNEAKER CULTURE REMAINS STRONG.

THE SNEAKER MARKET IS VALUED AT APPROX. 79 BILLION DOLLARS AND PREDICTED TO REACH 120 BILLION BY 2026.

History of Streetwear

Streetwear

Casual style that reflects authenticity, individuality & involves comfort - a key component is also exclusivity.

There is no definitive era that encompasses Streetwear.

It has been influenced by many subcatagories over the years...

80's

Hip-Hop - This new style of music pushed social boundries and explored the ideas of remixing and sampling. This in itself created a new platform for fashion and cultural expression.

The contraversial popularity of Rap in the 80s... Brands began to shun Hip-Hop artists.

With retailers shunning Rap artists, major record labels forcefully began embroidering their artist's merch onto casual fashion and work-wear - Such as jerseys, letterman jackets and Carhartt apparel.

Artists Were Forced to Invent Their Own Look...

This is where Streetwear began to reach the media, when Artists began to team up with Streetwear designers to dress for appearances.

Artists also began launching their own Streetwear brands:

Rusell Simmons - Phat Farm

Roc-A-Fella Records - Roca Wear

50 Cent - G-Unit

90's

Influences from Sports began...

Merch from the NY Yankees, Chicago Bulls, LA Raiders, and much more became the rage.

Alongside - oversized jerseys, Timberlands, and the latest Nikes

2000's

As Seen on Artists...

Designer brands such as Fendi, Burberry and Gucci began making appearances in Music videos

Nelly made White Air Force 1's the shoe of the era with his hit song

Mainstream Brands Began to Follow...

Plenty of Brands and retailers began to follow the Streetwear trend by releasing capsule collections in store either in collaboration with an artist or another Brand, and made them very limited.

Using product Scarcity as marketing...