Supreme has always been the coolest kid on the block. Much like the sketchy friend your parents didnāt want you hanging out with who showed you cool new music, Supreme may not be great for you but itās really fun and opens you up to new influences. The brandās wide range of taste in music reflects a generation that lives vicariously through not only the music they grew up with, but also their parents and grandparents tastes. The musicians Supreme has collaborated with span the likes of pop hitmakers like Michael Jackson, hip hop political commentary like Public Enemy, and horror-punk innovators like the Misfits. Weāve broken down several of Supremeās collaborative capsules with a range of artists that demonstrate the brandās diversity in taste. Scroll down to read more on Supremeās collaborations with The Velvet Underground, Marvin Gaye, Slayer, Public Enemy, and The Misfits.
Supreme x The Velvet Underground
Supremeās most recent music collaboration came early during the FW19 season, spotlighting New York rock band The Velvet Underground. The collaboration came as no surprise as Supreme previously featured the groupās frontman, Lou Reed, as the subject of one of their popular photo tees in 2009. Supreme went to The Velvet Undergroundās popular debut album, āThe Velvet Underground & Nicoā as the basis for a lot of the design elements. This album is a foundational part of The Velvet Undergroundās legacy, having been referred to by Rolling Stone as the “most prophetic rock album ever made.” Supremeās press release announcing the capsule cited the band as a massive influence on multiple music genres that would rise to popularity in the 1980ās and 1990ās including grunge, punk, new wave, noise, glam, and goth. The albumās original artwork wasĀ designed by Andy Warhol, and features a lone image of a duotone banana, but Supreme neglected to include any kind of banana reference in the capsule.
Instead, the collection itself features imagery pulled from photographs and the bandās different bodies of work, including alternative imagery of āThe Velvet Underground & Nicoā. The Short Sleeve Rayon shirt features original album artwork from āLoaded,ā the final album to include frontman, Lou Reed. The all-over print Nico hooded sweatshirt features a popular photo (google image search turns up the photo quickly) of Nico performing at one of Andy Warholās āExploding Plastic Inevitableā shows, a deep-cut reference that subtly salutes the artist. Another noted reference comes via the rather simple The Velvet Underground Tee featuring imagery of Michael Leighās 1963 novel that shares a title with the band. The band took their own name from the novel after originally bouncing between the names āThe Warlocksā and āThe Falling Spikesā. The entire capsule collection can be viewed further and is available on StockX here.
Supreme x Marvin Gaye
“What’s Going On” Album Art by Marvin Gaye
Image via Youtube
Supremeās collaboration with Marvin Gaye culminated in five hoodies and eight tees, all of which featured the original artwork of Gayeās popular record, āWhatās Going On.ā āWhatās Going Onā released in 1971 and follows a soldier as he returns home from the Vietnam War to find life far different than he remembers. Ranked #6 on Rolling Stoneās 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, the album reflects Gayeās view on what he saw happening in the world during the late 60ās and early 70ās. The album takes a look at the forces shaping American culture as the 1960ās came to a close, a moment when hippie-era idealism was crashing into the realities of poverty, war, drug abuse, and racial misunderstanding (NPR). Rolling Stone also referred to āWhatās Going Onā as the Sgt. Pepper of Soul, the album they ranked #1 on their Top 500 list (Sgt. Pepperās Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles). More simple than other Supreme Music Collaborations, the hooded sweatshirts and tees released featured simply the imagery of Gayeās āWhatās Going Onā cover. A selection of the Supreme x Marvin Gaye capsule can be shopped below and the full range of hoodies and tees can be shopped via StockX here.
Slayer is a thrash metal band that formed in 1981 in California and got their start playing covers of bands like Iron Maiden. The bandās first studio album āShow No Mercyā would be recorded with next to no budget and released in 1983, two years after the band was founded. Due to their low recording budget the entire album was recorded in just seven days, significantly affecting sound quality. This led to mixed and polarized reviews as some referred to the album as āpure, unadulterated junkā and otherās hailed it as the āheaviest, fastest, most awesome albums of all time.ā Now the album is seen as the defining moment in Slayerās sound, laying the ground work for decades of thrash metal from the band.
Supremeās collaboration with Slayer creates a juxtaposition of music tastes that opens a window into both the identity of Supreme and the customer they attract. Coming directly between a 2017 collaboration with Rap-A-Lot records and a 2016 collaboration with Reggae producer, Jah Life, the Slayer collaboration underscores the everlasting complexity that comes with trying to understand the brand. The two came together on a capsule featuring 25 items including M-65 Jackets, sweaters, hoodies, and tees. Similar to other artist collaborations, the pieces from this collection featured imagery held close to the bandās fanbase. The M-65 Jackets, for instance, feature a graphic not used for the album cover, āSeasons In The Abyss,ā but for the tour. One tee also features imagery of a manās arms with the band name cut into them. The entire collaboration can be viewed and shopped via StockX here.
In terms of music collaborations, Supreme has seldom worked with the same group twice, even if they have made repeat references. One exception comes with New York Rap Collective, Public Enemy, who Supreme have officially collaborated with two different times. The first collaboration between the two came in 2006, only a short period after Supremeās webstore had come online. This small collection featured two tees, three zip up hoodies, three beanies, and three Starter Pullovers. This collaboration featured less reference to the groupās work than most other music collaborations done by Supreme.
Supreme and Public Enemyās second collaboration was different from their first, featuring more than 30 items and a third collaborator: Jun Takahashiās brand, Undercover. The three-way collaboration pulled inspiration from Public Enemyās highly-regarded third studio album, āFear Of A Black Planet,ā which currently resides in the Library Of Congress. On top of being critically acclaimed, the album sold more than two million copies in the US and ranked at 300 on Rolling Stoneās Top 500 List of Greatest Albums Ever. The capsule features the albumās artwork plastered over a number of different clothing items including hoodies, jackets, and even a pair of Dr. Martens. Check out the entire collection on StockX here.
Supreme x The Misfits
The Misfits Logo
One of Supremeās earlier music collaborations comes with the popular late-70ās punk rock band, The Misfits. The Misfits are looked to as the founders of the horror punk subgenre, which combines punk/goth music with violent imagery and lyrics, often influenced by horror films. In 1979, the group released āHorror Business,ā a single whose art featured the bandās iconic logo that has become one of the most recognizable symbols in the world – even for those who canāt relate it back to the band . The Misfits disbanded in 1983, sending fans into a frenzy and driving two members of the band into legal battles over the logo and name. The legal battle to decide who has the rights to sell what has lasted long into this decade. Supreme says that The Misfits played a pivotal role in the influencing of punk, heavy metal, and alternative rock throughout the 90ās.
Supremeās collaborative collection with The Misfits features the bandās unmistakeable logo set at the forefront of several staple items, such as on the back of trench coats and work shirts and on the front of crewneck pullovers and tees. The collaboration also features artwork from the bandās single āBullet,ā which depicts JFK being shot, on the front of a tee with the phrase, āTexas is the reason that the presidentās deadā on the back. This 19 item collection is not available on StockX but the lookbook can be viewed via Supremeās website here.
