50 Things You Didn't Know About Stussy
Stories and trivia from the lauded brand.
Apr 03, 2013
Complex Original
Image via Complex Original
Way back in 1980, Shawn Stussy and Frank Sinatra Jr. didn't know they were creating an industry, they just wanted to move a couple of awesome surfboards and maybe some T-shirts along the way. But soon, they found that the gear was developing a larger cult following than the boards, and focused more on creating apparel with Stussy's graphic predilections and alt-culture influences.
Thirty-three years later, and Stussy remains one of the top dogs of the streetwear genre it birthed. You can take Bobby Hundreds' word on it, or just sift through the pudding to find the proof. We sure did. What we found are some awesome stories, tidbits, and trivia that may have slipped under the cracks. Read up on these 50 Things You Didn't Know About Stussy.
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Shawn Stussy's parents owned a printing shop, where he was learning the basics about screens at 11 or 12 years old.
Shawn Stussy met co-founder Frank Sinatra Jr. while skiing at Mammoth Mountain.
Before branching out on his own, Shawn Stussy shaped boards for Russell Surfboards.
Shawn's uncle was artist Jan Stussy, whose signature influenced the handwritten Stussy logo.
Shawn's aunt Maxine Kim Stussy was a sculptor.
Shawn still shaped surfboards in the early days of the Stussy brand, and continues to do so at S/Double Studio.
Frank Sinatra Jr. worked as a CPA for 10 years, and held down two jobs to avoid bowing down to investors' wishes.
The son of Christian missionaries, photographer David Dobson captured people all over the world in Stussy gear.
Hiroshi Fujiwara was inspired by Stussy to make his first brand, GOODENOUGH in the late '80s.
In 1990, James Jebbia and Shawn Stussy met at the Chateau Marmont to discuss opening a standalone Stussy store.
Photographer Ron Leighton is responsible for Stussy's earliest ad campaigns in Thrasher magazine.
The Stussy No. 4 graphic is a flip of the Chanel No. 5 perfume logo.
Long before he managed the Stussy Skate Team, Robbie Jeffers swept floors at the warehouse.
According to Frank Sinatra Jr., the first really popular Stussy item was the "Big Ol' S" baseball cap.
The Spring '13 Tom Tom shirt is based on a classic pattern Shawn Stussy drew with a sharpie marker back in 1985.
The Original Stussy Tribe varsity jackets are one-of-a-kind pieces given to members.
DJ Jules Gayton used to send Shawn Stussy hip-hop and reggae mixtapes in exchange for free clothes.
BBC Four series The Look had a segment.
In 1992, Paul Mittleman and his friend Al B. collaborated on this Stussy x Carhartt x Tommy Boy "Staff" jacket.
Former Stussy creative director Paul Mittleman says Stussy inspired Russell Simmons to start Phat Farm in 1992.
Eddie Cruz moved to LA in '92 to open a combination Stussy/Union store on La Brea.
Shawn Stussy left the brand in 1996 to focus on his family and his new project, S/Double, in 2008.
Designer Nick Bower says Shawn Stussy's line 'Stussy Sports' was his take on Ralph Lauren.
"Stussy Sport" later became a line made in conjunction with ONEHUNDRED ATHLETIC in 2011, founded by Caol Uno.
By 1996, Stussy was being carried in 15-20 Japanese stores with a loyal following.
Stussy's first European distributor was Luca Benini, founder of S
Stussy head designer Nick Bower worked at Valentino, Versace before coming to California in 1985 to work at Gotcha!
Stussy's very first collab was 1997's GSHOCK DW-6900.
From June 2001 to about 2006, Robbie Jeffers worked with the Stussy Skate Team while also helping launch Nike SB.
Stussy UK's Michael Koppelman and Nike London's Fraser Cooke made the Stussy x Nike Air Huarache LE in 2000.
2001's Stussy x Nike Dunk High was limited to 3,000-5,000 pairs. They sold out in 2 days.
Actor Christopher Walken ordered 70 pairs of custom fabric beach pants all in black.
Stussy's unique style of lettering was knocked off and reinterpreted as a font called "Funky Fresh."
A similar typeface was used for one of the logos for TV show Malcolm in the Middle.
The original Stussy Skate Team was Richard Mulder, Danny Montoya, Scott Johnson, Keith Hufnagel, and Chad Timtim.
According to Frank Sinatra Jr., Robbie Jeffers spent $120,000 on a skate tour from Tokyo to London.
Robbie Jeffers learned how to take photographs from renowned photographer Atiba Jefferson.
When Eddie Cruz and James Bond wanted to branch out into Undefeated apparel, they enlisted Frank Sinatra Jr.
After disbanding the skate team in 2006, Frank Sinatra Jr. says there will never be another one.
Current Stussy Art Director Adam Jay Weissman's first big project was the 2006 World Tour T-shirt Series.
Weissman's favorite from the tee series is KAWS' interpretation, which jumbles up the city names.
Video director and graphic artist James Lebon was buried "in a cardboard eco-coffin covered in Stussy stickers".
For their 30th anniversary in 2010, Stussy collaborated with Supreme, Bounty Hunter, Neighborhood, The HideOut, PAM
In 2010, Japanese skate mag SLIDER paid homage Stussy's 30th anniversary by co-producing the Legend of the Streets.
Marvel's legal department requested that artist Todd James "remove some cleavage" on this She-Hulk T-shirt.
Stussy currently has nine international, standalone "chapter" stores outside of the US.
In addition to the #BEEN #TRILL collabo, Matthew Williams has also art directed a few other projects for Stussy.
In 2012, Stussy reignited the International Stussy Tribe with a capsule collection, custom varsities for 40 members
Artist and Complex Art Director Brent Rollins - "World Tour" T-Shirt
To this day, Stussy remains a privately-owned, independent company run by Frank Sinatra Jr. and his family.
