STÜSSY'S CULTURAL ECOSYSTEM

Now, in excess of four decades since inception, its relevancy has arguably never been stronger, a testimony to the tastemakers that all inhabit the Stüssy ecosystem, whether that be the instrumental figures working directly for the brand or the luminaries that have remained diehard in their following of it.

In light of that, END. delves into the ever-growing cultural mosaic that is Stüssy, examining the cornerstones of the brand and speaking to the figures who have been pivotal to its decades-spanning success.

Stüssy is a label that operates like a gravitational hub, a focal point where different elements of counterculture overlap and amplify one and other. The magnetic pull of Stüssy isn’t something that just happened overnight, but rather germinated over time from the seeds planted in the brand’s earlier years. The International Stüssy Tribe — or IST, as it’s commonly known — was a movement which embodied this very ethos of community fostering and creative synthesis. The IST was, as the name suggested, not merely native to Stüssy’s LA, but instead a group of individuals across the globe united through shared sensibilities. It manifested itself in both a physical community and a marketing tool for the label, with the collective’s innovators — which included the likes of Gimme Five’s Michael Kopelman, industry luminary Hiroshi Fujiwara, future Stüssy Creative Director Paul Mittleman and The Clash’s Mick Jones, to name just a handful — all forming a part of Stüssy’s image through advertising and endorsement. Each member would receive their own custom IST varsity jacket, which was not only a clever move for marketing and building community at the time, but would also go on to represent one of the brand's most lauded pieces, releasing iteratively throughout the years that followed.

As clever of a move this may seem, the relationships forged between members came about organically, “the majority of the people in the “Tribe" were friends anyway and most are still friends now, it would have been the case even if Stüssy never existed”, said Michael Kopelman, discussing the origins of the IST. Similarly, Paul Mittleman, former Stüssy Creative Director, speaks of his introduction to Shawn Stussy and the formation of the IST in an organic manner: “Me and Shawn met in New York, it was kind of just a good vibe, we became friends very quickly. He didn’t know New York that well, and so I kind of just asked him “hey, do you want to go out?”, and he was like “yeah, sure, sounds cool”. So I took him took him out to some places that I hung out, this was around 1985 or so, and introduced him to friends. In a way, that became the Stüssy tribe”. This immersion in different cultural movements would prove pivotal in shaping what Stüssy became, with the brand evolving with each subculture it moved through: “there was no plan, so to say. It wasn’t like Shawn thought “oh, let’s go and do streetwear”, it was just a surf brand that had a good eye for things and was quite creative. When he got introduced to global subcultures, he began to see LA with different eyes away from surf, with the brand shifting towards what we all know it as now”, said Mittleman. This inquisitive approach to culture is something with a momentum that’s never ceased for Stüssy, constantly evolving and becoming the global, multifaceted thing it is today.

“You had to spend time with people in sharing music back then, as this was before the internet. There was a certain sense of comradery in sharing, which also went over into street culture and the mixing of uniforms. There was a language to it all, and you either gravitated towards it or you didn't. That was a lot of how it grew into different looks; New York had a specific look, and Stüssy gravitated towards that, but then you would go to London and people wore things a little bit differently. So there was this interchange and this back and forth. Part of what the Stüssy tribe became was when you landed somewhere you knew who to call and they were clicked into something”, said Paul Mittleman, discussing how music and subcultural uniforms inspired the stylistic codes of Stüssy. From these key interchanges, Stüssy would steadily become a key advocate for musical genres, styles and movements across the globe, holding a mirror up to the people and artists surrounding it.

It's a label that speaks to people on many different levels, but there’s arguably no movement where the brand has resonated as strongly than with hip-hop. It’s difficult to picture Stüssy without the indelible imprint of rap and the figures at its forefront, with a long list of icons who adopted the brand as their own. J Dilla, for instance, arguably the greatest hip-hop producer of all time, was rarely seen without that famous signature scribble tagged across his clothing. It’s something that Stüssy tributed back in 2010 in partnership with Stones Throw Records — the label instrumental to Dilla’s solo career — coining February 10th “Dilla Day” by throwing parties, creating exclusive merch and even shooting and producing a commemorative documentary.

Then there’s A Tribe Called Quest: a group that’s deeply connected to Stüssy on multiple levels. First of all, there’s the very literal connection between the naming of the group and Stüssy’s international tribe — a founding ethos rooted in togetherness between like-minded individuals. In his documentary-memoir publication on the group’s debut album, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, the American lecturer and author Shawn Taylor summarised the messaging of that project — and the group in general — in a way that strikes a familiar chord with the growth of Stüssy: “It was an enormous citywide party and everyone, regardless of who you were or what you represented, was welcome to join the Tribe on their quest”. This sensibility immediately evokes images of the earlier days of Stüssy, where the label fostered a community of individuals from varying creative backgrounds. Stylistically, too, the similarities between the group’s fashion and Stüssy’s playful, exuberant artwork were immediately recognisable. When Stüssy turned 35, the label commemorated this deep-rooted connection with an exclusive collection, merging the visual language of Stüssy with the group’s iconic imagery and aesthetic codes.

It isn’t just hip-hop in Detroit that has resonated with Stüssy, either, with one of the city’s lauded house legends, Omar S, being a key affiliate of the brand. Whether it’s his love of wearing Stüssy, his appearance in the brand’s look books or his exclusive mixes for the label’s radio show, IST Radio, Omar S is one of many musical tastemakers who form part of the label’s ever-growing community.

It hasn’t just been stateside that has musically synergised with Stüssy, though, with the UK’s very own luminaries flying the flag for the label. Goldie, jungle pioneer, artist and all-round pop culture icon, practically became synonymous with the brand during the ‘90s. His unapologetic approach to art, music and style was something that mirrored the non-conformity of Stüssy, meaning the label seamlessly became a part of the multihyphenate’s uniform.

Woven throughout Stüssy’s musical history is a deep-rooted affinity with reggae, something which can be traced all the way back to the brand’s earlier years. “He was interested in reggae because that was something he listened to heavily and it’s also intertwined with surfing — a bit of a soundtrack”, commented Paul Mittleman, when discussing reggae’s connection with Stüssy. At an abstract level, the togetherness, positivity and free-spirited nature at reggae’s core is something that’s mirrored by not just surfing in general, but also Stüssy, making their affinity one that’s easy to identify. It goes way beyond just the abstract, however, with reggae heavily influencing Stüssy’s design codes, ranging from reggae’s colours informing graphics to slogans derived from its music and culture. Throughout the years, this deep appreciation for reggae music has organically led to collaborations with one of the definitive figures of the genre, Bob Marley, both through earlier commemorative tees — collector’s items which now hold a substantial premium — and later partnerships, like S/S ‘22’s and the sought-after, jacquard knitted Bob Marley jumper. What these homages represent is a natural extension of the Stüssy ethos, with garments imbued with the relaxed, carefree spirit that’s been the label’s core since day one.

Collaborations are a ubiquity in the contemporary fashion world, something which can, given the industry’s frenetic pace, often feel so transient or saturated. With Stüssy, however, the noise of the collaborative world is often drowned out and your attention grasped tightly, thanks to a considered approach to partnerships with brands both new and old. CakeNotCrumbs, an avid Stüssy collector and END.’s Social Media & Community Manager, said “Stüssy is one of the few brands that still looks to tap into certain subcultures or different genres with the level of collaborating that they do. If you look at the past year, they’ve collaborated with Portishead, Bakar and Bone & Soda and Eric B & Rakim from a music side, as well as BAPE, Nike, Haris Tweed, Martine Rose, Rick Owen and Takahiro Miyashita The Soloist — all of this shows you the level and dedication they have to ensuring collaborations are fresh”.

One such brand that has been heavily intertwined in the Stüssy sphere for over two decades is Nike, with the two responsible for a long list of revered partnerships throughout the years. It all dates back to 2000, where the two joined forces with a bespoke take on the Huarache and marked an industry first for sneaker collaborations. We chatted with Michael Kopelman, Gimme 5 founder and Director of Stüssy UK, who was responsible for connecting the dots with Nike and Stüssy’s first link up: “at the time, I had a Stüssy and a select goods store called the Hideout. I heard that a Nike team was in the Soho area and went to meet them. The Nike team had a lot of new products like Air Wovens and Foamposites that they were trying to launch. I offered to turn my store into a pop up for that purpose, which was a success. After that, I proposed that we make a shoe that could be sold across the Stüssy stores which were in Los Angeles, New York, London and Japan. They showed us a Huarache that was in two colourways and unallocated and we went with that”. What the two had done, intentionally or not, was paved way for a seismic shift in the footwear industry, one where the exclusivity of collaborative product steadily reigned supreme.

“The shoe was recently reissued by Nike and Stüssy as it was ‘collectable’ and still sought-after”, says Michael, positively reflecting upon those earlier years. Fast-forward to today and Stüssy and Nike are regulars in the release calendar, seamlessly merging their design codes on an array of apparel and sneaker icons. “Nike was super important, both in terms of being a fun project but both economically and historically for Stüssy. It’s been a great relationship between two brands that have done lots of fun stuff, but also opened the doors for lots of sneaker brands in general by saying let’s collaborate”, said Paul Mittleman, touching upon Nike and Stüssy’s ongoing partnership.

In recent years, Stüssy and Stockholm’s Our Legacy have been consistent figures in the zeitgeist of collaborations, offering refined takes on streetwear utilising deadstock fabrics as part of the Work Shop initiative. It’s a partnership that’s organic and full circle for Jockum Hallin, co-founder of Our Legacy, who has been a fan of the brand from a young age. “It just felt like it made 100% sense, with the love coming from where we come from, where I come from, and wearing that stuff since I was a little teen”, said Jockum during an episode of Throwing Fits. It’s this organic side of the relationship that shines through with the collections, perfectly aligning with the considered approach to garments favoured by Our Legacy. CakeNotcrumbs said “as far as fashion and product goes, there’s not much that’s ethereal and transcends above day-to-day wear and general consumption, but the ongoing collaboration between Our Legacy and Stüssy goes beyond this. It's product which deserves to be in your wardrobe forever, really”. Collaborations, in many ways, can act like a reflexive gateway from one brand to the next, introducing groups of people to certain styles of dressing, subcultures or aesthetic codes. For CakeNotCrumbs, it’s this journey into new spaces that really stands out with Stüssy and Our Legacy, “I think to really understand and appreciate Our Legacy, you’ve kind of got to be led there a little bit. I think a lot of people wearing the collaboration probably didn’t wear Our Legacy previously, but through the collaboration and how well it’s done and how consistent it is, they’re maybe looking to Our Legacy product now as a brand they’ll take notice of, which is a nice thing”.

It isn’t just product from within fashion or streetwear circles that has fallen under Stüssy’s radar, though, but rather those which fall within its cultural ecosystem. When we spoke with Paul Mittleman on collaborations — the man who has been responsible for connecting the dots between Stüssy and A Bathing Ape, WTAPS and Nike, to name just a few — it was one of these more obscure collaborations which stood out to him: “I think the one that was the most unexpected was when we worked with Ricoh on the digital camera. It had a very cult status with streetwear creatives — it was a great camera that was popular with a certain click of people. Long story short, the camera sold out in less than 24 hours. I don’t want to use the term thinking outside of the box, but it was just completely random and it worked out”. Although unconventional at the time, it’s this approach to collaborations which is now commonplace in the fashion world, one where interdisciplinary link ups are no longer unusual — take Stüssy and Helinox’s beach chairs, for instance, or Stüssy and Tekla bedsheets.

Consistent throughout Stüssy’s history is a unique visual language, with the label’s graphics representing a crucial element of the brand and its ubiquity in the world of fashion and beyond. It all dates back to Shawn Stüssy and his famous signature scribble, a visual code born from when he would casually sign off the surfboards he made. Little did he realise that very signature would become one of, if not the, most iconic in streetwear. “He has an amazing hand style and it’s a testament to him that his same graphics are still being used and recycled to this day, but not to the same audience”, said Michael Kopelman in speaking to END., reflecting upon the importance the logo plays in the success of the brand. Testament to the power of Stüssy graphics is, despite the sheer number created by the label, each one has gone on to serve as a form of iconography in and of themselves. From the legendary 8 Ball graphic to the everlasting crown motif, Stüssy’s visual language has played a pivotal role in not just its own cultural ecosystem, but fashion’s in general.

Since the brand’s early days, its approach to graphics has served as a mirror to the culture surrounding it, taking the familiar and subverting it through the lens of Stüssy. Take its S64 tee, for instance — which was a rerelease of a much-desired tee from the archives — that heavily nods to Nintendo’s N64 logo, or the “stussymax95” tee which referenced the legendary Air Max 95 and its debuting “Neon” colourway. This approach, one that involves recontextualizing cultural reference points, is something that established the blueprint for many labels that followed, becoming an integral part of the broader streetwear sphere.  

Advertising, in as much as it serves as fundamental commercial pillars of a business, is also an opportunity to exercise creativity and create resonance with audiences. Since pretty much day one, Stüssy has been an expert in this approach, advertising in a way that’s distinctively unique, culturally tuned in and views the horizons of creativity as endless. To this day, the brand’s earlier, black and white adverts — the ones that remain regular reference points on a near-endless number of Instagram feeds — set the tone for Stüssy’s approach to advertising: unique, disruptive visuals that reflect the non-conformity of the label.

Its Speedway Summer shoot in 2018, for instance — which saw Evan Clark race a custom E36 M3, complete with full Stüssy livery, around the Auto Club speedway — perfectly embodies this ability to advertise and market in a way that really places Stüssy at the centre of the zeitgeist. Or its latest partnership with Nike and the Vandal High, which featured various videos that further cemented this disruptive unconventionality, namely a tree falling on a white Suzuki Samurai Jeep.

Ultimately, the Stüssy cultural ecosystem is something that’s never static, constantly shifting and evolving to reflect the milieu of people, art and movements that remain fundamental pillars of it. It’s a brand that, as it moves through its fifth decade of existence, consistently remains tapped into the culture surrounding it, constantly captivating audiences and leaving them wondering what’s next on the Stüssy horizon.