Every Thursday morning, at exactly 11:00 AM sharp, we wait for THE drop of the week. And, we’re not talking about any drop. We’re talking about none other than Supreme! Over the past 20+ years, Supreme has completely changed the way people think about streetwear and fashion. They’re played with the rules of social conduct all while toying with our hearts (and wallets!). Fights break out on release day. Copping bots swoop in and steal the entire stock. And, all of a sudden we’re back to Thursday waiting for another drop! But, what IS Supreme?
Let’s dive deep into the history and culture of the brand. Dig into some facts you probably didn’t know about your favorite streetwear brand. How it all started, where it’s going, and so much more! Here’s the complete cheat sheet of the century!
WHAT IS SUPREME?
JAMES JEBBIA
What is Supreme if not the man that started it all – James Jebbia. He is the person responsible for the epic story and the extreme hype of Supreme apparel. So, here’s what you should know about the man behind one of the most popular streetwear brands in the world.
– Founded by James Jebbia.
– He was born and raised in England until the age of 19 – which explains Jebbia’s British accent.
– Also, he was a former child star. He played Thomas Watson on the BBC Series – Grange Hill.
– James Jebbia got his first gig in the business when he worked at Parachute in SoHo. This was alongside future Undefeated founder, Eddie Cruz.
– James Jebbia opened Union NYC in 1989. He also helped open Stüssy NYC in 1991, three years prior to opening Supreme.
– He spent approximately $12,000 to open the first store in 1994 (on Lafayette Street in downtown Manhattan).
– But, he still worked at Stüssy while running Supreme.
– Jebbia designed the New York store with skaters in mind. The design was more open so skaters could come right in with their skateboards and gear.
– Finally, James Jebbia couldn’t trademark the name “Supreme” so he doesn’t own it.
WHAT IS SUPREME’S ICONIC LOGO
Another part about the brand’s epic culture and history is the iconic red box logo! There’s tons of speculation around the logo and how they came up with it. We’re here to set the record straight on one of the most historic logos in the industry!
– The iconic box logo reportedly takes inspiration from propaganda art created by Barbara Kruger. Her art featured a red box with white words.
– The logo’s font is Futura Heavy Oblique.
– The logo with the accented “E” is inspired by French modernist designer, Andre Courrege.
– Also, there is a version of the logo that misspells the name as “Supream” to acknowledge Mark “Gonz” Gonzales. He often misspelled the brand on postcards he mailed to the store.
WORKFORCE & EARLY DAYS
Next up, we’ve got the workforce and early days on everything related to the brand’s growth! With over 20 years of being in the game, there’s got to be tons of history behind it! Here’s what we know about the workforce behind the epic, infamous red BOGO.
– Supreme hired Gio Estevez in 1994 as their very first hire.
– After dropping out of high school in 1992, Aaron Bondaroff got caught shoplifting from Union.
– So, he started working at Supreme in 1994.
– The brand filmed a promotional video in 1995 about skateboarding in NYC.
– In 2001 and 2002, the streetwear giant produced their own shoes; the Down Low and Mid Town.
– And then, in 2004, the second location opened on North Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, California.
– NikeTalk’s brand – Shotypop – parodied Supreme. So, they paid $20,000 to buy out the parody brand.
– Lastly, the first London location opened in 2011.
SUPREME COLLABORATIONS
Finally, the last part of our brand cheat sheet is the collaborations and partnerships that built the image. Collaborations are a big part of the game and it was also a huge part of the hype! Supreme’s partnerships cemented its reputation as a streetwear brand and changed the course of fashion forever!
– The first artist to ever work with Supreme was Rammellzee.
– Padmore & Barnes created the M345 Sahara Boot in 2000 exclusively for the brand.
– Supreme x Brooklyn Machine Works made 24-inch cruiser bikes in 2000 that sold for $1,800 apiece.
– Calvin Klein sued Supreme after they put BOGO stickers on their Kate Moss ads in 1994.
– Also, the first Supreme shirts featured: the BOGO, the “Afro Skater” and Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle.
– CYC – a Canadian fleece manufacturer for Reigning Champ and wings+horns – made their hoodies, sweatshirts, and fleeces.
– Richard Prince made Supreme skate decks before working with Marc Jacobs in 2007.
– Lady Gaga took part in the 2011 promotional campaign.
– The Nike SB94 was the first skate shoe to include Foamposite technology – specifically made for Supreme.
– In 2011, Supreme teamed up with Jason Dill and OHWOW’s cult-publication F*CK THIS LIFE for the DW/FTL photo publication.
MORE SUPREME FACTS
– Friends and family of Supreme got box logo tees in kids sizes.
– The brand has no official account on Twitter.
– James Jebbia lives in a spacious loft in Greenwich Village, in New York City. But there’s not a single hint of Supreme in-sight.
– According to Celebrity Net Worth, James Jebbia’s current net worth is around $800 MILLION.
– Jebbia doesn’t classify Supreme as “exclusive.” He says they only make a small number of items because they don’t want the stock to stay on the shelves.
– New items by the brand release every week on Thursdays both online and in-store in US and EU locations. However, they drop on Saturdays in Japan.
– Finally, Supreme drops take place at 11:00 AM in those locations.
In short, the biggest reason why Supreme sells out so fast is because of Supreme copping bots. In other words, people serious about copping the red BOGO wouldn’t even imagine copping without a bot. It’s virtually impossible to do that. And, especially when considering that they have the fastest selling time records with the most ridiculous resale prices! Therefore, a Supreme bot – paired with a couple of the best proxies – is all you need. So, click on the button below to find the one for you!
