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As the year and a whole decade approaches a twilight, Dior wanted to pull out all of its stops for its show at Art Basel in Miami. In a calculated move, their collaboration with Jordan Brand made headlines and hit feeds first. Unsurprisingly, the luxurified Jordan 1 practically broke the internet with pairs selling on StockX for over $10,000 despite the shoe dropping next year with a projected retail price of $2,000.
But that shoe would not be the focus of their pre-Fall 2020 runway show later that same day. Instead, the show served as a showcase for the long-rumored collaboration with legendary streetwear brand Stüssy. The collection featured an eclectic mix of classic Dior garments and brand new pieces that suitably conveyed Stüssy’s surf meets punk and hip-hop sensibilities. Most of the pieces from their collaboration were scrawled with color graphics and/or Dior spelled out in Stüssy’s signature script. All graphics featured in this collection were hand-drawn by Shawn Stüssy himself! Epic!
The significance and brilliance of this collaboration, however, lies more within the context rather than the substance. The name “Shawn Stüssy” may not invoke an immediate reaction among those our age in the same way that Kanye West or Virgil Abloh would, but don’t fool yourself, he's is one of the most influential figures in fashion. Period. More people should be aware of this and as a result, more excited about his collaboration with Dior rather than the hypebeast-pandering Jordan collaboration.
For those who don’t know, Shawn Stüssy started out in the Southern California surf scene in the late-70s making his own surfboards. He signed these surfboards with his own stylized signature, which would later develop into the iconic logo we know today. This logo slowly developed a cult following and eventually became so distinctive that he started selling clothing in 1984.
Shawn used the emerging subcultures surrounding reggae, punk, and hip-hop as the primary influence for Stüssy’s aesthetic and brand identity. The brand would cater directly to the hip crowd of young people who surfed, skated, or simply hung out at California beaches in the 80s. This would set the brand apart from existing high-fashion, workwear, or sportswear brands simply co-opted by subcultures. In this sense, Shawn Stüssy had created one of the first brands worthy of being referred to as “streetwear”.
As the 80s and 90s progressed, Stüssy as a brand continued to grow in popularity and influence. The brand was being seen on everyone from trendy teenagers to hip-hop groups. Shawn continued to stay on the cutting edge of this newly formed market of street-inspired fashion by getting in contact and collaborating with creatives that would prove to be instrumental in its development.
This is no better illustrated than in his relationship with Hiroshi Fujiwara, who he met by chance during one of Fujiwara’s trips to the US in the 80s. A noted cultural curator and tastemaker, Fujiwara was taken in by Stüssy brand and was made an honorary member of the International Stüssy Tribe, or the social group of artists and influencers that repped Stüssy. The free merch Shawn sent Hiroshi would become the catalyst for the organic introduction of the brand into Japan. And their continued creative relationship meant that Shawn would become an early influence and observer to the Ura-Harajuku fashion scene of which Hiroshi was instrumental in forming.
Shawn would also continue to foster the development of emerging talent through the expansion of Stüssy stateside. When Stüssy opened up a flagship store in New York in 1991, Shawn tapped a young James Jebbia to be the store’s manager. Jebbia’s experience at this position and his relationship with Shawn would be instrumental in his decision to found his own brand, Supreme, in 1994.
By the mid-90s, Shawn began to grow bored with what he was doing with STUSSY. He had done everything he had set out to do and then some. And he had a newly formed family to raise. These factors would influence his decision to leave Stüssy in 1996 and transition to a more lowkey presence in the world of fashion thereon.
Despite his abrupt departure from the industry, Shawn Stüssy’s influence remained strong as ever. Kim Jones, head designer for Dior A/W 20 cites Stüssy as a major influence on his style with the brand becoming one of the first to rip logos of famous fashion houses and poke fun at their world. It comes as no surprise that he would want to collaborate with one of his heroes as he became the creative director of one of the most revered fashion houses in the world.
This also makes Shawn Stüssy’s return that much more triumphant and poetic. After over 20 years of largely being away from the game, with matured sensibilities and tastes, he chooses to come back and collaborate with Kim Jones, someone who idolized him. And he revisits a brand and iconography that are relative relics in a world he was so instrumental in creating.
That is exactly what this collection conveys. It reflects a renewed sense of vigor and enthusiasm for a mastered and left-behind craft. And it is a vehicle to remind those who have become so passionate about streetwear throughout the 2010s exactly where this world they love all started. Stüssy X Dior isn't simply a feel-good comeback story akin to Margiela coming out of hiding or Nigo coming back to Bape. It is an opportunity for us young enthusiasts to retrace the cultural path that led to where we are today.
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