Supreme has never been a brand to avoid the provocative. A large part of the streetwear label’s undeniable charm is due to the fact that Supreme exists on the spectrum between accessible and countercultural. It should come as no surprise that Supreme’s Spring/Summer collaboration with Hysteric Glamour is more on the fringe side of that spectrum, delivering jackets plastered with obscenities and shirts covered in naked women. The collection encompassed a total of 44 items that include three different jackets, several hoodies and crewnecks, and even a lunchbox that comes with a branded thermos. Pieces from the drop range from slightly inappropriate to downright obscene and all of them give off an edgy and unsettling vibe similar to Supreme and Hysteric Glamour’s last collaboration, from Fall/Winter 2017.
Hysteric Glamour was founded in 1984 in Japan by Nobuhiko Kitamura. The brand’s influence is derived from American Culture in the 1960’s and 70’s and draws inspiration from the era’s cultural fixations on music, cars, mass media, and pornography. With more than 50 brick and mortar locations in its home country, the brand is unquestionably popular in Japan. Hysteric Glamour’s interest in pornography is made heavily apparent in their release with Supreme for Spring/Summer 2021 as nearly half the pieces in the collection feature graphic imagery of a naked woman. This season’s Supreme Hysteric Glamour collaboration doubles down on the suggestive nature of their partnership in 2017, which mostly featured obscene language and certainly included less nudity. The Supreme Hysteric Glamour Long Sleeve t-shirt features the two brand’s suggestive graphics at center stage while the drop’s Leopard Trench Coat is slightly more subtle about it.
For those who’ve come to enjoy a subtle Supreme logo flip, this collection has a little something for you too. With their Velour Track Jacket and Shorts, the two brands have flipped Harley Davidson’s Eagle logo, turning the symbol of traditional Americana into a winged pinup girl spreading her legs above a Supreme Hysteric Glamour logo. The collection and its many NSFW graphics also see the return of Supreme’s popular “Fuck ‘Em” logo on the back of a cardigan sweater that’s reminiscent of the brand’s collaborative Coffee Mug with Hysteric Glamour from their last time working together. Although most of the collaboration is covered in obscenities, there are still several pieces available for those who aren’t particularly interested in stirring any pots. Supreme and Hysteric Glamour delivered three colorways of a Denim Jacket and Painter pant. Both of these pieces feature Hysteric Glamour’s popular and highly sought after snake print designs which have been sold online for mark ups worthy of their own listings on StockX. The collection’s crewnecks are also devoid of any problematic graphics and feature a healthy dose of Supreme and Hysteric Glamour branding. With this release, Supreme is showing that although they become more mainstream every day, they’re still just as countercultural as they ever have been.
If this collaboration has you offended, then you probably haven’t been paying the streetwear brand very much attention. Supreme releases provocative or provocative-adjacent collaborations and pieces almost every season and they have been since their inception. In Fall/Winter 2020 it was their Anti-Hero partnership that took the cake for the season’s most edgy release.
Dubbed “Atmosphere Urine,” the Anti-Hero collection was riddled with uncomfortable imagery, including graphics of the late Michael Jackson holding his baby, Prince Michael II, over a balcony. In 2018, Supreme waded their way into the wide world of politics, releasing their 18 & Stormy T-shirt. The shirt featured a Richard Prince artwork of a composite photo of all 19 women who had accused Donald Trump of sexual assault and drew significant attention from the media and critics. Supreme is also no stranger to the obscenities and nudity featured in their Spring/Summer 2021 Hysteric Glamour collection. Past collaborations like Sekintani La Norihiro in Spring/Summer 2019 or Nan Goldin in 2018 both feature nudity as a centerpiece of their design on t-shirts, hoodies, and jackets. Provocation is in Supreme’s DNA and whether they’ve joined a big conglomerate like VF Corp or not, we can continue to expect them to keep on being who they are.
Buy & Sell select pieces from Supreme and Hysteric Glamour’s Spring/Summer 2021 below and shop the entire drop on StockX here.
