The Evolution of Streetwear: From Urban Culture to Haute Couture

Once the renegade of the fashion world, streetwear has risen from its urban roots to claim an essential place in high fashion. Emerging in the 1980s from subcultures like skateboarding, surfing, and hip-hop, early brands such as Stüssy and Supreme encapsulated a spirit of rebellion and individuality that defined the streets.

In the 1990s, music and sports icons like Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, and Jay-Z took streetwear global, while Supreme revolutionized the market with its trailblazing approach of scarcity, exclusive collaborations, and deep ties to underground culture. By the 2010s, the streetwear movement reached new heights as luxury designers like Virgil Abloh at Louis Vuitton and Demna Gvasalia at Balenciaga began merging the codes of couture with street style. Oversized sweatshirts, hoodies, and sneakers transformed into status symbols, with their designs blending comfort and exclusivity.

Collaborations became legendary, such as Supreme x Louis Vuitton and Nike x Dior, attracting luxury’s elite while cementing streetwear’s place in high fashion. Today, brands like Off-White, Fear of God, and A Bathing Ape (BAPE) continue to redefine the genre, showing that streetwear is more than a trend. It’s a cultural force reshaping fashion’s hierarchy, firmly embedding its influence in the luxury world and reshaping the codes of modern style.