Chinese millennials embrace Supreme streetwear brand, and counterfeiters step in to feed demand
The New York label has a cult following and its obsessed fans camp out in front of its stores to be the first to wear new products. In China, this has led to the proliferation of copies and fakes
Chinese shoppers are known for their love for global luxury labels such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Prada, but their latest obsession is a relatively niche brand: Supreme.
Founded in 1994 by James Jebbia, it started as a small store on Lafayette Street in New York, catering to the street kids and skateboard community. Twenty-four years on, the streetwear label has gained a cult following.
It has collaborated with big names in the industry – Louis Vuitton, Comme des Garçons, Bathing Ape and North Face – as well as artists such as Keith Haring, Roy Lichtenstein and Damien Hirst. The once-celebrated (before being embroiled in sexual allegations) photographer Terry Richardson has shot stars including Kate Moss, Rihanna and Lady Gaga for its advertising campaigns.
Supreme has only 11 stores worldwide, and fans form long queues and even camp out in front of them every Thursday, when the brand drops a new collection. Many of them are limited editions and scarce, which has only further increased the fervour for Supreme products.
“There is a specific demographic that sees getting every one of the hottest drops as a form of validation,” says a spokesman for the editorial team of streetwear website Hypebeast. “There’s now this broad audience constantly searching and hanging on at just the notion for a chance to purchase something from Supreme’s online store.”
Nowhere is this more evident than in China, where diehard fans are willing to pay double or even triple the regular price to get their hands on authentic Supreme merchandise, or a premium just so they can wear the latest collection days ahead of others.