Back in 2000, Louis Vuitton sent Supreme a cease and desist order for a drop of "Vuitton" skate decks, caps, and box logo T-shirts. The threat of legal action got all of the pieces recalled within two weeks—which means the ones still out there are the rarest of grails. But at the Parisian brand's fall 2017 show this morning, it was clear that the two companies are now on much better terms.
First leaked earlier this month, Vuitton and Supreme officially debuted their collaboration today, a capsule of bags as well as co-branded denim and camouflage jackets. They even went ahead and threw a skateboard deck in for memory's sake, though this one is a red-and-white monogram as opposed to the traditional monogram colors featured in the recalled knockoffs. Denim baseball jerseys that splashed the Supreme box logo into the classic Vuitton monogram filed down the runway alongside Vuitton mainline leather coats, cardigans, and roomy trousers.
With six bag styles (the backpack is the clear standout) rendered in three colors (red, black, and a camo Supreme x Vuitton print), the collaborative part of the range will no doubt move fast. The line will be stocked not only at select Vuitton stores beginning 17 July, but also in "separate stores in areas where both of them are popular," according to Kim Jones.
Sounds like Vuitton is ready for a pop-up.
The news isn't just big for Supreme though; it's a big deal for streetwear at large, which has been seeing an expansion of influence in the fashion industry in recent years. Brands like Supreme have demonstrated their power and shown their high demand with incidents like the launch of the Nike Air Foamposite collaboration. That New York drop got shut down by the New York Police Department in 2014 due to concerns about public safety, when over 800 people clogged the shop's surrounding streets.
But it's more than just demand from consumers. Streetwear brands—historically rooted in a graphics-heavy aesthetic—have birthed a new generation of designers that have ascended to the forefront of menswear. Think brands like Stampd and Rochambeau, both of which were chosen for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, an influential program that identifies talented young American designers. Think, also, of others like Vetements, Off-White, and Gosha Rubachinskiy, all of which were nominated for the International Urban Luxury Brand award at last year's Fashion Awards.
That category was a first (awkward) attempt at naming this new group of brands: Labels that are informed by the street, but not necessarily "streetwear." Labels that blur the lines between the old and the new guard of men's fashion.
Now that Vuitton has given Supreme the official stamp of approval—and vice versa—you can expect those lines to get even blurrier.
