The Art of Collaboration: Supreme’s Rise to Fame Through Luxury and Fashion Partnerships

Supreme, the renowned high-end streetwear brand, has captivated the fashion world with its unique blend of skate culture, underground aesthetics, and luxurious appeal. While their iconic box logo and limited-edition drops have become synonymous with hype and exclusivity, one aspect that has undeniably contributed to Supreme’s meteoric rise to fame is its strategic collaborations with luxury and fashion brands. These partnerships have not only elevated Supreme’s brand status but have also redefined the boundaries of streetwear and cemented its position at the forefront of contemporary fashion.

Supreme’s collaboration journey began in the late 1990s when they joined forces with iconic skateboarding brands such as Vans and Independent Trucks. These early partnerships solidified Supreme’s credibility within the skate community, establishing a foundation upon which the brand would later build its empire. However, it was their foray into the realm of luxury collaborations that truly set them apart and propelled them to global recognition.

One of Supreme’s earliest luxury collaborations was with Louis Vuitton in 2000. The unexpected merger of a skate brand with a high-end fashion powerhouse sent shockwaves through the industry. The collaboration featured a range of apparel, accessories, and even skate decks adorned with the iconic Louis Vuitton monogram pattern combined with Supreme’s signature red and white logo. This audacious partnership blurred the lines between streetwear and high fashion, creating a new paradigm in the industry and garnering widespread attention.

Building on the success of the Louis Vuitton collaboration, Supreme continued to push boundaries by partnering with an array of luxury and fashion brands. They collaborated with names like Comme des Garçons, Pucci, The North Face, Nike, Lamborghini, and Rolex, among others. Each collaboration brought a unique blend of aesthetics, combining Supreme’s street-savvy style with the distinct DNA of the partnering brand.

These collaborations have become highly sought-after and have generated immense hype within the fashion community.

Supreme’s limited-edition releases, often accompanied by long lines and frenzied online drops, have cultivated an air of exclusivity and scarcity. This scarcity-driven model has not only increased demand but has also fostered a sense of community among Supreme enthusiasts who are constantly on the hunt for the next coveted collaboration piece.

What sets Supreme’s collaborations apart is their ability to create a symbiotic relationship between street culture and high fashion. By partnering with established luxury brands, Supreme has gained access to a new customer base while simultaneously lending its edgy streetwear appeal to the traditional fashion world. The result is a fusion of styles, cultures, and influences that appeals to a broad and diverse audience, further solidifying Supreme’s position as a trendsetter and cultural phenomenon.

Supreme’s collaborations have not only contributed to their rise in popularity but have also had a lasting impact on the fashion industry as a whole. By bridging the gap between streetwear and high fashion, these partnerships have challenged traditional notions of exclusivity and accessibility. They have blurred the lines between luxury and street culture, opening up new avenues for creative expression and paving the way for other streetwear brands to follow suit.

Furthermore, Supreme’s collaborations have acted as a catalyst for the wider acceptance and recognition of streetwear within the fashion establishment. They have demonstrated the potential for streetwear brands to hold their own alongside established luxury labels and have sparked a trend of collaborations between high-end and streetwear brands. This cross-pollination of styles and influences has reshaped the fashion landscape, giving rise to a new era where streetwear reigns supreme.

Supreme’s strategic collaborations with luxury and fashion brands have been instrumental in their rise to fame. Here are some the collaborations for 2023:

Supreme x Hardies

Hardies Hardware is a New York City-based skateboarding company established by Tyshawn Jones in 2015. Hardies produces skateboard bolts as well as clothing and accessories. Supreme teams up with Hardies on a new collection for the season. The collection consists of a Basketball Jersey, Basketball Short, two T-Shirts, Incense Holder, Skateboard and Hardware Set.

Supreme x Vans collaboration

Supreme has worked with Vans on a new version of the Skate Grosso Mid and Era. The Skate Grosso Mid features a premium suede and canvas upper with printed graphic, while the Era features a canvas upper with printed graphic. Both shoes feature a leather lining and insole, vulcanized waffle outsole and embroidered logo on heel. Made exclusively for Supreme, the Skate Grosso Mid will be offered in three color ways, while the Era will be offered in one color way.

Supreme x Coogi collaboration

Coogi is an Australian brand founded in 1969 and known for its vibrant knitwear. In the mid-1990s, Coogi’s mercerized wool sweaters — constructed in abstract swirling patterns and bold colors — became widely sought-after due to their unique look and feel. Supreme has worked with Coogi® on a new collection for Spring 2023. The collection consists of a Trucker Jacket, Basketball Jersey, S/S Top, Jean, Basketball Short and Durag.

Supreme x Dr. Martens collaboration

Supreme has worked with Dr. Martens on a new version of the Penton Tassel Loafer. The new shoe features hair-on-hide and smooth leather uppers with engraved logo metal tassel rings and AirWair cushion soles. Made exclusively for Supreme, the shoe will be offered in three color ways.

Supreme x Sue Clowes collaboration

Sue Clowes is a British textile designer. In 1979, Clowes began selling hand-painted and silkscreened pieces out of a stall at Camden Lock Market, later opening her own clothing shop in Kensington Market. In 1982, Clowes was approached by New Romantic band Culture Club to design a collection for The Foundry, where Boy George designed window displays. The partnership popularized Clowes’s cross-cultural pieces, printed with religious iconography and bold, colorful patterns. Clowes’s work was included in Susanne Bartsch’s influential New London in New York, an exposition of emerging British club fashion that brought BodyMap and Leigh Bowery to the Limelight in 1984. By the end of the decade, Clowes moved to Italy to work with engineering research teams on developing wearable technologies. Her work with alloys and natural fibers has been recognized by the scientific community.

Supreme has worked with Sue Clowes on a collection featuring Clowes’s original artwork from the early 1980s. The collection consists of a Jacket, Shirt, Ringer Tee, Chino Pant and 5-Panel.

Supreme x Clarks Originals collaboration

This Spring, Supreme has worked with Clarks Originals on a custom version of the Wallabee. The new collaboration shoe features a premium suede upper with appliqué pattern, leather lining and natural crepe sole. Made exclusively for Supreme, the Wallabee will be offered in three color ways.

Supreme x Bernadette Corporation collaboration

Bernadette Corporation is an art collective based in New York City consisting of Bernadette Van-Huy, John Kelsey and Jim Fletcher. From its outset, Bernadette Corporation sought to both incorporate and subvert the commercial aesthetics and strategies emerging in mid-90s art and fashion spaces. Simply calling themselves a corporation was both a joke and a critical position. “It was an anti-art stance, to embrace this kind of crass commercialism,” Van-Huy has said. Taken together, Bernadette Corporation’s work, in all its varied forms, is deeply social. Like all good scenes — a mix of rumor, pastiche, parody, experiment, and community.

Supreme has collaborated with Bernadette Corporation on a new collection for Spring 2023. The collection consists of a Track Jacket, S/S Work Shirt, Raglan Top, Soccer Top, Track Pant, Chino Pant, Work Short, two T-Shirts, 6-Panel, Nipple Clamps, Mini Towel and Spalding Basketball.

Supreme x Timberland

Supreme has worked with Timberland on a new collection for Spring 2023. The collection consists of a Baseball Jersey, Hooded Sweatshirt and Sweatpant.

Supreme x UNDERCOVER

Supreme has worked with UNDERCOVER on a new collection for Spring 2023. The collection consists of a Trench + Puffer Jacket, Puffer Jacket, BDU Jacket, Track Jacket, S/S Shirt, Moto Jersey, Football Top, two Hooded Sweatshirts, Layered Jean, Cargo Pant, Track Pant, Sweatpant, 6-Panel Hat, Waist Bag and Gallery1950 Rug.

Supreme x The North Face

Supreme has worked with The North Face® on a new collection for Spring 2023. The collection consists of a trompe l’oeil printed Taped Seam Shell Jacket, Nuptse Jacket, Mountain Pant, Montana Mitt and Borealis Backpack; as well as a Hooded Sweatshirt, Sweatpant, Fleece Pullover, Fleece Short, T-Shirt and Fleece Beanie.

The Printed Taped Seam Shell Jacket and Mountain Pant feature a water resistant recycled poly shell with taped seams and printed logo tricot backing. The Printed Nuptse Jacket features water resistant, breathable poly ripstop with printed graphic and 700-Fill down insulated interior quilted baffles. The High Pile Fleece Pullover, Short and Beanie feature high pile fleece with embroidered logos. The Convertible Hooded Sweatshirt and Sweatpant feature brushed back fleece with zip-off sleeves and lower legs.

Supreme x Nike Air Bakin

Supreme has worked with Nike on a new version of the Air Bakin for Spring 2023.

The shoe features a synthetic pebbled leather upper with nubuck side panel, mesh underlay quarter panel, rubber outsole with molded logo toe panel, visible heel airbag and inset swoosh, mesh tongue with molded logo, co-branded footbed, webbing loop at heel with high density printed logo, rubber logo panel on collar and embroidered graphic at heel. Made exclusively for Supreme, the Air Bakin will be offered in two color ways.

Supreme x Spyder

American ski company Spyder was founded in 1978 by David Jacobs, a championship-winning skier and coach of the Canadian National Ski Team throughout the 1950s and 60s. By the late 1970s, Jacobs had noticed that only one brand of sweater was available on the ski racing circuit, and felt he could develop a better product. He established a mail-order business based out of his kitchen, and soon broadened his offering to a range of padded ski sweaters and pants, as well as racing accessories.

Over the following decades, Spyder developed new technologies. In 1994, the company was granted a patent on its SpeedWyre racing suits, designed to streamline air flow and reduce wind drag. But by 1997 – after multiple athletes won World Downhill Championships wearing SpeedWyre-enhanced suits – the International Ski Federation banned the technology, claiming that it resulted in an unfair advantage.

Spyder has been an official supplier of the US Ski Team for over 30 years. Today, it is the largest ski-specialty brand in the world, and remains globally known for its performance innovation.

Supreme has worked with Spyder on a new collection for 2022. The collection consists of a Fleece Jacket, Fleece Pant, L/S Top and Balaclava.