Not too long ago supreme was just an underdog. But it has suddenly emerged as one of the most popular and expensive clothing brands out there.
This sudden rise from being hardly known to being the most famous and reputed brand has left a lot of us to wonder why supreme is so expensive?
Supreme did not start off as a high-end fashion label with over-the-top designs and nichés for the rich like Louis Vuitton or Chanel.
Supreme started off as a skateboarding store but soon turned into the trademark for streetwear clothing.
In the late 80s and early 90s, skating culture was strictly restricted to people into sporting activities of skating whereas the fashion game was dominated by other chic brands but in recent years with the emergence of streetwear, supreme has established itself as the face of street style.
Let’s see the reasons that make supreme so expensive.
Vogue of Streetwear
The biggest contribution to the question of why supreme is so expensive would be that the emergence of street fashion as the most popular style of clothing, Supreme fits this image better than perhaps any other brand out there.
The history of starting off as a skateboarding brand again backs up this strong image of supreme being the most promising streetwear brand out there.
The younger generation for whom fashion and style consist of hoodies and joggers, supreme does a very good job of giving this outfit a brand appeal.
Streetwear usually refers to the outfit you wear while running day-to-day errands right from going grocery shopping, attending lectures or travelling in subways.
Streetwear is usually more comfortable and sporty rather than being poised and glamourous.
The rise of streetwear started in the 90s which is one of the biggest reasons behind the growth and popularity of supreme.
streetwear continues to get more popular every year and supreme being one of the biggest name in streestyle benefits from this.
Low Availability
The thing with reputed brands is they do not give off the vibe of desperately wanting more and more customers, rather they create an aura around their brand which makes it seem like it is the customers who have to eagerly wait for the brand to restock its items.
Supreme does this job perfectly which is one of the biggest reason why supreme is so expensive.
This appeal of very few lucky people owning the clothing of supreme makes it all the more exciting for people to show that they are indeed the ones to own this brand with limited stocks.
Getting your hands on stock of Supreme clothing is not easy because of the difficulty in finding and purchasing. If supreme was easily available in every other street store then it might not have had that appeal of hard to get among customers.
This scarcity builds the hype around supreme which inturn shows in its prices.
Marketing
One major difference that sets apart reputed brands like supreme from other brands is the way they promote and advertise their brands.
These high-end labels do not use the “please buy from us”. Instead of this their advertisement creates a unique space for itself.
The use of a particular image, music or tagline which is unique and reserved for that brand only.
Supreme makes use of this very art of subtle marketing very successfully.
As soon as anyone hears the brand supreme, the instant image is that of skateboard culture, rebellious teenagers and the streets. This image impresses the young generation a lot and helps them identify the brand as “young” and of the same age as them.
Pop Culture Appeal
Pop Culture is something that heavily influences society across borders and nations based on whatever is considered in trend.
A lot of Pop Stars are used as a blueprint where the people blatantly copy the style and brand that the celebrities wear.
Supreme has this Pop Culture appeal where the designs on its clothing resemble the graffiti scenes or famous lines or names of personalities from Pop Culture. This design makes Supreme a major hit among the youth because it connects them to the Pop Culture they are so much invested in.
Most worshipped Pop stars like Justin Beiber, Rihanna, Drake, Kanye West, John Mayer, Madonna and so many more are frequently seen wearing Supreme clothing.
This very thought that people’s favourite stars wear this brand, makes the people eager to copy the same style and own clothing from the same brand as their stars.
Collaborations
Even those people who are unaware of Supreme or do not consider it a serious enough brand are bound to take a glance at Supreme when its name pops up in association with another reputed brand like Louis Vuitton!
This collaboration benefited Supreme immensely but also helped Louis Vuitton keep its image of relevance.
According to the team of Louis Vuittion, the New York Fashion scene was dominated by the streetwear and skateboard vibe highly influenced by Supreme.
Given this fact, it would be very interesting to have a crossover between the chic and glamour of Louis Vuitton by emerging the skater board vibe that Supreme brings to the table.
This is just one example of the hundreds of collabs supreme has done.
They have collaborated with pretty much all the major brands and celebrities that you can think of.
Whats common between Gucci, Nike, Playboy, Fender, Timberland,Budweiser, Popeye, Michael jackson and Scarface ? Yup, youve guessed it , they have all collaborated with supreme.
These collabs are limited time only and some of them are extremely rare which ofcourse makes them expensive.
the bottom line:
The present scenario of streetwear along with the rest of the factors taken into account is the reason why supreme is so expensive at the moment and will continue to remain as a popular brand among the youth for many years to come as the hype doesnt seem to die down anytime soon
There is nothing that appeals to the consumers as much as the low supply and high demand theory which is the classic example used by supreme for its rise as a high end, expensive brand.
