The Supreme Blessings Ripstop Shirt has been steeped in controversy since before it was even released. While the shirt was only recently made available in Week 12 of Spring/Summer 2021, images of it were included in the brand’s preview months ago. The Thai National Office of Buddhism caught wind of the jacket’s forthcoming release shortly after Supreme’s first drop of the season, and immediately threatened copyright litigation. Nearly three months later, Supreme refused to back down, officially dropping the jacket despite potential legal consequences.
Depending on who you ask, The Thai National Office of Buddhism could be right in their threats for litigation, but they have a tough task ahead of them. The Supreme Blessings Ripstop Shirt features several embroidered and printed graphics depicting popular Thai Buddhist imagery. One image is a very popular artwork of prominent Thai Buddhist monk and Abbot of Wat Ban Rai, Luang Por Khun, and the Thai National Office of Buddhism claims to own the copyright for it. Their qualms with Supreme are for using the image without obtaining permission and for the appropriation of Thai Buddhist culture.
The objections of the Thai National Office of Buddhism were made known in February and as of now, it’s unknown whether or not the Office can prove that they hold legal ownership of the copyright. The threat of litigation hasn’t stopped Supreme from releasing their shirt, though it did create barriers in some parts of the world, particularly in Europe where the brand opted out of releasing the Blessings Ripstop Shirt. The shirt was made available online and in-store in both the US and Japan, but not in the EU.
The mixture of controversy and scarcity has turned the Supreme Blessings Ripstop Shirt into the must-have piece of Spring/Summer 2021. Early release day trades show the Blessings Ripstop Shirt as the best-selling Supreme item of Spring/Summer 2021 Week 12. But it wasn’t just trade volume that set the shirt apart. Price premiums for the Blessings Ripstop Shirt are virtually unheard of from even the most anticipated collaborative Supreme pieces. The average resale price for the camouflage colorway is more than $550 USD, that’s 350% higher than its $158 USD resale price. Even more eye-popping are the most recent trades, which show that this jacket is currently being resold for more than $1,100 USD, a price premium of nearly 700%.
Longtime fans and collectors of Supreme are well-aware that this is not the first time Supreme has faced litigation over the use of artwork and logos. In what is perhaps the most famous incident, Supreme received a cease and desist from Louis Vuitton for using their famous monogram in 2000. As a part of the order, the streetwear brand was forced to burn all items that featured the design, which has resulted in the remaining pieces becoming some of the most coveted Supreme relics in existence. In that vein, it’s likely that fans will be itching to add this controversial piece of Supreme history to their collection. Unfortunately for the Thai National Office of Buddhism, the burning of merchandise is already outside the realm of possibilities.
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