Flashback: 30 Years of Classic Stüssy Images

Long ago, when streetwear was called sportswear, way back in 1980, Shawn Stussy, a Cali surf dude--a.k.a. the "Godfather"--built an eponymous brand that 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 unguarded, had a scrawled graffiti logo, and was proudly "an anti-fashion thing." It grabbed creative kids by the throat and resonated loudly enough to spur action--which is how groundswells turn into movements. And a movement it became; each subculture declared its loyalty by wearing Stussy tees, and even as the youth grew up, new kids unfailing joined their ranks.

They maintain relevancy by curating a clever blueprint, one that knows how to evolve. And after three decades, it's why and how they stay winning. Complex salutes Stussy's 30th birthday with this gallery of sick archival shots.