Streetwear Was Big Business In 2017, But Is That A Good Thing?
I know it’s uncool to talk about what’s “cool.” But I’d like to. For streetwear, where the concept of cool is imperative to success, the past year has posed somewhat of an existential paradox. In January, when Louis Vuitton teamed up with Supreme, there was a sense of palpable excitement and trepidation from those within the industry. It was a collaboration which had smashed through fashion’s fourth wall, irrevocably changing the relationship between streetwear and high fashion as we know it: a marriage that was inevitable, but could only have been initiated by a handful of brands. Yet for what seemed like a seismic shift, something felt a little off. There had been no sighting of Supreme founder James Jebbia at the show – although he was in Paris, and attended LV’s show the season before – and Angelo Baque, Supreme’s Brand Director at the time, remained in New York (he would soon leave the company, although he still consults for the brand). For what should have been a landmark event for Supreme, a conquering of Paris Fashion Week on its own terms, there seemed to be little sign of jubilation. Read more at Highsnobiety.
