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A lot has happened to the streetwear world since 2011. Brands that once dominated the conversation have completely folded or faded into obscurity. Other brands that weren’t even thought about yet have become some of the most coveted by customers. The world of luxury fashion totally embraced streetwear and we even saw a Supreme x Louis Vuitton collab. Hot spots like Fairfax Avenue have transformed from meccas into ghost towns. Hell, even the man who wrote this list, Bobby Hundreds, no longer operates The Hundreds. He works at Disney now. Long story short, streetwear went from niche to mainstream, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t still tons of incredible brands and stories worth paying attention to.
As Bobby wrote 14 years ago, he wouldn’t want anyone else to write this. We agree. Bobby has lived through the various eras of streetwear and is like an encyclopedia when it comes to this stuff. He can riff as much about the OGs as he can about the rising stars. So, rather than try to re-order his original list (maybe we’ll do one of our own in the future), we wanted to resurface his ranking of the 50 best streetwear brands of all time from 2011. Does it hold up? Did you learn about some older brands you’ve never heard of before. Are there a lot of new brands that should be added? We’ll let you decide.
Check out Complex Shop’s Streetwear edit here.
Below is the article that was published on June 21, 2011 in its original form.
Last Updated: June 4th, 2025
When Complex first asked me to select the Top 50 Streetwear Brands of All Time, I thought the following:
1) This is gonna get me into a lot of trouble,
2) but I wouldn’t want anyone else to write this,
3) so, sure.
As Co-Owner of The Hundreds, it’s a catch-22 for me. Anyone I leave off the list is gonna be peeved, and anyone on the list who’s not #1 will be pissed they’re not higher. Anywhere I place our own brand on the list is gonna be scoffed, and I’m gonna look like I’m playing favorites, hating competitors, or riding bias.
Worst of all, streetwear, more than any other industry or scene, is overrun with ego and insecure males, so friends and rivals alike will take issue with this list (and me). It’s gonna be an awkward MAGIC. But I’m okay with that, as long as streetwear is properly upheld.
The first challenge in creating this list is defining streetwear. True traditional streetwear is a genre of contemporary apparel, united between sportswear and military looks, and is one that speaks to a spectrum of subcultures (skateboarding and hip-hop mostly). Vision may have coined the term “streetwear,” but Shawn Stussy was the one who created its modern embodiment. So to all the misled who think streetwear is an urban expression, having to do with the literal streets, you gotta remember streetwear was instituted by a surf company. Stussy took a multi-faceted, subculturally diverse, Southern California lifestyle-based T-shirt brand and mimicked the limited feel of a high-end luxury brand. And those are the two most integral components of what makes a brand streetwear: T-shirts and exclusivity.
Every line on this list, with a few exceptions, has built their brand off T-shirts, not catering specifically to just an urban or skate audience, and initializing their distribution through selective channels. Sales distro and image are what ultimately constitute a brand as streetwear, not the art or design.
The final requirements to being one of the “Greatest of All Time” are influence and longevity. Streetwear is an endurance game. It’s easy to make a hot T-shirt, show up on the back of the newest rapper, blow out in mall doors; but nearly impossible to last for 10 years, let alone 30.
The second challenge to writing this article is personal, and that’s staying unbiased. I promise I’ve done my best to maintain journalistic integrity and objectivity throughout this list. There are close friends of mine that didn’t make the cut, and some brands on here (especially in the higher ranks) whose staff and owners I outright despise.
I hope you can find some value in the list, and remember, just because I said it, doesn’t make it true. And just because you don’t believe it, doesn’t mean it’s not.
50. Primitive
Since 1980, streetwear has lived, died, and resurrected through three waves. The first collective of brands erupted from Southern California’s melting pot of subcultures, and fizzled after distribution exploded, rave fashion entwined with the design sensibilities, and there was a migration to specific core skate or urban attire. So the remaining street brands and connoisseurs focused their attention on Japan and other foreign regions, returning in the late ’90s to incite the second wave of streetwear in New York. The Internet sparked the third wave in the 2000s, capitalized upon by the youth who had grown up supporting the culture and wanted to participate themselves. However, by the end of the millennium’s first decade, poorly-run business, monotonous design, streetwear’s innate cannibalism (and yes, the economy) had all taken its toll on the flooded market.
I think we’re nearing a fourth wave of streetwear, buttressed by brands that are past the point of elitism and exclusivity, instead emphasizing branding and community. This next generation is formulating their own postmodern interpretation of street apparel, illustrated by companies like Primitive. The L.A.-based streetwear brand is rooted in their own boutique on Ventura Blvd. With a strong emphasis on sneakers, Primitive is deeply associated with skateboarding, thanks to pro Paul Rodriguez’s involvement in the brand. Their graphic T-shirts run the gamut from obvious parody to Cali-centric conceptual art, and their headwear act as neighborhood identifiers, calling out BLVD and VALLEY, or their original logo P. The only reason they’re not higher on this list is because they’ve only just begun. And that’s bad news for the other 49.
49. Irons
San Diego-based Irons Situation Control hailed from the Cleanercorp stable, along with late ’90s influencers like Fiberops and selfdiscovery.prj. Although off and on for the past decade, Irons was the first label to introduce streetwear’s longstanding love affair with guns. Accordingly, founder Mike Irons has been unapologetically swagger-jacked by almost every brand since then. The sub-header says it all, “Irons: The Original Piece Keepers.”
48. Subcrew
Streetwear originated in Orange County, found it’s footing in Los Angeles, grew up in New York and Tokyo, and matured worldwide in cities as far-reaching as London, Singapore, Melbourne, Vancouver, and Paris. The next frontier is China, by way of Hong Kong, and that’s where local upstarts Subcrew have laid their groundwork. The HK brand holds down Taiwan and mainland China via their own flagship boutiques (entitled UNITY) and celebrated figurehead Sam Lee. In another 10 years, they will be at the top of this list.
47. Silas & Maria
When people think of streetwear, they may look to Fairfax, Lafayette, or Harajuku, but the European component is equally important. British players like BOND and Gimme 5 have had a stake in global streetwear, but Silas is arguably the UK’s greatest export. A lot of that has to do with their Japanese fanbase (after their post-2007 crossover to the Far East) but my selfish affinity is rooted in their synergy with James Jarvis’ art.
46. Us Versus Them
I’ve always said that if Us Versus Them were based in a major city, they’d gain a lot more traction. But I was wrong. Even being anchored in the sleepy California town of Temecula hasn’t held back this label from emerging as the next generation of young streetwear. Or maybe that unlikely-winner perception has stirred Versus’ cult following? Driven by Graham Nystrom’s hand-drawn illustrations, close ties with the local graffiti and skate community, and their relentless underdog spirit, Versus is perfectly content with the rest of the industry taking the city. They’ll just own everything in between.
45. Fucking Awesome
Pro skateboarder Jason Dill and photographer Mike Piscatelli have always intended Fucking Awesome as a creative side-project instead of a business-minded establishment, and that perspective has maintained the brand’s relevance and cool factor for years. The product comes and goes with the seasons, but it’s always timely and sardonic, and sells out before you knew what hit you. That’s pretty fucking awesome.
44. Brknhome
Long live Brknhome, a now-defunct Canadian T-shirt brand that not only inspired my design, but almost everyone in our category who was around in the 2000s. The brainchild of Kenta Goto and Josh Pong, Brknhome was years ahead of its time, piecing together simplistic, punchy graphics that were conceptually sharp and technically refined. Both Goto and Pong have moved onto bigger and better things, so it’s just us that lose out in Brknhome’s wake.
43. Carhartt UK
While Carhartt in the States is known for its workwear, its European division provides the framework for streetwear from Austria to the UK with classic basics like zip-up fleece and double-front workpants. The real difference from its U.S. forefather is that the silhouettes are more streamlined along contemporary streetwear cuts and the direction is skate-centric. They’re as close to it gets as a Uniqlo or Gap for the street consumer with flagship Carhartt stores sprinkled across Europe.
42. Reason
In 2004, Phil and Jon were just a couple of New York teenagers with a T-shirt line-how serious could this project be? They’d show up to tradeshows with bright eyes and rudimentary linesheets, what could hardly be considered a threat. But then their Ramones-flipped “DIPLOMATS” tee checked, they ventured into an elaborate cut-n-sew range, and opened their flagship store in the city. With the constant reinforcement that all pieces are limited and individually numbered, Reason was the first foray into the next generation of young, progressive, streetwear.
41. In4mation
The “4” refers to the four founders, Ryan, Todd, Jun, and Rhandy: all key players in not only their native Hawaiian scene, but also global design and action sports. They opened the in4mation storefront in the early 2000s, setting the pace for streetwear retail, and subsequently made waves (pun intended) in the worldwide street community with their acclaimed in-store graphic tees. A full range soon followed with the right collaborations (Vans, G-Shock) and the rest goes to prove that streetwear’s about beating the odds. If 4 guys from the islands made it happen, you can too.
40. J-Money
When I say J-Money, I’m referring to the label, but I’m really talking about Jamie Story, one of the kingpins of New York streetwear. The veteran graphic designer is responsible for some of the most memorable hip-hop artwork (Big L, rest in peace); he embodied the New York urban aesthetic at the turn of the millennium. But it was his ties to the local skate, street, and sneaker community that established Jamie as one of the protégés of third-wave streetwear. His “King of NY” tee is still one of the greatest shirts of all time and it was very much a literal statement.
39. Original Fake
As far as Japanese streetwear is concerned, we’re left with an enclave of Americana-drawn cool-guy labels or high-end designer ranges. In the wake of Bape and the New York brands that penetrated Japan in the early 2000s, there aren’t many reminders of youthful, casual street names. Original Fake, a Medicom subsidiary, owns that void, channeling street-art champ Kaws’ cartoon character work into a full line of head-to-toe apparel, vinyl figures, and home products. In tune with our definition, Original Fake furnishes impossible-to-procure goods attached to out-of-reach pricetags and limited distribution; their Tokyo retail front acting as homebase.
38. Black Scale
HUF alums Mega and Alfred run Black Scale, a darker turn for streetwear that flirts with themes from the occult to the illuminati. No loud colors or cartoons here, just the ominous undertones of esoteric religious imagery and geometric symbolism, a response that has garnered an entirely new set of streetwear fans unsatisfied with the bright and bubbly. Aside from wholesale, Black Scale has also taken the retail path, their stores providing a ritual space for their own cult following.
37. DQM
Stationed in their Noho retail front, DQM started off as one of New York City’s premiere sneaker boutiques. But it’s their clothing line that has drawn a global audience, centered around cool and classic t-shirts, wovens, and baseball caps that impress upon the more sophisticated skate customer. They’ve been around for almost 8 years now, still pulling off exciting shoe collaborations and seasonal product. There may be no more Dave, but there’s still plenty of quality and meat to this streetwear brand.
36. W)Taps
Japan introduced the conscious, almost obsessive, attention to design and detail in streetwear. The Japanese are wholly appreciative of the package and presentation of a product, whether it’s a box of cereal or a sports car, and that even translates to contemporary men’s clothing. Under the guidance of design luminary TET, W)Taps is the standard when it comes to the fine quality and museum-worthy artistic direction of Japanese street fashion, utilizing military details and a sleek workwear touch.
35. King Stampede
The great thing about streetwear is that it’s not designated for one specific community. While skate brands and urban lines cater accordingly, streetwear stays as open-minded as the people who wear it. King Stampede was originally an extension of a record shop, and the brand’s stylistic themes reflect the bizarre course of obscure music. Their graphics are off-the-wall, but never forced; psychedelic, you can almost hear the bass line thumping. Speaking of noise, I selfishly wish there was a lot more of it coming from the KS camp these days, but regardless, what a long, strange trip it’s been.
34. invisible:man
If Black Scale is dark, invisible:man is outright evil. From the twisted corners of Andrew Lee’s psyche comes the streetwear brand your pastor warned you about. As a former constituent of the Recon camp, Lee’s brand is about as forthright and honest as the designer it belongs to. Sexually explicit graphics infused with Satanism and Slayer, heavy on the curse words and a very clear offense on the hypocrisy of modern Streetwear. He’s pretty much the only guy keeping everybody in check these days. You either love it or hate it, but invisible:man is a necessary evil.
33. Rockers NYC
Rockers NYC is the brainchild of Sean Reveron and Marcus Burrowes. What had originally formulated as a Lower East Side project, eventually scaled both coasts with T-shirts and supplementary pieces that spoke to the duo’s diverse backgrounds in Rasta, hardcore punk, and dancehall. Their loud, in-your-face prints are no holds barred on visuals and message, and capture the attention of tastemakers across all borders.
32. Deadline
Deadline is the last of a dying breed of New York gritty streetwear, fashioned by Brooklynite NA and L.A.’s Junbug. The brand sneers in the face of streetwear’s trending skinny pants and elitist trad, instead recalling the glory days of big T-shirts, big prints, and big attitude. Like NA, who grew up on the footsteps of Supreme and is currently The Hundreds New York’s manager, Deadline spans the timeline of streetwear while capturing its raw energy.
31. Benny Gold
Streetwear is anti-corporate, anti-authority, anti-establishment. In a way, it’s very much punk rock. DIY all the way. And that’s why Benny Gold is one of the greatest streetwear brands of all time–founder, owner, designer, and salesman Benny Gold is a one-man brand and the flag-bearer for Independents. Formerly the original designer behind HUF, the San Francisco skateboarder continued on to build his own personal label centering on a glider plane logo and particular, well-designed product.
30. Mishka
When the third wave of streetwear deluged the apparel industry in the late 2000s, it was easy to get lost in the sea of New Eras, purple T-shirts, and funky sneakers. But Mishka rose above, distinguishing themselves from the rest with their own signature style and trademark iconography. If there was an award for Most Original, Mishka would take home the prize-they’re probably the only brand on this list that virtually created their own audience and provided a haven for all the square pegs who couldn’t relate to the majority of streetwear.
29. Maharishi
The Snopants, a technical pair of drawstring pants with an embroidered dragon adorning the bottom, hardly has its place in streetwear history. But its celebrity success in the early 2000s blossomed into a full-range apparel line from visionary Hardy Blechman, a guy who has always had a love affair with street culture. The high-concept Maharishi flagship store in London is riddled with street art and fashion, vinyl figures, and skateboards, and has hosted exhibitons for the likes of Futura, Mark Gonzales, and Neckface. Blechman was even awarded Streetwear Designer of the Year in 2000 by the British Fashion Council. Maharishi’s greatest contribution to streetwear, arguably, was DPM: Disruptive Pattern Material, the alpha and omega compendium of camouflage-an encyclopedia that sits on the shelf of any serious streetwear designer.
28. Fiberops
There are a few unsung heroes on this list who, although they established their own design and branding career, hoisted other prominent labels on the backs of their own innovation. Alyasha Owerka-Moore will forever be one of these figureheads, having paved the way for urban and skate to fraternize through his work with Mecca, Dub, Droors, and Alphanumeric, and inspiring much of the technical direction of Japanese brands via his own Fiberops. Infusing his backgrounds in Hong Kong culture, Tokyo design, rockabilly, and car culture, Fiberops was, and remains, the most legitimate streetwear denim brand and continues to define the palate of generations of tastemakers.
27. Mighty Healthy
While most streetwear brands seek to work beyond the introductory T-shirt category and move into cut-n-sew, many forget that the essence of street apparel resides in the graphic tee. Out of all the brands represented on this list, Mighty Healthy has built a reputation for having some of the most ingenious T-shirts in streetwear. Most of the inspiration comes from vintage New York cult references-the kind that stop people in the street, reminding them of the old New York.
26. Situationormal
Greg “Bumpy” Johnsen, now more formally acquainted with Hall of Fame and Gourmet, concocted Situationormal in 1998 as an American-minded streetwear label with a zealous Japanese audience. As an integral part of the once-illustrious Retail Mafia (alongside SSUR, Alife, aNYthing, and J-Money, amongst other New York players), Situationormal rose in the ranks of premium Streetwear by way of home-run t-shirt parodies and limited quantities. Although extinct, the Situationormal boutique in downtown Los Angeles was far ahead of its time, a metaphor for the brand’s creative weight that it lent to the streetwear community at large.
25. UNDFTD
What streetwear aficionados tend to forget is that sneakers play as much a role in the culture as skateboarding or hip-hop. In fact, Dunk collectors (looking to lock up their kicks with an equally limited T-shirt and cap) largely incensed the third wave of streetwear that transpired in the latter half of the 2000s; and Undefeated was right there leading the charge. So when Eddie Cruz and co. segued into building out a proper UNDFTD clothing brand, following themes tied to sports nostalgia, it only made sense to kit out the rest of the sneakerhead from the ankles up.
24. Flying Coffin
Seattle-based Flying Coffin is the most underrated brand on the list, but something tells me Jason Gomez likes being unexpected. Implementing some of the most technically proficient screen-printing capabilities on his T-shirts, the Hawaiian native’s passions in hardcore, comic books, and all things strange and unpopular are made obvious through his line. There’s no grand master plan here, just an ongoing creative project that Jason continues out of genuine expression. It’s not about selling out, cashing in, or big business with Flying Coffin, so when he makes a mere 40 pieces of a $300 leather/denim jacket, his fanbase pays attention.
23. Gypsies And Thieves / Green Apple Tree
Gypsies and Thieves (GAT) was one of the fundamental pioneers of first-gen streetwear, designed and operated by Luis Antonio. The tees, jeans, and headwear targeted the burgeoning tagger and raver communities in Southern California and abroad, popularizing graffiti characters in tee graphics. GAT had a second coming in the 2000s as Green Apple Tree, a more pertinent interpretation of modern streetwear with unique all-over prints and classic stylings. No other brand in the history of streetwear has been able to hit twice the way GAT did, and that alone says something about Luis’ impact on the industry.
22. Acapulco Gold
Augie Galan and Geoff Heath first joined forces while on-staff at Supreme, then took their combined skills and experience above and beyond with their own line Acapulco Gold. Echoes of the Supreme aesthetic may resonate through corners of the brand, but it’s the production quality that obviously passed through the generations (as is evident with the superior fleece and outerwear program). With skate being a clear focus of the label, AG still plays to the upper deck of refined garments, proving that just because it’s streetwear doesn’t mean it can’t be distinguished.
21. Staple
If this list were about the Top 50 streetwear designers, Jeff Staple would dominate. Splitting his time and direction between retail (Reed Space), his magazine (Reed Pages), and his design agency, his own streetwear brand Staple is more a platform to flex his muscle. Complete with intelligent T-shirts, progressive technical jackets, and fashion-forward street-minded pieces, think of the Staple brand as a really fancy business card for his design prowess.
20. Hellz Bellz
As far as design goes, Hellz wins first place in the niche women’s streetwear department. Under the auspices of creator Lanie B., the brand follows a contemporary design trajectory, interjecting a street element around her edgy female couture. It’s a little bit punk, a little bit girly, and a whole lotta style-so much so that Hellz truly stands alone in its category. You know what? I take it back. Hellz isn’t just the best-designed women’s streetwear line, it’s one of the best-designed streetwear lines period.
19. CLOT
While you’re just figuring out China is the next frontier in streetwear, CLOT’s already got the territory covered. Backed by Kevin Poon and entertainer Edison Chen, CLOT is the coolest and most prestigious Chinese streetwear label on the market, as demonstrated by their routine block-length line-ups for limited product releases.
18. Recon
Recon is the stuff of legends. Literally. Arising from the foundational Project Dragon brand, Recon was a design collective synergized between graffiti household names Futura and Stash. Their brand acted as a canvas for their artistry, framed by flagship boutiques in San Francisco, New York, and Tokyo. Printable goods, cut-n-sew clothing, and even vinyl figures of their mascot Benny Barb. Nothing lasts forever and Recon is no more, but it leaves behind a legacy that anchors streetwear past, present, and future.
17. Married to the Mob
Let’s give it up for Married to the Mob, because they were the first true women’s streetwear brand and are still carrying the torch for the ladies. It’s a pretty monumental task considering the Boys Only nature of streetwear, but founder Leah McSweeney has accomplished more with MTTM than most male streetwear labels have in their entire career.
16. anything
I mean, the name alone is brilliant, right? Although the title was penned by Undefeated’s Eddie Cruz, A New York Thing is Aaron Bondaroff’s narrative. It doesn’t get more downtown than A-ron, the unofficial face of Supreme and the official voice of streetwear hipster cool. The brand and store are direct conduits of his eclectic style and interests, a reflection and response to the cultural soundwaves of New York City. And the product range is more than impressive, tasteful cut-n-sew juxtaposed with witty T-shirt sayings, off-the-wall caps with the A-ron touch. Trends start here.
15. Bounty Hunter
The most exciting part of Japanese streetwear brands is how they reappropriate American subculture and fashion it into their own unique image, and then hawk it back to us to chase and imitate. Bounty Hunter is a prime example-Hikaru Iwanaga’s boutique label channels American punk, rockabilly, and motorcycle motifs through its offerings via a color scheme that doesn’t stray far from the black/white scale. The other half of Bounty Hunter is noted for contributions to the ’90s vinyl toy craze, their motto calling out, “All Other Toys Suck.” Better put, all other streetwear brands suck.
14. HUF
It was impossible to grow up in the 1990s skate and street era and not run into the name Keith Hufnagel. The New York native was changing the face of skateboarding in San Francisco, but his affiliation with Stussy’s preppy street stylings gave him an edge in the design community. Following suit, he launched his namesake brand and boutique on Sutter, providing the Bay with a one-stop-shop for world-class street apparel, skate hardgoods, and rare footwear. Within no time his in-house label was taking more shelf space than outside stock. HUF is now a globally recognized street brand for the post-skate lifestyle consumer. And once again, if you’re a skate or street enthusiast, it’s impossible to not run into the name Keith Hufnagel.
13. Diamond
While Nick Tershay has staunchly claimed for years that his is a skateboarding brand-not streetwear-I think his rabid followers would beg to disagree. What started out as a nuts-and-bolts skate supply company with an unrivaled pro team was introduced into the streetwear lexicon by way of the Diamond Dunk, arguably the most famous Nike Dunk sneaker of all time. His limited T-shirts are the choice of every prominent rapper in the game, as well as your favorite skaters’ and pop culture personalities’. His Fairfax shop is home base for the Odd Future crowd, and Nick’s Twitter count is at 30,000+. Somehow Diamond blows out in core skate accounts, mall doors, streetwear boutiques, and everywhere in between. I always say Nick has the Midas touch, meaning everything he touches turns to gold. Or even better, diamond.
12. Neighborhood
While the majority of streetwear is entrenched in skate and music culture, Neighborhood’s subcultural approach is geared to motorcycle lifestyle. Shinsuke Takizawa founded the Harajuku brand in 1994 as a means to express these interests, and has since made a name through Neighborhood’s heavily washed, overly distressed, and extremely-priced premium denim offerings and leather jackets. The more affordable pieces like simple headwear and accessories can also take a bite out of your wallet, but it’s this elitist aura that lends to the label’s dominance and demand. How do you say “cool guy” in Japanese?
11. 10 Deep
At the close of the 2000s, the third wave of streetwear began to crash on the economic shore, but 10 Deep pressed ahead, standing strong on the front lines. You can attribute that to their business back-end, but I like to think it’s due to the New York label’s unparalleled design. When people talk about relevant streetwear nowadays, 10 Deep is always on-topic. Owner Scott Sasso is more a respectable fashion designer than your run-of-the-mill streetwear guy, and it’s apparent in his work: seasonally-themed, voluminous ranges of fine street-savvy apparel: military jackets, camouflage blazers, cowl-neck sweaters, Lettermans. The beauty, of course, is in the versatility: 10 Deep can handsomely furnish the discerning male customer or the neighborhood skate rat, as long as he’s willing to move forward.
10. X-Large
Although all but ghost outside of a modicum of international licensees, X-Large’s dynasty still inspires and influences the new streetwear generations. It all started in 1991 in L.A.’s Los Feliz district, where two RISD grads, Eli Bonerz and Adam Silverman, planted a brick-and-mortar hub at the crossroads of skateboarding, hip-hop, and rave. The in-house X-Large brand was stocked alongside workwear’s usual suspects (Ben Davis, Carhartt, etc.), which so happened to be the popular style of the time for the Angeleno cool crowd. Of course Los Angeles culture is inextricable from Hollywood culture, and X-Large didn’t shy away from the young celebrity factor, with Mike D injecting seed money into the company, a resulting cross-brand relationship with his rap group Beastie Boys, video production by an unknown director at the time named Spike Jonze, and a women’s counterpart line (X-Girl) watched over by Sofia Coppola and Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth. You’d be happy to know that the original X-Large store still stands on Vermont Street, selling the ever-present OG logo tees and hosting local art exhibitions, just as it provided a roof for the nascent L.A. street scene decades ago.
9. Crooks & Castles
This powerhouse label has drilled a no-holds-barred business and design affront on the entire industry since its inception in 2002. They came out swinging at the onset of the all-over-print craze with their “Chains” hoodies and Medusa tees and never relented, digging in deeper with their cut-n-sew, and twisting the knife when it came to footwear. Their marble-laden retail fronts heighten the expensive taste of the brand, further complemented by embellished accessories, top-grade materials, and fashion-forward design. Can’t Stop the Crooks.
8. SSUR
Backwards, SSUR spells Russ, as in Ruslan Karablin, the Russian-born artist by way of Coney Island. Founded in 1990, New York’s streetwear pioneer has delivered a lifetime of artist-driven goods such as hip-hop inspired graphic T-shirts, DC co-branded sneakers, and collaboration Kangol caps. The entirety of the project is anchored in SSUR’s retail, which houses a museum space for the brand’s oddities and commodities. I don’t think a single brand on this list could deny SSUR’s hefty influence-even if Russ called it quits today, his legacy would outlast most new-school brands. Forwards, SSUR spells streetwear.
7. Fuct
When it comes to the pure, unadulterated notion of independent streetwear, it’s Fuct. Erik Brunetti is one of the final buffalo, not so much a relic as an iconoclast-a true artist rooted in the practice of hand-drawn T-shirt illustrations over computer-vectorized graphics. Fuct is one of the remaining American brands still acutely respected in Japan, a respect that comes from the attention to detail and appreciation for original design unmarred by trends. There’s a reason why a good chunk of the top contenders on this list (not naming names) have stolen fragments of their identity from Brunetti’s creations.
6. Alife
Although the face of Alife has changed since 1999, I’ve put them at the top of this list for what they accomplished from the get-go. Most everyone today recognizes the Alife name for their ubiquitous footwear line, but I still think of their original New York base on Orchard Street, a creative clubhouse for innovative design and forward-thinking product by originators Tony Arcabascio, Rob Cristofaro, Arnaud Delecolle, and Tammy Brainard. Alife the brand epitomized limited-edition streetwear with high price-point offerings, and set the benchmark for co-branded projects with upper tier partners like Levis and Reebok. #6 Streetwear brand, #1 Lifestyle brand.
5. The Hundreds
I know. You can’t believe I put our own brand this high or this low. (Ben thinks I put us way too low).
We’ve been around for 8 years now, we’ve seen most of our competition come and go. I will proudly claim that we are the world’s first and only social merchandising brand. We originated the relationship between streetwear and the Internet, and we still do it better than anyone else with over a million and a half unique readers a month. We have one of the most prominent logos in the game, I firmly believe our T-shirts are the smartest and most diverse, and our apparel design is always one step ahead (Plaids and flannels were integrated into the line in ’07). The Hundreds has four of our own flagship stores, which have buildouts unparalleled to any other retail in the world. And out of anyone else in this list, we do our darndest to keep the spirit of streetwear alive, with deliberate distribution, staying cautious of volume retailers and most mall doors, pushing the scene and our fellow brands, and spending entire Saturdays writing out lists like these for free.
But then again, maybe I’m biased.
4. Freshjive
Rick Klotz never stopped. Through one reinvention after another, his brand Freshjive was the L.A. response to Stussy’s Orange County streetwear perspective in the ’80s and ’90s. There was the party/rave element, and then the skate era. Freshjive capitalized on the Japanese boom in the late ’90s and caught another wind with the third wave of streetwear via Fairfax Ave. Recently, Freshjive has done it again with the unidentifiable branding, constantly pushing the envelope as to how streetwear and youth fashion are received. Through it all, Klotz never lost his punk rock ethos, he runs the operation on a whim-independent-minded, and with a purpose. Most of his moves are seemingly illogical and counter-productive on all fronts: business, branding, design. But then you remind yourself that after all these years, Freshjive is still here, still relevant, and still as cool as ever. He must be doing something right.
3. A Bathing Ape
Perhaps the most sensationalized and hype-fueled brand in the top 50, A Bathing Ape catapulted cult streetwear into the mainstream in the 2000s, showing up on the backs of all the right tastemakers and fashionistas worldwide. At the same time, the Planet of the Apes-inspired company enforces minimal access to their goods, strictly set against wholesale, meaning the only place you can find Bape is going direct to the source. Not necessarily a burden considering their award-winning shops throughout Japan, London, Hong Kong, and the U.S. are part of the overall Bape customer experience. Ironic, though, that the business which jump-started all-over print would soon itself be all over, closing storefronts and selling to Hong Kong’s I.T group earlier this year. But the Bape brand and heritage continue on, still impressing upon their dedicated customer, who still, very much, goes ape.
2. Supreme
Do I really need to say anything here? The only reason Supreme’s not #1 is because James Jebbia probably wouldn’t want to be included anywhere near a streetwear list. Supreme is a skateboarding and lifestyle brand from New York, and since it’s inception in the late ’90s, has unequivocally donned the crown of streetwear cool. How? Through classic, core product of the utmost quality, and the most limited distribution you can establish. Not only do they evade wholesale, they sell exclusively within their own name-brand storefronts, and even then it’s an uphill battle. It starts with the box-logo tees, then it moves to their high-profile shoe collaborations, and don’t get me started on their artist series skate decks (I slept on the Robert Longo collection). It says so much about streetwear that the best streetwear brand in the world isn’t actually streetwear at all. And that’s Supreme.
1. Stussy
You don’t invent the genre, survive and thrive through 3 waves of streetwear, and NOT make #1. You don’t have 75 of your own stores around the world, maintain and control your signature product, core following, and meticulous distribution over 30 years, and NOT make first place. Stussy is the example and the archetype. It all started in 1980 with a signature, and every streetwear brand since has had Stussy’s name written all over it. This list might as well have been entitled, “Top 50 Stussy Brands.”
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