As everyone on Instagram knows, there isn’t a Supreme obsessive as prolific as Eric Whiteback. For those who may not recognize his name, you’ve definitely seen one or two of his videos on your Instagram feed. Whether he’s playing ping-pong with every Supreme accessory imaginable or building a BMW Supreme Hot Wheels Car in real life, Whiteback’s love for the brand goes beyond the average Supreme fan. So how much does he really spend on Supreme?
“There were periods of time when I spent $500-$1,000 a week on Supreme,” he tells Complex over the phone. “I’m not super impulsive, I just buy what I like. Sometimes that means spending a lot of money one week or buying nothing for an entire month.”
Aside from posting skits and fit pics, Whiteback has also built a notorious reputation for destroying Supreme items. From distressing Swarovski box logos to cooking Supreme T-shirts on a BBQ grill. However, Whiteback says his fans have misinterpreted his intentions. “People were like: ‘Yo, rich boy.’ But I was really trying to show people that I wasn't a super materialistic person,” says Whiteback. “Eventually, I sort of came into the idea of making DIY Supreme pieces instead of just destroying them.”
We connected with Whiteback to run through his recent purchases, which include everything from vinyl cutters, his third pair of Supreme x Nike SB Gato’s, and prints by Ryan Travis Christain. Check out the breakdown of all his purchases below and watch an extended interview with Whiteback on Life At Complex.
Heat Press Machine
I just bought the cheapest one I could find on Amazon. It looked like it was decent and I'm starting to get more into making my own clothing and doing other DIY stuff. And so that's just like a great thing to have around for those sort of projects.
Silhouette Cameo 3 Vinyl Cutter
That's what the vinyl cutter is for, too. It allows me to do things besides just tie dyeing and adding different colors to T-shirts. One example of what I'm going to do with the vinyl cutter is what I did with the Supreme “Drama” T-shirt that dropped this season. I found the exact same font they used on the drama T-shirts and I cut the word “No,” in like the exact same size and color, out on the vinyl cutter. I took it out, heat pressed it on the shirt, and now the shirt says “No Drama.”
I just like to make things for fun and if people like them, great. It's not really a “brand” so to speak. But I'm sure that as I learn more about how to use these sort of things, I'll probably be pressing my own designs on shirts even if they're just for me.
Sixteen Packs of Black Supreme Hanes T-Shirts
I ended up bleached dying 16 packs of black Supreme Hanes tees and then I sold those to a bunch of my Instagram followers. All 48 T-shirts sold out within a minute, which was a cool reception.
One Supreme Dumbbell
I just posted a video that I wanted to do with the Supreme dumbbells, right? I put in an order and I thought they came in a set. Then I found out that Supreme only sends you one. So I had to go online and buy one more. They did the same thing when they dropped the Nike earrings. If you ordered one online, they only gave you one.
Anti Social Social Club Riot Shield
I don't really own anything else from Anti Social Social Club, but I like to support brands when they do something that's really creative, out of the box, and fun. They literally made a riot shield and that's just insane. I'll probably make some sort of content with it, too, but I just think that it's a cool and unique item. Outside of Supreme, I'd say one brand that I'm really high on right now is Chinatown Market. I think they're doing a lot of things that are really cool, interesting, and very different. They've sort of categorized themselves in a way that no one else has by making authentic bootlegs. That is a really cool space for them to be in. I think Palace is doing a lot of stuff that's really good, too. I generally tend to think that their design is better than Supreme sometimes, but I don't think they have the brand image that Supreme has yet and they probably never will. I don't know if anyone ever will, but I do think that Palace’s designs tend to be a pretty on point. Also, I would say I'm a big Asspizza fan, too. I think he's kind of been the pioneer of DIY streetwear.
Supreme Box Logo Crewneck Dark Green Fall/Winter 2018
I only own three box logo crewnecks, but I bought this color specifically because I'm going to make it into an ugly Christmas sweater. I bought five red and green headbands that I'm going to stitch around the box logo and make it into a wreath. But yeah, that's just my new idea for a DIY item. Something I thought would be fun and creative.
Supreme x Nike 14K Gold Ring
I wanted a Supreme ring for a while. I think the last one they did was like an onyx pinky ring. That was quite some time ago that I don't think it's ever readily available for sale. So when they put that Nike ring up, that was something I knew I wanted. I already have the golden Nike earrings so it's good to match.
My 3rd Pair of White Supreme Nike Gatos
I've been a soccer player my whole life and the Nike Gatos are a shoe I wear all the time when I play indoors. So I just feel at home when I wear them. I think they're a super underrated shoe. The only reason I own three pairs is because I burned through my first two and they're pretty much beaters now. I’m even getting a fourth pair for Christmas this year so I guess I’m trying to just back stock all of them, too. I think it'll be funny to look back in like five years and see 15 used pairs in a storage bin or something. As far as resale prices go, it’s definitely an underappreciated shoe. I think the light blue color is really nice, too. I wouldn’t be surprised if that shoe’s value significantly went up in the next year or two.
Extra Wide 2 Slot Toaster
I just moved to a new place and everytime you move, you quickly realize what things belonged to your roommates at your old place. And so that might be the best cop on my list because now I can make PB and J toast in the morning.
Ryan Travis Christian “Dont Snake Me Bro” Serigraph
I have a lot more open wall space here than I had at my old place so I’m decking it out with artwork. I'm always keeping my ear to the ground to find out who are interesting up and coming artists. Ryan Travis Christian kind of strikes me as a person who has a long runway in front of him and I expect him to be someone that's going to be in the game for a long time.
I definitely wouldn't consider myself to be someone who is super knowledgeable in the area. But I've really started to enjoy artwork from the likes of Futura, Felipe Pantone, Kaws, Matt Saki, and Katsu. I feel like there is this natural progression from having an interest in streetwear to art because there's already so much overlap. Just look at Supreme's archive of all the artists they've worked with. There's so much that you can learn just from looking into those artists and researching a little bit about their careers and who they were. It shows you a lot about how Supreme thinks of themselves as a brand and who they will collaborate with in the future.
