The fashion industry is constantly changing due to fast fashion brands changing styles. However, streetwear has been a fashion trend for several years now and it does not seem to be slowing down.
Originally, streetwear used to be an affordable clothing style for both men and women. Now, streetwear is a more luxury style due to the high-end fashion brands that have collaborated with streetwear brands. That is why the style of streetwear is slightly changing, gradually becoming more expensive.
The Beginning of Streetwear
It all began in the 1980s with a man called Shawn Stussy. He was the founder and the man behind the great idea of streetwear that we know today. However, the brand was never intended to be what it is today. It originally started when Shawn scribbled his name on the back of surfboards. This soon became very popular and it inspired Shawn Stussy to print his name onto t-shirts. Now, his brand prints graphic tees, hoodies, and many other streetwear items. By 1992, Stussy’s brand generated a revenue of 20 million dollars according to Wikipedia.
Shawn Stussy’s streetwear style inspired many others in the United States including Supreme. Supreme is the biggest brand in streetwear fashion at the moment. It has collaborated with many brands around the world including luxury fashion brands, Louis Vuitton and Gucci. Both Supreme and Stussy built the foundations for streetwear and their style hasn’t changed since they started.
There are hundreds of streetwear fashion brands to choose from now. As stated earlier, streetwear fashion seems to have become more expensive. You could say that it is slowly becoming a luxury style. Nonetheless, there are so many streetwear brands out there to choose from that some are bound to be affordable.
Streetwear in the United Kingdom is booming right now thanks to all the small brands adding their twist to streetwear. Some of the streetwear brands in the UK like to mix contemporary fashion with streetwear. A unique and affordable twist to the streetwear style worn across the rest of the world.
Modern Streetwear and How It Has Changed The Image of Luxury Fashion
Now we have discussed how streetwear all started, here is how it is doing in the fashion industry. Luxury fashion brands have acknowledged the most popular style of this generation and that is streetwear. That is why so many high-end brands are collaborating with streetwear brands today. Now, streetwear has redefined the word luxury and, you could say that streetwear’s definition has also changed.
In the United Kingdom, Selfridges, which is a high-end department store, has changed their shelves a lot in the last few years. Originally, Selfridges was filled with luxury clothing brands that we usually saw on the catwalks of Milan, Paris, and New York. Dior, Balenciaga, Emporio Armani, Gucci, and many more were all on the shelves of Selfridges. Now, there seem to be more streetwear brands on the shelves than luxury fashion brands. Streetwear seems to be the more common style in department stores now. Nonetheless, there are still a select few in the shop now such as Burberry and Hugo Boss.
Streetwear used to be affordable for the average citizen, especially when it was released back in the 1980s. However, the average cost of a streetwear clothing item is more than what it once was. Due to the unique marketing method of Supreme and other streetwear brands, their limited drops is what raised the prices of streetwear fashion. It caused hype around their brand and clothing which saw people queueing outside their shops for hours.
Now, it seems to be a marketing method for hundreds of fashion brands. Even fast-fashion brands are using this marketing method with their items of clothing. The impact of streetwear has been massive on the fashion industry. From the style that is commonly worn on the streets to how fashion brands market their clothes and release them. The marketing method gets people rushing to the shops much sooner and gets other people talking about the brand.
Streetwear has become extremely popular over the past couple of decades. That is why so many high-end fashion brands are collaborating with streetwear brands to design luxury clothing.
To Conclude
Streetwear is a popular style however, it is not the most affordable style either. In the UK, streetwear is slightly different to the rest of the world. Many brands in the UK are a combination of contemporary and streetwear, giving it a more casual style. Men’s full tracksuits are also a popular style for streetwear in the UK, with a more sporty aesthetic.
There is no doubt that streetwear is one of the most popular styles in the fashion industry. However, the affordable style that everybody once knew no longer exists. It is much more expensive however, the quality and design have improved massively since Shawn Stussy first started his brand.