How Stüssy Became The Chanel Of Streetwear

Like young NBA stars who grew up watching Kobe and LeBron, the current generation of menswear designers grew up wearing Stüssy. And not just wearing it, but regarding the brand and its founder, Shawn Stüssy, with the kind of awe their non-fashion-obsessed friends might reserve for bands or movie directors. “Growing up, Shawn Stüssy was like a god to me,” says Aaron Levine, the designer who reinvented brands like Banana Republic, Club Monaco, and Abercrombie & Fitch. Growing up in Sweden, Our Legacy co-founder Jockum Hallin learned about skateboarding and streetwear from Stüssy. “A nice Stüssy T-shirt was just the coolest thing you could have,” he says. “He started it all,” Kim Jones told Kate Moss for i-D in February of last year, shortly after he collaborated with Stüssy himself for his Resort 2018 Dior collection. “You know, James at Supreme or Nigo at A Bathing Ape, he was doing it even before them—they all look up to him and respect him.” Read more at GQ.