Brand Book By Sophie Heaton
I confirm that this work has gained ethical approval and that I have faithfully observed the terms of the approval in the conduct of this project. Signed ................. ................. Date
Word Count: 1,773
Our Story 1&2
Our Signature 12
Environent 24
Brand Vision Mission Values 6
Image Guidelines 15&16 Brand Platform 5&6
Communication 17&18 Tone of 11&12
Voice
Flagship Stores 25&26
Sold Out 39&40 Collaborations 27-34
Faces of Supreme 20,21,22,23
Positioning 41&42
Our Consumer 37&38
Our Products 35&36
Sustainability 43&44
What’s Next 45&46
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In April 1994 , we opened our first store on Lafayette street in down town Manhattan. Where we became the home of the evolution of the New York City skate culture. It was the core of the young rebellious skaters and Artists who soon became the stores’ staff, and customers. Supreme for almost 2 decades have been a product of hype and demand that’s built up over time. James Jebbia our founder, has allowed Supreme to keep a consistent and effortless approach of the brand. Our brand is about the legacy of punk through skateboarding and it is the embodiment of street culture that has evolved into clothing to branded products. 2
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As a brand we promise to stay cool and true to our customers by providing high quality skate and street wear for those worthy of it’s exclusivity.
Supreme has three key attributes, first being luxurious. Our products are made to a high quality at no expense. Secondly we are desirable, although we cater to a niche market. We are successful due to our devotees indulgence. Finally , our authenticity has remained consistent since 1994.
Supreme reflects a Rebellious,notoriously cool ,humorous and full of attitude personality that only a select few can comprehend.
From our Downtown roots , Supreme has established itself as a brand known for it’s unique identity and style.
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Our ambition is to continue to stay within our beliefs and the skateboard community while also being the most desirable and stylish street wear brand of all time.
Create this allusive lifestyle , so our consumers feel a part of this certified club and community while giving them an extension to their identity.
If we allow ourselves to become apart of the mass marketed fashion world , we no longer are Supreme. As a brand we set our own rules and trends. Supreme could be seen as a religion and our believers worship our authenticy and attitude.
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Our tone of voice is influenced by it’s 90’s Down town New York heritage.We embrace youth and street culture while projecting this edgy attitude and contempory cool persona. Our voice is confident and straight to the point, we don’t talk much but our images convey our thoughts to the right consumer. Conforming to the generic conventions isn’t our thing ,because of this many don’t understand us but that’s because their not meant to. If you know about Supreme , you are apart of the underground sub-culture that is full of energy and selctive due to it’s exclusivity ;James Jebbia created.
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As a brand logo provides the most fundamental visible element of the brand. Our logo is iconic and is embedded within the consumers mind due to it’s consistent framework within a rectangle red boarder and Futura LT font. The Supreme logo is largely based on Barbara Kruger’s propaganda art. The red and white box logo is our key signature. The logo can be positioned in various ways and sizes on our products. Originally the box logo was not the starting point. Before our Supreme logo began with the accented “E” which was inspired by french modernist designer, Andre Courreges. Now ,the power of the box logo has the ability to make everything merchandise and worth value, even the plastic bags as packaging. It is simple , yet effective in which is a clear approach of what Supreme do, especially in our commercialised products.
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Our photos-shoots featuring faces of Supreme are typically taken by Terry Richardson. The look-book collections are presented on a white back drop to emphasise our products, it is important that the images come across as informal and Curating relaxed cool vibes.
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The images should be: - In colour , never black and white. -Suggestive narrative. -Raw material Our images should reflect a sense of realism, humour and culture. The setting is often in a skate-park or in neighbourhood down town.
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When it comes to press release and exposure we don’t believe in that sort of thing. Supreme speaks for it’s self or our consumers do it for us. James has always wanted Supreme to keep a low profile and with that followed our loyal customers. The Website is our only direct source of communication from the brand to the consumer or we often release a newsletter that talks about the next big collaboration. We pride our collaborative work , photoshoots starring the latest face of Supreme are shot wearing the iconic box logo T-shirt. We plaster New York and other cities housing our flagship stores with posters announcing are upcoming collaborative efforts. These posters have featured ; Lady Gaga (2011), Mike Tyson (2007), Dipset (2006), Raekwon & Ghostface & Elmo (2005) and Kermit The Frog (2008).
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Fashion photographer Terry Richardson has produced some of the most notable pieces for us. Which include photshoots with Lady Gaga , Michael Jordan, Kermit the Frog, Three Six Mafia, Lou Reed, Neil Young, and Morrissey. We embrace outsiders and have always embraced the individual while in-keeping our legacy of punk through skateboarding.
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Our stores are designed with skaters in mind, with a unique design for the store layout: by arranging the clothes around the perimeter of the store, a large central space permitted skaters with backpacks to skate right into the store and still feel comfortable. Our visual layout is a crucial element for James Jebbia and our crew. His vision was always that the store was modern and in-kept with their aesthetic. Although it’s not as intimate as it was in 1994, the consumers still have respect for the brand and it’s authentic approach. The Store must always be spacious with oak floorboards and shelves that shine from the high key lighting thereby, illuminating the colourful products surrounding the store.
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Supreme HQ New York -Lafayette Street
Los Angeles 439 Fairfax Ave
Paris 20 Rue Barbrette 25
London 2/3 Peter Street
Japan- Harajuku , Daikanyama, Osaka ,Nagoya Shibuya 26
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Over the past 18 years , we have worked with some of the most ground breaking Artists , designers , Photographers and musicians who all have contributed to add to supreme’s unique persona. Our Collaborative efforts with these designers have created high quality garments that have not jeopardised our image. Such as The North Face, Palace , Stone Island , Lacoste , Timberland , Vans , Comme des Garçons, Stone Island, Louis Vuitton and many more that can all be accessed in our archive on the Supreme website.
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From the start we have offered a wide variety of authentic skateboards each embracing Supreme’s style. Alongside Skate and street wear. Shoes , Hats and accessories soon came into the mix along with merchandise ranging from crowbars to motor bikes. New T-shirts featured the work of surrealist painter H. R. Giger and pioneering hentai artist Toshio Maeda, skate decks the designs of contemporary artists like Richard Prince, John Baldessari, and Jeff Koons. Our iconic T-shirts, like everything in the store, have become collector’s items that are collages of controversial provocations and heady imagery.
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In the beginning, Supreme appealed to a specific niche market of Skaters in downtown Manhattan. It soon grew into a wider subculture,over the past few years Supreme has become desirable to none- skaters to making it’s appearance into the street wear phenomenon. Our consumers range from ages 13 to 35 , typically male. However Over recent years collaborating with female models such as Lady Gaga and Keke Palmer it has opened the doors to a selective female demographic. Primarily our products are for stylish males who peruse cool, high quality clothing. Typically you would find our consumer in a busy urban setting or at the skate-park living the Supreme lifestyle. The music culture go hand in hand with Supreme , our consumers are tuned in to the latest sound. At first , Supreme stores established in America through to Europe and then Japan. “It’s always been about that has always been picky about the New York customer”(James Jebbia 2015). However the clientele is increasingly Japanese as they were quick to embrace our aesthetic, which is why we had to supply the market in Japan, we opened three stores there in 2015 alone.Overall Supreme adapted to translate itself all over the world appealing to the hard-edged hiphop urban skater kid. 38
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Ever since we opened in 1994 , Supreme was able to become the holy grail of high youth street culture by curating a mix of the city’s iconography, fashion, music, celebrity and politics. This is how we as a brand have thrived and maintained consistent within our designs and values. Our ultimate goal is to provide skate/ street wear. “We do short runs so that we’re not left with any dead stock”James Jebbia. Our business model is defined by simple economics, in which demand outweighs supply — significantly. As demand for Supreme increases, the supply becomes more valuable. However, the supply never increases to meet the demand. While brands re-stock popular products , We never re-stock anything to maintain our exclusivity. Our strategy is to release a few items at a time, typically five to fifteen. This “drop” occurs online and in store once every week on Thursdays at eleven in the morning.
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Exclusive
Inexpensive
Expensive
Accessible
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Supreme’s current position against it’s competitors is measured on exclusivity VS. price . Although, Supreme was established as a Skateboard retailer, like other skateboard brands we have evolved into street wear and compete with other similar brands. However we have been able to remain at the top due to our exclusivity and unique style. Undoubtedly, Supreme is the king of the underground economy of street wear. In terms of rivals Palace would be our biggest competitor. This British skateboard brand also sell their products in small batches. They also have Similar fervent devotees as Supreme. Other high end brands such as Bape and Stone Island have different styles however their previous collaborations with us do not pose a threat to our shared market.
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Our brand exclusivity provides a sustainable aspect in itself due to our limited supply. The products and merchandise never loose it’s value as our consumers desire grows stronger making giving them an inability to be thrown away and loose purpose. In addition, the manurfacture of our products is produced by the suppylier ;CYC- Wings& Horns in Vancouver. This provides us with high quality sourced Supreme products with ethical distribution to our stores.
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In terms of sales , our outcome has always been successful. However for Supreme our values lie with the quality of our products and satisfying our consumers needs. Collaboration will continue with more creative brands and designers. Including sustainable brands as it is also a opportunity to show Supreme’s involvement in ethical matters while remaining the stylish street wear brand of all time. New Balance and North-face is defiantly in our pursuits.
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Books -Marketing Fashion, Harriet Posner , 01/01/11 -Steven, Batts. Logo Size And Placement. 1st ed. Dallas: N.p., 2017. Print. Magazine Articles - h t t p : / / w w w. d a z e d d i g i t a l . c o m / f a s h i o n / article/32318/1/how-does-a-fashion-brand-go-cult Additional sources http://www.supremenewyork.com/about https://hypebeast.com/2014/10/supreme-for-sensemagazine-2014-fall-winter-editorial-by-terryrichardson http://www.highsnobiety.com/2017/03/01/supremeclothing-history-new-york/ https://hypebeast.com/2014/8/supreme-vs-bapewhos-the-king-of-collaboration https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/408842472410637863/ http://uk.complex.com/style/2016/06/supreme-warpgrind-japanese-magazines -http://www.highsnobiety.com/2012/02/15/a-historyof-supreme-new-york-poster-ad-campaigns/ http://www.thedapifer.com/supreme-clothing-nycdrop/ http://www.wingsandhorns.com/customer-service/ shipping/
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Articles-Inside Supreme: Anatomy Of A Global Streetwear Cult — Part I”. The Business of Fashion. N.p., JANUARY 11, 2012 36,38 -Chaplin, Julia (October 3, 1999). “PULSE: LAFAYETTE STREET; ‘Kids’ Welcome, Dress: Baggy”. The New York Times. Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. Retrieved September 29, 2012.-38 -(“Inside Supreme: Anatomy Of A Global Streetwear Cult — Part II”) ”Inside Supreme: Anatomy Of A Global Streetwear Cult — Part II”. The Business of Fashion. N.p., JANUARY 11, 2012 -22 Additional Sourceshttp://www.supremenewyork.com/index-pg 1,2 -”Supreme (Brand)”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., January 2017. , -28,36,1 -Grant, Nick; Deleon, Jian; Johnson, Noah (March 20, 2013). “50 Things You Didn’t Know About Supreme.”. Complex (magazine). Complex Media. Retrieved May 1, 2013.-18
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Screen Shot on Supreme site.(2017) http://www.supremenewyork.com/index-pg
Screen Shot on Supreme site.(2017) http://www.supremenewyork.com/index-pg
The Supreme crew 1994 http://www.highsnobiety.com/2017/03/01/supreme-clothing-history-new-york/ James Jebbia - Supreme founder -2013 http://content.acclaimmag.com/content/uploads/2013/12/ james-jebbia-interview.jpg Supreme Model https://hypebeast.com/2014/10/supreme-for-sense-magazine-2014-fall-winter-editorial-by-terry-richardson
Supreme Model https://hypebeast.com/2014/10/supreme-for-sense-magazine-2014-fall-winter-editorial-by-terry-richardson
Screen shot from random video“Cherry” from Website. http://www.supremenewyork.com/ index-pg Supreme Model https://hypebeast.com/2014/10/supreme-for-sense-magazine-2014-fall-winter-editorial-by-terry-richardson Kenneth Cappello photographed Raekwon accompanied by his bodyguard and a Tickle Me Elmo for Supreme’s first “photo” tee in 2005. http://uk.complex.com/ style/2013/03/50-things-you-didnt-know-about-supreme/
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Supreme skate team-1995 Ryan Hickey, Justin Pierce, Gio Estevez, Peter Bici, Mike Hernandez, Jones and Chris Keefe, Loki and Paul Leung. http://uk.complex.com/style/2013/03/50-things-you-didnt-knowabout-supreme/supreme-original-skate-team-estevez-bici-pierce Screen shot from random video- “Cherry” from Website. http://www.supremenewyork.com/index-pg Screen shot from random video- “Cherry” from Website. http://www.supremenewyork.com/index-pg
Kate Moss Supreme Poster https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56af997e22482ed3ce1efb25/t/56b794141ccbd1ff3554ee88/1454871572712/1000w/ Lady Gaga for Supreme 2011 http://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws. com/hypebeast-wordpress/image/2011/02/lady-gaga-for-supreme-purple-fashion-magazine-full-look-6.jpg Niall young for supreme http://images.complex.com/complex/image/upload/c_limit,w_680/fl_ lossy,pg_1,q_auto/tkara5y4qic3y2nkocm9.jpg
morrissey supreme fall 2015 http://static.stereogum. com/uploads/2016/02/moz_supreme-640x640.jpg
Kermit the Frog for supreme 2014 https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/origina ls/b1/b8/f1/b1b8f1f0830475b943eb d104dd72ea20.jpg Mike Tyson 2013 https://68.media.tumblr.com/00acedb491bfbac8a0fe294947ffce3b/tumblr_mf4tepdDyq1rg8bwpo1_500.jpg Terry Richardson and Niall Young http://fraisfrais.com/public/uploads/2015/02/NeilYoung-pour-Supreme-par-Terry-Richardson-4.jpg
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Supreme HQ New York -Lafayette Street http://www.supremenewyork.com/index-pg Los Angeles 439 Fairfax Ave http://www.supremenewyork.com/index-pg London 2/3 Peter Street http://www.supremenewyork.com/index-pg Paris 20 Rue Barbrette http://www. supremenewyork.com/index-pg Japan- Harajuku , Daikanyama, Osaka ,Nagoya Shibuya http://www.supremenewyork.com/index-pg Supreme/North Face Collaboration 2017 http://www.supremenewyork.
Con de Garcon Collaboration 2015 http://www.supremenewyork.
Supreme/Vans Collaboration http://www.supremenewyork.
SS17 PHOTOSHOOT http://www.supremenewyork.
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Supreme/ Lactose collaboration 2017 http://www.supremenewyork.
Louis Vutton / Supreme collaboration 2017 http:// www.supremenewyork.
Supreme /Stone Island Collaboration 2016 http://www.supremenewyork.
Jordon /Supreme collaboration 2015 http://www.supremenewyork.
Supreme fall 2017 http://www.supremenewyork.
Supreme /northface 2017 https://www.sneakers.fr/supremex-the-nor th-face-printemps2014/#more-60365 Keke Palmer Northface 2017 Pinterest.com
Supreme
Drop
Supreme/
1994-http://www.highsnobiety.
com/2017/03/01/supreme-clothing-history-new-york/ Supreme Skateboards - Piterest. com
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