At last, it’s that time of the year again. Supreme unveiled the full lookbook and preview for its upcoming Fall/Winter 2020 collection, which is set to hit stores this Thursday. As always, the brand has unveiled covetable statement pieces, quirky accessories, surprising collaborations, and off the wall products for its latest season.
From double Box Logo hoodies to its first beauty product, Supreme pulled out all the stops this season. Whether you’re copping a Jacob and Co. x Supreme watch or a humble Futura keychain, there is certainly something for every type of Supreme head. But is that Smurfs collaboration hitting? Will a double box logo hoodie impress your friends? Is it stupid to buy a tube of Supreme Colgate toothpaste? Here are our first impressions and takeaways from Supreme’s Fall/Winter 2020 collection.
It's a Double BOGO?!
The Supreme Box Logo is one of the most universally recognizable symbols in streetwear. Owning a BOGO item has become a status symbol that sells out in seconds irregardless of the colorway. Traditionally, Supreme has used various color combinations and even filled in their signature branding with patterns like camouflage or paisley. But the latest iteration is unique to say the least. It honestly feels like high-level trolling (we’ll get to more of that later), but they actually embroidered a double BOGO cross on hoodies. What better way to flex on your friends than showing up to the function in a DOUBLE BOGO? Will it sell out? Of course. Is it very silly? Yes. Does it matter? Not really.
'Smurfs' Collab Is a Hit (And a Miss)
The Smurfs might honestly be one of the toughest cartoons ever made. A mob of tiny blue creatures doing the most to prevent their peoples from being turned into gold by Lord Gargamel. That’s some real admirable camaraderie that we need in these trying times. But is this Supreme x Smurfs collaboration hitting like the shrooms in Smurf village? Supreme dropped a beanie, knit sweaters, denim jackets, jeans, and Gore-Tex outerwear for their Smurfs collaboration. Truthfully, the denim pieces and knit sweaters are reminiscent of Iceberg and Lot 29 pieces in the late ‘90s. Unfortunately, putting Smurf patches on Gore-Tex jackets and pants just looks awkward.
Supreme Is Tapping Into the Beauty Market
Supreme has officially entered the beauty game with a lipstick collaboration by Pat McGrath Labs. For those who are unfamiliar with the revered British make-up artist’s line of products, it’s arguably as hyped as Supreme. The brand is valued at over $1 billion and broke sales records at department stores like which Selfridges—which reportedly sold a Pat McGrath Labs product every 40 seconds in April of 2019. This collaboration marks a new step in the brand’s direction, since Supreme doesn’t typically make products directly targeted towards female customers. Of course, lipstick is for all and this is certainly a major flex for any make-up connoisseur. Hopefully, this will lead to more products tailored for female fans of the brand in the near future.
Hip-Hop's Favorite Jeweler Has a Supreme Collab
Jacob the Jeweler is the most iconic jeweler in hip-hop history. Known for his exorbitant creations for acts including Pharrell and Drake, Jacob and Co. is the pinnacle of custom jewelry. So Supreme having its own official version of Jacob and Co.’s signature Five Time Zone watch is an insane flex. Honestly, that might really be all it is. Because who the hell can afford this besides your favorite rappers anyway? The style comes in red or black alligator leather band options with white diamonds flooding the bezel. This man has made an $18 million watch before. This one won’t be nearly that pricey with diamond-encrusted Five Time Zones ranging from $12,800 to $16,500, but the point is, it’s going to take a nice chunk out of your bank account to purchase one. Given the high retail price, the return on investment is likely going to be pretty low.
Supreme Will Make Literally Anything
A highlight of every Supreme season is the accessories. It’s always great to see what wacky things the brand will slap its logo on. And at this point, it’s safe to say that literally nothing is off limits. Zippo lighters, reusable water bottles, and Mophie portable chargers are all expected. But some of the more obscure drops this time include Colgate toothpaste, a Ridgid pipe wrench, Chucky doll donning Supreme overalls, and even a Mortal Kombat arcade cabinet. Sure, you might not necessarily need any of this stuff for practical use, but the novelty makes them all pretty fun to collect anyway. My only question: Why no Supreme face mask? Seems like a no brainer given the ongoing pandemic, right? Maybe we’ll see one tossed in as the free gift on week one.
Supreme Knows How to Troll Its Customers
Bots suck. Buying hyped-up items online sucks. If you don’t set alarms and possess tons of luck then it’s borderline impossible to buy certain online drops these days. Supreme is definitely one of the brands that’s notoriously hard to cop manually on release day. And by the looks of this graphic T-shirt, they want to poke a little fun at it. If you’ve tried to cop hyped product online before then this CAPTCHA screen is all too familiar. In all likelihood, the extra few seconds you’ve taken to examine photos and click the right boxes is the difference between a successful purchase and an L. Maybe I’m looking too far into this, but it seems like some playful trolling on their end. Upon close inspection, there is also a nod to 2008’s Kermit photo T-shirt, a grail among many Supreme collectors. Nice touch.
The Photo T-Shirt Is Still King
As every Supreme head knows, the brand has had a deep love affair with jazz since its inception. Never forget that Supreme’s first skate film was set to the music of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme. Supreme has released a number of collaborations with jazz legends like John Coltrane and Miles Davis. This season, the brand is releasing a photo T-shirt featuring Pharoah Sanders, a saxophonist who was a disciple of Coltrane and a member of his original quartet. The collaboration was teased earlier this year through a video on Instagram. Although Pharoah isn’t as recognizable to the brand’s audience as a rapper like Gucci Mane, he’s an artist who's certainly worthy of the its gilded Photo T-shirt treatment.
Classics Never Get Old
Once again, Supreme has re-released some of its most iconic graphics and collaborations this season. The most popular re-release will certainly be products from the brand’s upcoming collaboration with Futura, which features his iconic handstyle on T-shirts, crewnecks, hats, and keychains—these graphics were previously released in 2006 and 2011. However, there are some more low-key reissues that die-hard Supreme fans may recognize. A blimp trucker hat that was originally released in Spring/Summer 2012 returns this season with a slightly different patch. Meanwhile, an old graphic of Supreme’s first business card is flipped into a T-shirt once again. Stills from the brand’s iconic “Aerial” commercial in 2011 are also featured on tapestry jackets and other apparel. But for fans of really old Supreme products, the standout rerelease is the “Portrait” sweatshirt. This hoodie features a logo flip of the Marlboro man, a graphic that was originally drawn by Mike Mills for Supreme in 1995. Yes, Supreme can reference itself because it’s Supreme.
The Air Force 1s Are Here to Stay
In case there was any confusion, the Supreme x Nike Air Force 1 is here to stay. The simplistic collab was met with some pushback when it first debuted earlier this year as part of the Spring/Summer 2020 lineup with some people finding the red Supreme box logo stamped on each lateral heel as the only real differentiator to be a bit lazy. People warmed up to the idea when they found out they would be restocking periodically though. Them being part of the Fall/Winter 2020 preview is just further proof that they will be available beyond just one season. Now whenever you cop your re-up of Hanes boxers and undershirts, you can add some white or black Air Force 1s to the cart, too.
The Art Stays on Point
As a brand, Supreme still reigns king when it comes to releasing thoughtful art collaborations and references. This season includes fleece jackets that nod to Piet Mondrian, a collaboration with the late Toshio Saeki—the godfather of Japanese erotica–and unique graphics by rising underground artists like Sara Rabin. Bomber jackets feature embroidery by the Japanese artist AOI, who previously made burning cop car embroideries for the brand last season. Work by New York City artists like Arvid Logan, who has made graphics for the brand before, are featured on pieces like the Penguin beanie. Like the Rammellzee collaboration from last season, Supreme has also revived an older collaboration with the famed Jamaican record producer Lee “Scratch” Perry. But rather than photo T-shirts, this collaboration is centered on Perry’s intriguing artwork, which is featured on hoodies and shirts.
