History of Supreme New York

Since opening in April 1994, Supreme has been the authority of all things deemed “cool” by streetwear and skateboarding cultures. And it’s easy to see why when looking at the brand’s impressive list of collaborations that span multiple genres of culture, including art, fashion, music, sports, and much more. Supreme has helped build modern street culture as we know it today, and its impact continues to be felt with each passing year, one new seasonal collection and high-profile collaboration at a time.

Supreme started out as a skateboarding company that sold skate goods, accessories, and clothes out of its former retail location in New York City, 274 Lafayette Street. The brand’s early days were the stuff of legend in both the streetwear and skate communities. The very best skateboarders in New York, including names like Mark Gonzales and Harold Hunter, were some of the early members of the Supreme crew in the mid-to-late ‘90s. On the clothing front, Supreme offered its iconic Box Logo Tee, Box Logo Crewneck, and Box Logo Hoodie in simple, easy-to-wear colors that coordinated with everything everyone in Lower Manhattan was wearing at the time, like baggy jeans and cargo pants, skate shoes like Vans and assorted Nike Air Maxes. Once Supreme’s core items caught on, the brand began experimenting with more cut-and-sew items like jackets, shirts, and more, which attracted attention from folks outside of Supreme’s early New York City bubble. Next came collaborations with Vans, and then Nike, Timberland, and more. The rest, as they say, is history.

Some of the most popular Supreme items are its Box Logo Tees and Hoodies, and its many collaborations with Nike. Its Nike SB Dunk Low from 2002 is considered one of the greatest sneakers in history. The brand is also “World Famous” for its accessories, which in recent years have only gotten more esoteric: a brick featuring Supreme’s Box Logo was released a few season ago, as were a pair of boxing gloves made with Everlast, a baseball bat, nunchucks, and even a full-size pinball machine.

Supreme’s most popular collaboration, though, is its project with Louis Vuitton from 2017. Before teaming up with the high fashion house, Supreme famously used Louis Vuitton’s monogram print on a series of skateboards in the 2000s that eventually cost the brand a cease-and-desist order by “LV.” By 2017, however, Louis Vuitton was more than willing to partner up with Supreme, who by then was among the most popular clothing brands in the world.

The most exciting, hype-inducing items in Supreme’s history are available at Stadium Goods.

FAQ

When did Supreme New York start?

Supreme opened in 1994 in New York City. The “World Famous” streetwear brand started as a skateboarding company that made skate goods and hardware before introducing a more robust clothing component to its seasonal collections.

Who owns Supreme New York?

Supreme was founded by James Jebbia. Jebbia owned Supreme until selling a significant portion of it to private equity firm the Carlyle Group in 2017. In 2020, VF Corporation, the parent company of brands like Vans, Timberland, Dickies, and more, purchased Supreme from The Carlyle Group, Goode Partners, LLC. and Jebbia. Jebbia remains the business manager of Supreme as of this writing.

Streetwear