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Supreme (brand)

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Supreme is an American clothing brand established in New York City in April 1994. The company focuses on streetwear, skateboarding, and hip hop fashion trends. Its main products include clothing, skateboards, and accessories.

Supreme
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryClothing
Founded1994; 30 years ago (1994)
FounderJames Jebbia (Founder & CEO)
Headquarters
New York City
,
United States of America
Number of locations
17
ProductsClothing, shoes, accessories, skateboards
RevenueIncrease US$538 million (2024)
US$116 million (2024)
Decrease US$64.8 million (2023)
ParentVF Corporation (2020-2024) EssilorLuxottica (2024-present)
Websitesupreme.com
Footnotes / references
[1][2]

In December 2020, the U.S.-based apparel and footwear company VF Corporation bought Supreme for $2.1 billion.[3] In 2024, the brand was sold to EssilorLuxottica for $1.5 billion.[4]

History

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The brand was founded in 1994 by American-British businessman and fashion designer James Jebbia. During the formation of the brand, Jebbia was inspired by a book on Barbara Kruger's artwork, which influenced the design of Supreme's red box logo with white Futura Heavy Oblique font. The brand later released unlicensed remixes, which featured the works of artists and brands such as Jackson Pollock and Coca-Cola.[5][6][7]

The first store was opened in a former office space on Lafayette Street in Lower Manhattan in April 1994.[8][9] It featured a layout that accommodated skateboarding and a selection of clothes arranged around the store's perimeter. The store's first employees included skaters and actors, such as Justin Pierce and Harold Hunter,[6] as well as extras from the Larry Clark film Kids.

Jebbia stated that he opened Supreme in Lower Manhattan because there were few options for buying skateboarding products in that area at the time.[10]

In 2004, a second location was opened on North Fairfax Ave. in Los Angeles, California, nearly double the size of the original New York City store.[11] Other locations include London, which opened in September 2011; Paris, which opened in 2016; Tokyo (Harajuku, Daikanyama and Shibuya); Nagoya; Osaka; and Fukuoka.[12] The additional locations emulate the original Lafayette Street store's design.[9][10]

In 2013, Supreme filed a lawsuit against Leah McSweeney and her brand Married to the Mob, seeking damages of $10 million. The basis for the lawsuit was the assertion that the "Supreme Bitch" logo used by Married to the Mob infringed upon Supreme's well-known box logo. McSweeney secured the services of a civil rights attorney and legal heavyweight Norman Siegel to represent her in court.[13] Kruger, the artist who inspired Supreme's box logo and had long remained silent on Supreme's use of her artistic concept, said that everyone involved in the lawsuit was a "ridiculous clusterfuck of totally uncool jokers... I'm waiting for all of them to sue me for copyright infringement."[14] The motion for voluntary dismissal of the suit filed by Supreme was granted by the court three months after it was filed.[15]

On October 6, 2017, Jebbia confirmed that the label had sold roughly 50% of the stake in the company to private equity firm The Carlyle Group for around $500 million.[16][17] On February 25, 2019, Supreme moved their flagship store at 274 Lafayette Street to a new location at 190 Bowery Street.[18]

In November 2020, VF Corporation announced that they agreed to buy Supreme in an all-cash deal for $2.1 billion.[19] VF Corporation bought out investors Carlyle Group and Goode Partners LLC, as well as founder James Jebbia. According to VF, Jebbia continues to manage the business.[20] Supreme was then sold to the eyewear company and Ray-Ban owner, EssilorLuxottica, in July 2024 for $1.5 billion.[1]

Skate teams

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The original Supreme skate team consisted of Ryan Hickey, Justin Pierce, Gio Estevez, Paul Leung, Chris Keefe, Jones Keefe, Peter Bici, and Mike Hernandez. Other skaters, such as Harold Hunter and Jeff Pang, became associates of the company.[21]

Supreme's skate team has included Aidan Mackey, Brian Anderson, Ben Kadow, Jason Dill, Sean Pablo, Tyshawn Jones, Mark Gonzales, Kader Sylla, Sage Elsesser, Rowan Zorilla, Seven Strong, Troy Gipson, Vince Touzery, Caleb Barnett, Yuto Horigome, Nik Stain, Kevin Rodrigues, and Beatrice Domond.[21][9]

Following the Paris store's opening in 2016, Supreme also formed a French skate team that includes Dayanne Akadiri, Manuel Schenck, Lucien Momy, Dadoum Chabane, Damien Bulle, Victor Demonte, Valentin Jutant, and Samir Krim.[22]

Trademarks

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Supreme has secured trademarks in countries within North America, Europe, and Asia.[23] However, Supreme lost a legal case in Italy in 2018,[24] and the European Union declined to register its trademark.[25] Consequently, items branded "Supreme" that are not officially licensed, approved, or produced by Supreme could be legally sold in Italy and Spain. This allowance was only for a limited time.[26]

Following Supreme's success in Japan and China,[27][28] in 2018, Samsung Electronics announced a promotional partnership with a counterfeit Supreme brand to open retail stores in China.[29][30] This decision faced significant backlash from consumers, leading Samsung to terminate the partnership a few months later.[31]

In November 2019, an appellate court of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) recognized the distinctiveness of Supreme's brand, making it eligible for an EU trademark. The court noted that the brand is perceived as "cult" in the streetwear sector.[23][32] On August 27, 2020, EUIPO granted Supreme a Europe-wide trademark for bags, clothing, and retail stores.[33][34]

Marketing and awards

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Supreme stocks its own clothing label, as well as other skateboard brands such as Vans, Nike SB, Spitfire Wheels, and Thrasher.[35] Supreme releases two collections each year. Instead of offering the entire line at once, the brand releases a few pieces online and in-store from the current season's collection every Thursday.[10]

Fashion photographer Terry Richardson has produced several photographs for the brand. This includes Michael Jordan, Kermit the Frog,[36] Three 6 Mafia, Lou Reed, Lady Gaga, Neil Young,[37] Gucci Mane, Nas, and Morrissey.

William "Bill" Strobeck serves as Supreme's main filmmaker and has produced several web edits for the brand, such as Joyride (2014),[38] Swoosh (2015),[39] and King Puppy (2016).[40] Strobeck has also filmed and directed both of Supreme's full-length films, Cherry (2014) and BLESSED (2018).[41][42]

In 2018, Supreme was awarded the Council of Fashion Designers of America's Menswear Designer of the Year Award.[9]

Brand collaborations

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Supreme is known for its range of "unconventional brand collaborations"[43] from videogames to partnerships with designers. In 2017, Supreme collaborated with Louis Vuitton,[44] and in 2020, the artist Takashi Murakami worked on a collaboration that featured a special edition Box Logo Tee that raised $1 million for COVID-19 pandemic relief efforts.[45] Supreme's partnership with Yohji Yamamoto in late 2020 featured Yamamoto's 'avant-garde tailoring' and Supreme's 'urban aesthetic'. A subsequent collaboration in 2022 emphasized the same trend, with the Blitzkrieg collection incorporating graphics and designs from the Tekken video game series.[46][47] In March 2022, Supreme also partnered with British label Burberry for a collection of both clothing and accessories. In 2017, Supreme has collaborated with Fender on the Supreme x Fender Stratocaster -guitar and with Meissen on porcelain statuettes with the Supreme box logo. Some of Supreme's most popular collabs have also been with A Bathing Ape, and Comme des Garçons.[48][49][50][51][52]

References

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  1. ^ a b Zargani, Luisa; Clark, Evan (July 17, 2024). "Unpacking EssilorLuxottica's Surprise $1.5 Billion Deal for Supreme". Women's Wear Daily. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  2. ^ Kelly, Dylan (June 12, 2023). "Supreme Reports Decreased Revenue in Financial Year Ending March 2023". Hypebeast. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  3. ^ Rozario, Kevin (November 9, 2020). "VF Corporation Makes $2.1 Billion Move On Streetwear Brand Supreme, Stock Jumps 11%". Forbes.
  4. ^ "Exec: VF Corp. Divests Supreme Brand to Oakley Parent in Cash Deal". Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  5. ^ "Barbara Kruger/Supreme: who's hijacking whom?". Graphéine. January 19, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Grant, Nick; Deleon, Jian; Johnson, Noah (March 20, 2013). "50 Things You Didn't Know About Supreme". Complex. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  7. ^ "Here's Everything You Need to Know About the Supreme Box Logo". Highsnobiety. January 15, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2023 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ Chaplin, Julia (October 3, 1999). "PULSE: LAFAYETTE STREET; 'Kids' Welcome, Dress: Baggy". The New York Times. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d Smith, Jonathan (November 16, 2018). "Almost 25 Years Later, Supreme Is Still a Skate Shop". Vice. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  10. ^ a b c Sullivan, Robert. "Charting the Rise of Supreme, From Cult Skate Shop to Fashion Superpower". Vogue. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  11. ^ Abrams, Micah (April 16, 2006). "Into L.A.'s Deli Land, Enter the Skaters". The New York Times. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  12. ^ Hine, Samuel (August 21, 2023). "Supreme's New Era Takes Shape in Seoul". GQ. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  13. ^ "Barbara Kruger Responds to Supreme's Lawsuit: 'A Ridiculous Clusterf**k of Totally Uncool Jokers'". www.complex.com. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  14. ^ Gidick, Sarah (November 14, 2017). "Barbara Kruger Takes on Supreme With New Exhibit". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  15. ^ "The $10 Million Supreme v. Supreme Bitch Legal Battle Is Over". The Fashion Law. June 24, 2013. Archived from the original on December 13, 2022. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  16. ^ "BoF Exclusive – Supreme Confirms Investment From Carlyle Group". October 6, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  17. ^ "How Supreme Grew a $1 Billion Business with a Secret Partner". October 10, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  18. ^ US, FashionNetwork com. "Supreme to shut the doors of original NYC store". FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  19. ^ "VF to Buy Supreme for $2.1 Billion to Boost Apparel Brands". Bloomberg.com. November 9, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  20. ^ Sebastian, Dave (November 9, 2020). "Supreme Streetwear Brand Sold to VF in $2.1 Billion Deal". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  21. ^ a b "Everything You Need To Know About Supreme (2019)". shredzshop.com. Shredz Shop. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  22. ^ "Meet Supreme's French Team". i-d.vice.com. Vice. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  23. ^ a b Clark, van (May 5, 2020). "Supreme Secures Chinese Trademark". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  24. ^ "Supreme Loses Counterfeit Case in Italy". HYPEBEAST. August 2, 2018.
  25. ^ "Europen [sic] Union refuses to register Supreme as trademark". nss magazine.
  26. ^ "Italian Court Rules Against Supreme in Counterfeit Case". Supreme California. August 2, 2018. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  27. ^ "Supreme streetwear (including fakes) takes China by storm". South China Morning Post. September 26, 2018. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  28. ^ "That Time James Jebbia Gave a Rare Interview and Talked About Supreme's History and Its Popularity in Japan". Complex. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  29. ^ Etienne, Stefan (December 10, 2018). "Samsung angers hypebeasts by partnering with fake Supreme brand in China". The Verge. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  30. ^ Meek, Andy (December 10, 2018). "Samsung teams up with a fake, knock-off brand of Supreme to make products in China". BGR. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  31. ^ Carman, Ashley (February 4, 2019). "Samsung cancels its fake Supreme collaboration in China". The Verge. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  32. ^ Turra, Alessandra (July 20, 2020). "Supreme to Enter the Milan Retail Arena". Women's Wear Daily (WWD). Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  33. ^ Editorial Staff (December 9, 2020). "Supreme sweeps the fake table. The US trademark obtains registration in the EU". Pambianco News. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  34. ^ Bittau, Laura (December 3, 2020). "Supreme obtains registration in the EU". MF Fashion News. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  35. ^ Bahney, Anna (October 31, 2003). "Get 'Em While They're Cool: Footwear for the Few". The New York Times. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  36. ^ "Terry Richardson x Supreme x Kermit the Frog". February 29, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
  37. ^ Cardiner, Brock (October 13, 2014). "Supreme Fall/Winter 2014 Editorial by Terry Richardson for SENSE Magazine". High Snobiety. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  38. ^ Strobeck, William (September 10, 2014). "JOYRIDE". YouTube. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  39. ^ Strobeck, William (July 14, 2015). "SWOOSH". YouTube. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  40. ^ Strobeck, William (September 14, 2016). "KING PUPPY". YouTube. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  41. ^ Mehring, Jonathan. "The Making of "cherry"". Thrasher Magazine. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  42. ^ "Bill Strobeck Talks "BLESSED" & Supreme Announces Release Date". Skate News Wire (Press release). 48 Blocks Media. November 13, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  43. ^ Diaz Ruiz, Carlos; Cruz, Angela Gracia B. (January 1, 2023). "Unconventional luxury brand collaborations: a new form of luxury consumption among young adults in China". International Marketing Review. 40 (7): 1–21. doi:10.1108/IMR-04-2022-0099. ISSN 0265-1335.
  44. ^ "Here's Every Piece From the Supreme x Louis Vuitton Collection". Highsnobiety. June 29, 2017. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  45. ^ Wolf, Cam (April 21, 2020). "Supreme Is Releasing a Box-Logo T-Shirt to Help in the Coronavirus Fight". GQ. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  46. ^ "Supreme Is Far From Over, the Yohji Yamamoto Collab Proves It". Highsnobiety. September 17, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  47. ^ "Yohji Yamamoto's Supreme Collaboration Is a Long Time Coming". HYPEBEAST. September 16, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  48. ^ Richardson, Marc (May 14, 2020). "The Supreme Universe: The 25 Best Supreme Collaborators". Grailed. Archived from the original on May 5, 2024.
  49. ^ "Fashion Brand Supreme Collaborates with Fender". GuitarWorld. August 14, 2017. Archived from the original on March 5, 2024.
  50. ^ "Meissen und Supreme – die vielleicht unerwartetste Kooperation des Jahres". AD Magazin (in German). February 25, 2019. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023.
  51. ^ "A Porcelain Expert Weighs In On Supreme x Meissen". GQ. March 15, 2019. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022.
  52. ^ Medium.com, The Supreme Meissen Cupid, Apr 26, 2020; archived 21 December 2022
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