Supreme is an American clothing brand established in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

in April 1994. The company focuses on

streetwear Streetwear is a style of casual clothing which became global in the 1990s. It grew from New York hip hop fashion and Californian surf culture to encompass elements of sportswear, punk fashion, punk, Skateboarding#Culture, skateboarding, 1980s no ...

skateboarding Skateboarding is an extreme sport, action sport that involves riding and Skateboarding trick, performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry Profession, job, and a method of tr ...

, and hip hop fashion trends. In December 2020, the U.S.-based apparel and footwear company VF Corporation bought Supreme for $2.1 billion. In 2024, the brand was sold to EssilorLuxottica for $1.5 billion.

History

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 Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...

. The first store was opened in a former office space on Lafayette Street in

Lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan, also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York City, is the southernmost part of the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The neighborhood is History of New York City, the historical birthplace o ...

in April 1994. 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, 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. In 2004, a second location was opened on North Fairfax Ave. in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, nearly double the size of the original New York City store. Other locations include

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, which opened in September 2011;

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, which opened in 2016;

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

(

Harajuku is a district in Shibuya, Tokyo. Harajuku is the common name given to a geographic area spreading from Harajuku Station to Omotesandō, Tokyo, Omotesando, corresponding on official maps of Shibuya, Tokyo, Shibuya ward as Jingūmae 1 Japanese a ...

, Daikanyama and

Shibuya is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in Tokyo, Japan. A major commercial center, Shibuya houses one of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shibuya Station. As of January 1, 2024, Shibuya Ward has an estimated population of 230,60 ...

);

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

;

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

; and

Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...

. The additional locations emulate the original Lafayette Street store's design. In 2013, Supreme filed a lawsuit against Leah McSweeney and her brand

Married to the Mob ''Married to the Mob'' is a 1988 American crime romantic comedy film directed by Jonathan Demme, written by Barry Strugatz and Mark R. Burns, and starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Matthew Modine, Dean Stockwell, Mercedes Ruehl, and Alec Baldwin. P ...

, 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.

Kruger Krüger, Krueger, Kreuger‘’’’ or Kruger (without the umlaut ü) are German surnames originating from '' Krüger'', meaning tavern-keeper in Low German and potter in Central German and Upper German, both associated with the Germanic wor ...

, 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." The motion for voluntary dismissal of the suit filed by Supreme was granted by the court three months after it was filed. On October 6, 2017, Jebbia confirmed that the label had sold roughly 50% of the stake in the company to

private equity Private equity (PE) is stock in a private company that does not offer stock to the general public; instead it is offered to specialized investment funds and limited partnerships that take an active role in the management and structuring of the co ...

firm

The Carlyle Group The Carlyle Group Inc. is an American multinational company with operations in private equity, alternative asset management and financial services. As of 2023, the company had $426 billion of assets under management. Carlyle specializes in ...

for around $500 million. On February 25, 2019, Supreme moved their flagship store at 274 Lafayette Street to a new location at 190 Bowery Street. In November 2020, VF Corporation announced that they agreed to buy Supreme in an all-cash deal for $2.1 billion. 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. Supreme was then sold to the eyewear company and Ray-Ban owner, EssilorLuxottica, in July 2024 for $1.5 billion.

Skate teams

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. 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. 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.

Trademarks

Supreme has secured trademarks in countries within North America, Europe, and Asia. However, Supreme lost a legal case in Italy in 2018, and the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

declined to register its trademark. 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. Following Supreme's success in Japan and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, in 2018,

Samsung Electronics Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (SEC; stylized as SΛMSUNG; ) is a South Korean multinational major appliance and consumer electronics corporation founded on 13 January 1969 and headquartered in Yeongtong District, Suwon, South Korea. It is curr ...

announced a promotional partnership with a counterfeit Supreme brand to open retail stores in China. This decision faced significant backlash from consumers, leading Samsung to terminate the partnership a few months later. 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. On August 27, 2020, EUIPO granted Supreme a Europe-wide trademark for bags, clothing, and retail stores.

Marketing and awards

Supreme stocks its own clothing label, as well as other skateboard brands such as Vans, Nike SB, Spitfire Wheels, and Thrasher. 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. Fashion photographer Terry Richardson has produced several photographs for the brand. This includes

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...

, Kermit the Frog,

Three 6 Mafia Three 6 Mafia is an American hip-hop group from Memphis, Tennessee, formed in 1991. Emerging as a horror-themed underground hip-hop group, they went on to enjoy mainstream success. The group's 1995 debut album ''Mystic Stylez'' became an influen ...

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Althoug ...

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...

Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He is credited, along with fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Jeezy, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music for mainstream a ...

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...

, and

Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey ( ; born 22 May 1959), known :wikt:mononym, mononymously as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 198 ...

. William "Bill" Strobeck serves as Supreme's main filmmaker and has produced several web edits for the brand, such as ''Joyride'' (2014), ''Swoosh'' (2015), and ''King Puppy'' (2016). Strobeck has also filmed and directed both of Supreme's full-length films, ''Cherry'' (2014) and ''BLESSED'' (2018). In 2018, Supreme was awarded the Council of Fashion Designers of America's Menswear Designer of the Year Award.

Collaborations

Commercial and brand collaborations

Supreme is known for its range of "unconventional brand collaborations" from video games to partnerships with designers. In 2017, Supreme collaborated with

Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ...

. 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 is a Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting games developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Namco). The franchise also includes film and print adaptations. The main games in the series follow the events ...

'' video game series. In 2020, Supreme and American food brand

Nabisco Nabisco (, abbreviated from the earlier name National Biscuit Company) is an American manufacturer of cookies and snacks headquartered in East Hanover, New Jersey. The company is a subsidiary of Illinois-based Mondelēz International. Nabisco' ...

collaborated on a "double stuf" Oreo cookie in the brand's signature red color and with the brand's logo printed on the cookie. Within a week of the collaboration launch, the cookies were selling on

eBay eBay Inc. ( , often stylized as ebay) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that allows users to buy or view items via retail sales through online marketplaces and websites in 190 markets worldwide. ...

for more than $91,000, after retailing in store for just $3. In 2020, and again in 2022, Supreme collaborated with

make-up artist A make-up artist, also called a makeup artist, and often shortened to MUA, is an artist whose medium is the human body, applying makeup and Prosthetic makeup, prosthetics on others for theatre, television, film, fashion, magazines and other simil ...

Pat McGrath to create a

lipstick Lipstick is a cosmetics, cosmetic product used to apply coloration and texture to lips, often made of wax and oil. Different pigments are used to produce color, and minerals such as silica may be used to provide texture. The use of lipstick ...

and

nail polish Nail polish (also known as nail varnish in British English or nail enamel) is a lacquer that can be applied to the human Nail (anatomy), fingernails or toenails to decorate and protect the nail plates. The formula has been revised repeatedly t ...

in the former's inconic colors. In March 2022, Supreme partnered with British label Burberry for a clothing and accessories collection. In 2017, Supreme collaborated with Fender on the Supreme x

Fender Stratocaster The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of double- cutaway electric guitar designed between 1952 and 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corpora ...

guitar and with Meissen on porcelain statuettes with the Supreme box logo. Some of Supreme's most popular collaborations have been with

A Bathing Ape , also known as BAPE, is a Japanese fashion brand founded by Nigo (Tomoaki Nagao) in Ura-Harajuku in 1993.

and

Comme des Garçons Comme des Garçons (CDG, ) is a Japanese fashion label, founded by Rei Kawakubo in 1969. It is based in Paris, where its flagship store is located. Other than fashion, the label has expanded to include jewelry and perfume (under the brand Comme ...

Artist collaborations

Supreme's first artist collaboration was with Rammellzee in 1994, the year the brand opened its first store in New York City; the partnership produced hand-painted trucker hats and backpacks. In 2020, Supreme partnered with artist

Takashi Murakami is a Japanese contemporary artist. He works in fine arts (such as painting and sculpture) as well as commercial media (such as fashion, merchandise, and animation) and is known for blurring the line between High art, high and low arts. His wo ...

to produce a limited-edition Box Logo Tee, which raised $1 million for COVID-19 pandemic relief efforts. Other visual artists who have collaborated with Supreme include Charlie Ahearn,

Ralph Bakshi Ralph Bakshi (; born October 29, 1938) is a Mandatory Palestine-born American retired animator and filmmaker, known for his fantastical animated films. In the 1970s, he established an alternative to mainstream animation through independent anim ...

, Pedro Bell, Larry Clark, George Condo, Martha Cooper,

Cost Cost is the value of money that has been used up to produce something or deliver a service, and hence is not available for use anymore. In business, the cost may be one of acquisition, in which case the amount of money expended to acquire it i ...

, R. Crumb, Chris Cunningham, Dondi, Erik Foss, Futura,

Nan Goldin Nancy Goldin (born 1953) is an American photographer and activist. Her work explores in snapshot-style the emotions of the individual, in intimate relationships, and the Bohemian style, bohemian LGBT subcultural communities, especially dealing w ...

, Gonz,

Damien Hirst Damien Steven Hirst (; né Brennan; born 7 June 1965) is an English artist and art collector. He was one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. He is reportedly the United Kingdom's richest ...

, JA,

Daniel Johnston Daniel Dale Johnston (January 22, 1961 – September 11, 2019) was an American singer, musician and artist regarded as a significant figure in Outsider music, outsider, Lo-fi music, lo-fi, and alternative rock, alternative music scenes. Most ...

, KAWS, Mike Kelley, Harmony Korine, Wilfred Limonious,

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (January 20, 1946 – January 16, 2025) was an American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Lynch was often called a "visionary" and received acclaim f ...

, Ari Marcopoulos, Malcolm McLaren, Shawn Mortensen,

Raymond Pettibon Raymond Pettibon (born Raymond Ginn, June 16, 1957) is an American artist who lives and works in New York City. Pettibon came to prominence in the early 1980s in the southern California punk rock scene, creating posters and album art mainly for g ...

, Richard Prince, Lee Quiñones, Peter Saville, Andres Serrano, Dash Snow,

Aphex Twin Richard David James (born 18 August 1971), known professionally as Aphex Twin, is a British musician, composer and DJ active in electronic music since 1988. His idiosyncratic work has drawn on many styles, including techno, ambient music, ambi ...

, Joel-Peter Witkin, and Martin Wong, contributing graphics, sculpture, and mixed media to limited-edition collections.

References

External links

* {{Official website 1994 establishments in New York City American companies established in 1994 The Carlyle Group companies Clothing brands of the United States Clothing retailers of the United States Clothing companies based in New York City Shoe companies of the United States Clothing companies established in 1994 Retail companies established in 1994 Skateboarding companies 2020 mergers and acquisitions 2024 mergers and acquisitions VF Corporation Skateshops EssilorLuxottica