How did this once rare, cult classic sensation turn into just another mainstream logomania hype-beast brand?
Supreme is an American clothing and skateboaHow did this once rare, cult classic sensation turn into just another mainstream logomania hype-beast brand?
Supreme is an American clothing and skateboarding lifestyle brand started in April 1994 by James Jebbia. The red box logo with “Supreme” in white Futura Heavy Oblique is based on conceptual artist Barbara Kruger’s work.
The earliest known Supreme skate team consisted of Ryan Hickey, Justin Pierce, Gio Estevez, Peter Bici, Mike Hernandez, Jones and Chris Keefe, Loki and Paul Leung. With some of the members having starred in Kids (1995), a coming of age film set in 1990s New York.
Supreme was loved due to it’s unique brand identity and the sense of scarcity and exclusivity. The brand was only known by word of mouth with an ‘if you know, you know’ nature surrounding it. Supreme were known for their ‘limited’ runs (although they wouldn’t call it that) which sold out each week when released on Thursdays. Complex News’ highly popular videos captured the 1000+ people long queues on weekly basis interviewing key members of the culture. The brand had a zeitgeist energy and embodied the streetwear moment which was on the come up. As well as being loved by old, young, rich, poor and famous, it was a hot ticket item to everyone.
Supreme from its earliest inception has always been the underdog against big fashion conglomerates. There have been numerous cease & desist orders against Supreme, including orders from Louis Vuitton in 2000 who they ironically worked with in their ubiquitous 2017 collection with Virgil Abloh. At its height, in 2018, Supreme was awarded the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Menswear Designer of the Year Award.
By late 2017 Jebbia’s 50% state, valued at approximately $500 million, was sold to a private equity firm, The Carlyle Group. This was the beginning of Supremes’s eventual downfall and loss of originality. Again, in 2020, Supreme was acquired in a $2.1 billion deal, essential doubling the company’s value. However, this change of ownership was a huge step further away from the heart of the brand and one step closer to a non-threatening, ‘liked by everyone’ type of brand. Not the true nature of Surpeme. By that time Supreme had been steadily operating for 26 years. But by the end 2020 into 2021, the brand had lost its once most valuable asset, rarity. It became universal. The once bursting, overcrowded, hyped weekly drops had become the polar opposite, dead, deserted and dusty.
Has lost is value? Is it still ‘cool’? The former clout that was once gained from wearing the brand is no longer there. The constant chatter amongst its die heard community is no longer there. As Virgil Abloh predicted, in 2019, that streetwear will go out of fashion maybe this is the natural progression? With the current shift towards ‘quiet luxury’ that could be another reason the idiosyncratic, cheeky branding is no longer as desirable as once before. The loss of buzz & vibrancy paired with the consumers former addiction to the brand having died down has sparked public questioning over the brand’s relevancy.
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