STREET CULT
BEHIND THE LOGO Streetwear is now one of the hottest trends within the fashion industry, resulting in highend fashion industry. Street wear is a casual style of clothing that is especially worn by urban youth and different subcultures. Current trends includes bright dynamic colors paired with graphics and logos, unisex clothing, athletic workwear, and clothes that are not fitted. Although, streetwear brands have made a name for themselves in the fashion industry amongst the youth, some, like Comme De Garçon, did not intend to appeal to the youth culture. Comme De Garçon grew in popularity from the innovative clothing pieces, and Off White grew from the relevancy amongst the youth. As all companies have different stories behind the logo, there is no doubt that they have become a part of the youth and fashion trends. Supreme Is an American skateboarding shop and clothing brand that caters to skateboarding, hip hop, rock culture, as well as the youth culture. The rise of the brand not only comes from the popularity amongst celebrities, but also skate culture. The startup of Supreme was created to invite skaters to have a safe environment where they were not only able to skateboard indoors, but also offered a variety of clothing. Brands such as Supreme, Off-White, Nike, and Converse have established themselves as a part of street culture as it is no longer just a look, but a culture. The rise of streetwear has come along with a shift in what younger generations think of as luxury and status symbols. With items that focus primarily hoodies, tees, and sweaters, the youth has incorporated their own take, and placed it with a term of street style. Although many pieces do not have to be a designer, the logo has been desirable, as it made a “fashion statement.”
Emmy Fleshood in Supreme sweater, Nike AF 1, and Renoner Trinity glasses.
Louise Thomas CDG tee, Striped Off-White bag, Mara Hoffman color-blocked pants, and Urban Outfitters glasses.
Thomas O’Leary in Striped Supreme shirt, Supreme pants, Golf Wang Converse.
Left Image: Emmy Fleshood in A-cold-wall long sleeve, bliss and mischief jeans, balenciaga purse, and Nike AF 1.
Image Below: Louise Thomas in Urban Outfitters cargo pants, Budweiser Graphic Tee, Nike AF1, and Renoner Trinity Glasses.
THE LOST ART OF
STREET STYLE Street style is a dynamic form of expression for youth, in which they personalize casual clothing daily. This fashion has been greatly influenced by the skate culture, hip hop and surf culture that began to emerge around the 1990’s. Not only does streetwear have a huge cultural significance but it has empowered many and allowed quieter voices to make loud fashion statements. The growth of streetwear has advanced an everyday t-shirt, jeans and sneakers into a bold and edgier aesthetic. Taking vibrant color palettes, complex patterns, repurposed and refashioned pieces of clothing, while embellishing an outfit with accessories, a personality can be expressed through an outfit. It is a way of advancing, what started off as athletic looks, into stronger fashion statements. Many brands took part in building this style, such as; Off white, Supreme, Nike, Adidas, Vetements, etc. Celebrities, such as ASAP Rocky, quickly caught on to this trend and brought more attention to this way of dressing. Over the years, street style started to simplify. The true vision of these fashion statements was blurred. Many began to focus on the brand-name so they could achieve a rich and put together look, instead of trying to express a personality through cheaper clothing that speaks to that specific individual. Young adults began spending thousands of dollars on designer brands because that’s what was seen as the trendiest and most popular street fashion. However, what people seemed to forget was that the ideas behind these designer brands and their clothing lines of streetwear stemmed from original street fashion, which was not designer. The essence of a designer outfit can be captured in a reasonably priced outfit if an individual feels comfortable, confident and is portraying the personality that they want to express. When it comes to clothing, an excessive amount of money is not a necessity. Although buying designer things
is a nice feeling and could be a good investment, it is not needed to be stylish in everyday life. Any outfit can be elevated with the right accessories and styling choices. Labels do not make an individual more fashionable. Discovering affordable pieces of clothing that genuinely stand out to you will help develop your individual style, compared to wearing an item of clothing just for the brand name. The whole idea of streetwear is not clearly defined due to it being so versatile but it is used to create a fashion statement within the pieces you put together. Wear what feels good, not what is trending. As shown in the pictures, these models took regular pieces of clothing and a few designer pieces but personalized them by styling the outfit to fit what they were aiming to express. Although streetwear has become mainstream and have turned the clothing brands into a status symbol, these looks can be achieved by anyone. As streetwear continues to expand, it has become more accessible. This has allowed people to thrift items, refashion them and use those pieces to express their own ideas. Some thrift stores in new york that carry fashionable and cheap vintage clothes are L train, Beacon’s Closet, Flamingos Vintage Pound or even a goodwill. In addition to creating an outfit, it can also be elevated by incorporating different color palettes, or even just accessorizing. Whether this may have been accomplished by adding bright red sunglasses, shiny gold jewelry or even chunky sneakers, each outfit can reflect one’s personality and emotions that day. Streetwear is also part of counter-culture which is reflective of your attitude. It isn’t all about looks but how you choose to express yourself through the different elements. Whatever you end up wearing, just make sure you feel comfortable and confident in it so you can wear it and it doesn’t wear you.
PHOTOS BY: KATE SUKHOVA
EMMY FLESHOOD LOUISE THOMAS SHANET YANG MARLENA AWITAN THOMAS O’LEARY TERESA O’LEARY
STREET CULT