Is Supreme A Luxury Brand? All The Details You Need To Know
Streetwear brand Supreme is known for its bold red logo, playful collaborations, and top skate wear – but is Supreme a luxury brand? Find out here!
Supreme may have a relatively short history compared to other major fashion brands, but they have made a big impact in this short amount of time. Their collections of skateboarding essentials, clothing, bags, and other seasonal items, including everything from beanies to sunglasses, deck chairs to towels, have proved wildly popular all over the world with young people.
Supreme has a more unusual system where there are ‘drops’ of clothing twice a year, making Supreme pieces more exclusive and often difficult to get a hold of, only making Supreme more popular and highly desired.
You have probably seen Supreme worn by countless celebrities all over social media, but is Supreme a luxury brand? This article is going to explore the history of supreme, the quality of their clothing and accessories, and some of their best-selling items before coming to the conclusion on whether Supreme is a luxury brand.
Keep reading to find out where this brand stands on the luxury hierarchy and find some striking clothes, shoes, and bags you really need in your wardrobe!
Is Supreme a luxury brand?
The History of Supreme
Supreme is an American clothing and skateboard brand that was founded in 1994 in New York City by James Jebbia. The streetwear label began with the first Supreme store in an old office space on Lafayette Street, selling skateboard decks, wheels, clothing, and shoes, and the store itself was specifically designed to be compatible with skateboarding.
The clothes were placed around the perimeter of the store so that skateboarders could skate straight into the store and move around easily. The first team that worked in the Supreme store was a group of skaters and actors, including Justin Pierce and Harold Hunter, as well as extras from the Larry Clark film ‘Kids’.
The store’s popularity meant that the pieces they offered expanded, creating clothing that appealed to hip-hop culture and created a wider range of accessories that were not directly related to skateboarding. The second Supreme store opened in Los Angeles in 2004 and featured an indoor skate bowl, increasing the notoriety of the brand.
Supreme then began to stock not only their own Supreme clothing but items from other popular skate brands, including Vans, Thrasher, and Nike SB.
The popularity of Supreme only increased with their unusual way of releasing new items and new collections. Supreme only produces limited runs of their products and only drops new products twice a year. Instead of having a whole line available at once, there are a few pieces released online and in-store from the most recent collection every Thursday.
This has led to long queues of customers waiting to see if they can get their hands on their favorite Supreme pieces. The exclusivity of Supreme products has only made the brand more famous and more in demand.
Later on, more stores were opened in the 2010s, this time outside of the United States. The brand’s London store was opened in 2011, while the Paris store was opened in 2016. More recently, there have been new stores in Tokyo.
Supreme’s unusual approach to the fashion industry continues with the products they decide to release and the collaborations they take part in. The brand makes some seasonal additions to their bi-annual drops – for example, the summer collections include beach towels, deckchairs, sunglasses, and water bottles.
Supreme collaborations span many different brands, including some iconic industry names such as Louis Vuitton, The North Face, Emilio Pucci, and Comme des Garcons. These collaborations also attract a range of customers, as they have also worked with Kangol, True Religion, Champion, Nike, Stussy, and Timberland.
The Quality of Supreme
To determine whether Supreme is a luxury brand, we need to take a look at the quality of their clothing and accessories.
1. Price range
First, let’s take into account the price range of Supreme products – the full variety of pieces in the latest drop ranges in retail price between $38 and $498. But, because Supreme items are limited and can be difficult to get hold of, their resale price is often higher than the original price – but this obviously depends on the specific Supreme product.
The collaborations are often a little more expensive, too, as they are in high demand. For example, the Supreme x Louis Vuitton collab was much more expensive than Supreme’s normal drops, because Louis Vuitton is a well-established luxury brand. However, the collaborations with Nike and Vans have been a little more affordable.
2. Materials
The materials used by Supreme are good quality, including cotton and poly knit jerseys for many of the clothing items and faux fur, viscose, and fleece for some of the outerwear.
The bags were often made from Codura recycled nylon for a durable finish, but it really depends on the design of the bag as to what material it will be made from. The materials have good quality and are soft and durable but are not especially luxurious in feel or look.
3. Craftsmanship
In terms of craftsmanship, since Supreme pieces are made in limited numbers, most pieces are made in the United States. However, you may find some items made in India, China, and Bangladesh – it really depends on the piece you have.
The craftsmanship is strong but perhaps not as exquisite as other luxury brands in the fashion world, such as Chanel, Hermès, or Gucci.
Best Selling Supreme Items
Each time Supreme releases a new drop, there are some staple pieces you are bound to find, like hoodies, t-shirts, skateboard decks, and wheels, but there will also be some unexpected items, like stickers, sunglasses, and pool floats that are a little more seasonal, so you never know what you are going to find!
These drops are limited, so you have to get your hands on pieces quickly before they sell out, or just check out the resale market to find pieces you may have missed out on. However, it is worth bearing in mind that the price will be marked up to reflect how in demand these pieces are.
Supreme has also taken part in many different collaborations that have, unsurprisingly, sold out very quickly, so again the best way to find some Supreme collab items is through the secondhand market.
Here are some of our favorite pieces we think you are going to love too!
Supreme x Louis Vuitton
There are also lots of pieces available from Supreme collaborations, one of the most famous collaborations was between Supreme and Louis Vuitton menswear. Supreme CEO James Jebbia worked with the Louis Vuitton menswear creative director at the time, Kim Jones, to create an incredible limited edition collection that was beloved by Supreme fans.
The two bags pictured above are both from this collaboration. The chain wallet is made from red textured epi leather with the Supreme brand name printed across the center of the wallet. The wallet is finished with silver hardware, engraved with the Louis Vuitton name, and a silver chain.
The front snaps open to reveal a red leather interior with card slots, patch pockets, a coin compartment, and a billfold – so there is plenty of space to hold all of your cash and cards.
If you are looking for an exquisitely made, spacious backpack, then this Louis Vuitton X Supreme Epi Christopher Backpack is just perfect for you. This backpack is again crafted from black epi leather and a black Supreme logo runs down the center of the bag for a tonal look.
There are two large pockets on the exterior of the bag for items you need within easy reach, while the front flap, secure with silver buckles opens to reveal a drawstring closure. The interior of the bag is so spacious and lined with black suede fabric. The shoulder straps are padded and adjustable to ensure ultimate comfort.
Supreme x Nike
There has also been a collaboration between Supreme and sportswear brand Nike, producing several incredible, must-have pieces.
We love the versatility of this red beanie, which features a snakeskin applique Nike logo on one side of the cuff and a white embroidered Supreme logo on the other side so you can decide which logo you want to wear on the front.
This bright red shade is great for that classic Supreme look, but the beanie is also available in a whole range of neutral and bright shades – perfect for any personal style.
Nike AirForce Ones are a classic, timeless sneaker that everyone needs to own in their wardrobe. These white sneakers are crafted from leather, with a perforated, breathable toe section, a white tonal Nike logo, and a thick rubber sole for comfort and grip.
The back of the shoe is embellished with a small red Supreme logo for a look that Supreme fans love. These sneakers are also available in black if that is more your style.
Hoodies
Everyone needs a good hoodie in their wardrobe and Supreme has a whole plethora of options to choose from. This pink Supreme Bling Box Logo Hoodie is just gorgeous and totally irresistible. Made from super soft light pink cotton, the hoodie has long cuffed sleeves, a front pocket, and a drawstring hood.
The front is decorated with a rainbow bling logo for a fun and playful look – just flawless! This hoodie is also available in lots of other colors so you can find the shade perfect for you!
T-shirts
Supreme is known for its graphic tees that depict pop-cultural imagery – just like this Float Tee. This t-shirt has a standard boxy silhouette with short sleeves and a round neckline and is available in multiple different colors so you can pick the option that best suits your look.
The image of a girl in a pool floating on a Supreme branded pool float sits in the middle of the t-shirt for a striking look. There are countless different Supreme t-shirts being released all the time so it is worth checking the Supreme site and resale sites to find one you really love.
Backpacks
There are always new Supreme bags being released, but we just love the effortlessly cool look of this white Canvas Backpack. This super handy white backpack has a classic design and is just decorated with a red box logo sitting on the front zipper pocket.
The top zipper opens to reveal a spacious interior, with plenty of space for any work, school, or college essentials. The straps are padded and adjustable to ensure a super comfortable fit. This bag is available from StockX for $134, but there are other backpacks on the Supreme site available for around $168.
Conclusion
Supreme is a top fashion brand and beloved brand in the streetwear market; it is also very popular all over the world with the younger generation.
However, if we are analyzing the quality and luxurious nature of the Supreme brand, it is not quite on the same level as some of the more established luxury fashion houses. The price range of the Supreme products is relatively affordable compared to luxury brands, while the craftsmanship and materials are not as high quality as the best known luxury fashion houses.
Although, the limited release does mean the Supreme products are highly desired and in high demand, just like luxury goods are, and their collaborations with Louis Vuitton and Emilio Pucci would be considered a luxury.
Overall, Supreme is not a true, top luxury brand due to the lower price and lower quality materials; instead, Supreme can be considered an affordable luxury brand.
We hope you found this article answering the question, is Supreme a luxury brand, helpful! For more luxury fashion content, check out the links below.
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