The collaboration between Supreme and The North Face, a fantastic concept.
The brand Supreme can be spotted a mile off by its clothing and accessories with a predominance of the colours red and white. The logo placed on the front where it cannot be missed is a key part of the brand's communication strategy. As far as The North Face is concerned, we are talking outdoor rather than the same speciality as Supreme, i.e. streetwear. Be that as it may, over time the sporty label has attracted just as many fans amongst rappers as it has amongst mountaineers. That is the context in which the two brands decided to join forces in 2007 to create eye-catching collections.
Laying the foundation stone for the success of this unexpected pairing.
The Supreme label was founded in 1994. In the beginning, there was just a New York clothes store launched by James Jebbia around skaters and skating culture. Its success was such that the brand gained traction very rapidly, with the help of a solid communication strategy and thanks to fact that product numbers were limited, and that applied to clothes and accessories. The sweatshirt called “box logo hoodie” by Supreme is one of the brand's most popular items.
As far as the label The North Face is concerned, the story begins in the 1960s in San Francisco where the brand was catering for ramblers and fans of the open air. The logo itself was drawn as a reference to a solid block of granite that actually exists in the Yosemite Valley in California. The clothing and accessories developed by the brand are made to protect people when they are outdoors in sometimes challenging weather conditions. The most important criteria are therefore comfort and practical concerns but that in no way detracts from the aesthetics of the designs.
The changing face of the collaboration.
Over time, the collaboration between Supreme and The North Face has become a fixture in the history of fashion. Each new collection launched by the two labels is highly-coveted and the pieces invariably sell out in no time at all. The products combine the high-performance characteristics offered by North Face with Supreme's distinctive style. Features of the lines vary, but there are often visual prints, ever-present logos and high-performance, high-quality materials. The collaboration's success is also down to communication and famous people who have been seen wearing signature pieces, like the rapper Drake who sported the Autumn-Winter 2011 season's leopard-print blouson. Obvious influences revolve around the pop and street cultures of today's youth.
For 12 years now, this unconventional collaboration has been making its mark. Some of the most iconic pieces that have contributed to the success of the Supreme X The North Face men's wardrobe are: