Tyler, The Creator Calls Supreme Streetwear Brand His Generation’s Louis Vuitton
Tyler, the Creator has dubbed popular streetwear brand Supreme his generation’s version of renowned luxury brand Louis Vuitton.
In a video released by Supreme on Friday (Aug 16), the Flower Boy waxed poetic over the New York-based brand, which he became an avid consumer of during his late teens.
“The ill thing about this is like at 16, 17, 18, 19, like, Supreme was like our Louis Vuitton,” Tyler, now 33, said in the clip. “That was our top of the line sh*t.”
According to Tyler, one aspect of Supreme’s branding that sets it apart is its exclusivity due to their prices and scarcity of highly-coveted items. “Especially knowing everyone didn’t have it, it only made it more special,” he said.
“Even today I like having things not everyone else has and at that time going to school and having that one piece, having that Bad Brains hoodie, having that one rugby knowing no one else at this school or even in the school district probably has it only made it more special.”
The Odd Future leader also recalls using profits accrued from selling a pair of sneakers released as a collaboration between Nike and Supreme to fund his first trip abroad, more than a decade ago. “Ni**as ain’t have no money, going to London for the first time,” Tyler said. Sold them hoes, bam, $300 right in my pocket,” he remembered. “Inflation ain’t hit yet so that $300 that was like $1,000.”
Tyler says the crux of Supreme’s staying power and cultural currency is a byproduct of its community of customers, particularly the brand’s most die-hard enthusiasts. “If you was in public and you saw someone like with Supreme or any of these things, you knew that they were genuinely into something, so building that community of just folks who really shared the same interest was so genuine,” he explained.
“It’s not like now, like, you see someone with something you can look in the comments, see what it is, buy it and not really give forth the effort to learn about it or really give a fuck. So, we lived in a time where, like, the folks around had genuine connections with, like, something outside of themselves.”
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