Founded in a small store located in downtown New York in 1994, James Jebbia’s independent label Supreme has become one of the foremost underground streetwear brands, boasting a cult following eager for it's coveted range of T-shirts, footwear and branded miscellanea. Produced in limited editions, Jebbia regularly collaborates with mainstream brands such as Comme des Garçons, Levi’s, Vans and Louis Vuitton. Past projects have included collaborations with high-profile artists such as Damien Hirst, Takashi Murakami and Richard Prince, as well as bands such as The Clash and The Misfits. These partnerships have helped propel the brand’s iconic status amongst youth counter-culture.
Operating a highly exclusive retail strategy, Jebbia only operates 12 Supreme stores, with the first European location launched in London’s Soho. A British native, Jebbia first moved to New York in the early 1980s where he found work in SoHo-based clothing store Parachute. His first retail venture was Union NYC, which opened in 1989 and carried an experimental mix of mostly English brands. Following this, he partnered with pioneering streetwear retailer Shawn Stüssy from 1991 to 1994.
Alongside clothing and skating accessories, Jebbia has also released Supreme calendars, shot by renowned photographers including Larry Clark, and in 2000 partnered with Brooklyn Machine Works to launch a range of 24-inch cruiser bikes retailing at $1,800 a piece. The label's first book, documenting its history, was released by publishers Rizzoli in 2010.
