Long ago, when streetwear was called “sportswear,” way back in 1980, Shawn Stüssy, a Cali surf dude—a.k.a. the “Godfather”—built an eponymous brand that was simple in that it embodied everything that he loved. The result was organic and sprawling, mixing surf and skate culture, this new thing called rap, punk, rockabilly, Americana, dinosaurs, and, of course, some Rasta iconography. It was honest, unguarded with a scrawled graffiti logo, and was proudly “an anti-fashion thing.” It grabbed creative kids by the throat, rattled their nomadic hearts, and resonated loudly enough to spur action—which is how grandswells turn into movements. And a movement it became; each subculture declared its loyalty by wearing Stüssy tees, and even as the youth grew up, new kids joined their ranks.

Stüssy maintains relevancy by curating a clever blueprint. One that knows when and exactly how to evolve—and even now, after three decades, it’s why they stay winning. It’s also why the house that Shawn built is both fondly remembered and hotly anticipated and why Complex salutes Stüssy’s 30th birthday with a slick gallery of sick archival shots.

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