Why Streetwear Brands Need To Make Political Statements

On Nov. 4, 2016, less than a week before the Election Day showdown between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, Supreme took to Instagram to encourage their followers to vote. “This might be the most important decision of your life, make it count. Go Vote Tuesday, November 8th,” the caption read, underneath a photo of skater Sage Elsesser holding an “I Voted” sticker, flanked by his cohorts Tino Razo, Jason Dill and Bianca Chandon designer Alex Olson. The text also included two telling hashtags—#imwithher and #fucktrump—that pinpointed the exact political allegiances of the legendary New York skate brand. As noted in press coverage at the time, this was the first instance of Supreme endorsing a political candidate, although it wasn’t the first time the brand had waded into politics—in 2005, for example, they memorably released a batch of stickers that read “Fuck Bush” in the typeface of their famous box logo. As far as political statements go, the Instagram photo and caption weren’t especially nuanced; they didn’t even mention Clinton by name. But, what Supreme did accomplish was tell their customers and fans exactly where they stood politically, a disclosure that, according to some, is becoming more and more important to shoppers in the current political climate. Read more at Complex.