Supreme x Louis Vuitton - An Analysis Beyond Aesthetics

Even without major surprises in terms of creation, the collaboration between the French Louis Vuitton and the New Yorker Supreme generated much controversy, deserving attentive looks and an analysis that goes beyond aesthetics, exploring the points of convergence between the two brands over the past few years.

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Raekwon for Supreme (2005). The portrait with his bodyguard and a doll of the character Elmo marked the beginning of the famous "photo tees".[/caption]

Considered one of the pioneers of streetwear and, recently, a global phenomenon, Supreme began in 1994 by James Jebbia, who had already experienced the market as the owner of Union NYC (1989-2009) and, later, through his work with Shawn Stussy. The brand features icons of New York culture in its collections and often includes relevant personalities in the music world, starting from names like Raekwon, who initiated the "photo tees" in 2005, to fictional characters like Kermit the Frog, the presence of pop singer Lady Gaga in the 2011 Purple Magazine campaign  and, more recently, the collaboration with the thrash metal band Slayer. The diversity and breadth of the brand are not to be taken lightly, as its partnership history includes major names like Comme dês Garçons, The North Face, Schott NYC, Levi's, and others, in addition to collaborations with artists such as Murakami, Robert Longo, and Richard Prince (who later developed a line of bags with LV).

The meeting point between both brands began when, in 2000, Supreme received a cease & desist order (a request to cease an activity, under penalty of legal action) from Louis Vuitton. The reason for the summons was the launch, without authorization, of a clothing and accessories line that incorporated a reinterpretation of the famous pattern of the French brand. The threat caused Supreme to remove the products from its shelves just two weeks after the collection's launch. The situation resulted, some time after it occurred, in items considered rare and with a high resale value in the market.

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Presented in Paris alongside Louis Vuitton's Fall/Winter 2017 collection, the collaboration explored the most trivial yet immensely important characteristics of both brands. Red and black box logos alongside the monograms adorn a large portion of the items, with the exception, in parts, of those that exhibit military influence through camouflage. Today, seventeen years after the initial contact between the two brands, the developed line presents almost official reinterpretations of previously produced pieces that had been considered plagiarized.

The unprecedented presence of a legitimate streetwear brand on the Paris Fashion Week runways sparks discussions and divides opinions among enthusiasts of this lifestyle. The union with haute couture has consolidated rapidly and explosively, making almost nonexistent what was once a thin line between the two, while also raising questions about what is to come.

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More and more luxury companies are seeking to capture young consumers, characterized by the term "Millennials" or Generation Y, whose class consists of individuals born between the 1980s and 2000s. Currently considered one of the most important consumer classes in the market, a strong feature of this generation is seeking experiences and exclusivity amid products and brands.

It is at this point that Supreme enters, bringing with it a fame shaped by arrogant sellers, great skate videos, a wealth of cultural baggage, authenticity, and recently being seen as a status symbol among enthusiasts and buyers. All the aforementioned items combined with Louis Vuitton, which is considered one of the most important haute couture brands, bring to the market an unprecedented and contrasting experience.

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- Kim Jones in an interview for WWD.

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"You can't have a conversation about menswear in New York without talking about Supreme, because it's a massive global phenomenon."

 

 

The excessive popularization of the brand is no longer news for those who follow it, which makes the feeling of protectiveness not manifest. The impact of streetwear could already be subtly observed years ago on the runways of designers like Maxwell Osbourne and Dao-Yi Chow (Public School). Influences from various subcultures and also from sports shape an authentic way of dressing characteristic of a newly formed movement among youth around the globe.

The active participation of street culture in a fashion week only reinforces the breaking of boundaries in fashion and makes us create expectations, with some caution and anxiety, regarding the next steps that will be taken within this relationship.