James Jebbia has a lot to be grateful for.
The skate shop he founded after he quit the established brand names like Union and Stussy with the latter having already surpassed $50 million in sales annually and is making a decent profit for it. The brand was established in 1994, with the logo inspired by Barbara Kruger’s propaganda artwork, Jebbia is an American born, English-bred Jebbia was for the past 20 years running a company that is known for collaborating with smart brands and curating diverse collections and creating a lot of controversy throughout the process.
The aughts of the ’90s, to old-guard sneaker enthusiasts and skateboarders of the golden age whose most-loved films are still on VHS, was the heyday of the brand. The t-shirts with the box logo were worn by a number of the most loved celebrities: Raekwon, Kermit, Rosa Acosta, Lou Reed, Mike Tyson, and Jim Jones. When Nike’s foray into the world of skateboarding-specific footwear was met with nearly unanimous displeasure from skaters, Supreme’s Nike Dunk Hi collaboration curried favor with hardline enthusiasts wary of the presence of a multinational corporation. In the midst of the fact that the only attention paid by the fashion industry for sneakers had been a tiny collection of the Chanel Reebok Pumps, they got interest from Louis Vuitton in the form of a cease-and-desist notice regarding the skateboard design, which took the monogram from its traditional form. Supreme was in compliance and that was the end of it.
Fast forward over a decade it’s been a decade since Supreme has been on an upswing since 2010. The growth of Internet hip-hop along with the rappers who create it has only helped push Supreme’s popularity up with an ever-growing number of followers due to the likes of Tyler the Creator, Tyler ASAP Rocky. The brand has worked on a number of occasions with Jordan Brand, Nike, and North Face, had its shirt designs used by celebrities such as Kate Moss, Neil Young and Diddy. In the realm of footwear the company’s fortunes have been better than expected: They’ve made a number of highly sought-after Jordans, Foamposites, Air Force Ones and More Uptempos and Vans in the process and have shut down roads and servers, as well as offering resellers and collectors the fits. The price of resales of Supreme x Nike Air Force 1 Hi in white that was sold for $150 in 2014, now sits at around $650. Their black Foamposite version of the same year that retailed at $220, fetches more than $900. The Louis Vuitton Supreme wallet is another of their main pieces.
Under the watchful attention by Kim Jones, newly-installed style director of Louis Vuitton’s ready-to wear operation the red box logo that skaters are now a thing of the past. The red box logo is adorning hobo bags and trunks which retail for more than what the average American is able to accumulate on credit cards. It’s taken longer than a decade but a brand that has been spending the majority of the last decade showcasing skateboarding’s style to the world now has an audience that is at the highest levels of the fashion world. This isn’t a small feat no matter how hard they’re totally devoid of womenswear, and haven’t even made its own shoes, or the long-running story that their shirts were produced and sewn by a previously unknown company in close proximity to Chinatown persists.
The sky appears to be it’s the only limit to Supreme. However, Jebbia the owner is likely to have missed his chance to earn an amount typically reserved for geeks and lightning-fast fast forwards that have the same name. It’s a good thing.
Since the time Supreme’s Louis Vuitton collaboration hit the Internet there was speculation that Supreme was thinking of more than just a limited-edition collection with the house of fashion. In an industry that is booming, with increasing focus on shrinking cost points and quicker time, even a company such as Supreme has, according to some they were being squeezed by the glam of Fashion Nova and Zara as well as Fashion Nova. Beyond that, style and streetwear have become now closer than ever before, including Rick Owens, Raf Simons, Ricardo Tisci, Public School, OFF WHITE, and VLONE making the rounds for Paris as well as New York Fashion Week slots and LVMH Prize bids as they hang alongside Kanye West, ASAP Rocky and releasing collections in collaboration with Nike as well as Adidas. Kim Jones, who helmed Umbro prior to transferring to Vuitton and has been revealing his passion for sport and sneakers to every outlet willing to listen for more than a decade. Also, Kanye West has turned his opinions into a lucrative collaboration with Adidas which has led to a surge of fame that the resale market has never been. In any way it was a great time to Supreme as well as Louis Vuitton to join forces.
At present this moment, nothing has happened.
Since no news of a merger or acquisition was reported and it’s obvious that the reports of Supreme’s acquisition were significantly exaggerated. Whatever the harm caused to Jebbia’s purse in the event that he is in any way contemplating the possibility of cashing out the money, he’s wise to pay close attention to the words written upon the walls. High fashion isn’t more prepared to tackle streetwear in any way as it was in the past when Supreme was told to stop and cease. Yes, Jones sought out collaborations with established streetwear brands (a small collaboration on design has also been discussed via social media) however, recognition isn’t a prerequisite for something that can be built into the infrastructure. Supreme is, as it’s mentioned, has had the belief that they can provide rapid inventory turnover. Their online store has been regularly updated for years, while brick-and-mortar locations frequently replenish and rotate stock. Prices for Supreme’s major merchandise (hoodies caps, tees, caps and skate decks) have remained roughly the same for more than a decade. Its high-end quality is unmatched by any other brand within the realm of streetwear.
Beyond the synergy between an established, but well-known firm and a company seeking to grow, Supreme has a working strategy that even industry veterans can’t understand. It wasn’t created to respond to the shifting trend, but it has been crucial to the company’s success for more than 12 years. Should Louis Vuitton were interested, it’s likely that they’d want to hire Supreme’s advice rather than hire their design team. If they succeed, it will put Louis Vuitton in the position of becoming the first major fashion brand to pivot successfully for an era of new consumers and steer a cruise liner into a new direction ahead of the crowd who are rushing to attract the public who are less interested in large-ticket items as time passes.
James Jebbia either never got an actual offer or was disappointed by the lack of adaptability in the industry to the model they urgently require. In either case, Supreme has made the transition to Lafayette and moved to Paris, Louis Vuitton has attracted the attention of the new and old customers, as well as shoppers have new things to lust over. Supreme along with Louis Vuitton may make strange partners, but neither hung in the same place for long, and the fashion industry is better for it.
