As part of our Supreme 25th Anniversary features, we’re taking an in-depth look at Supreme x CDG.
Supreme’s propensity to collaborate is undeniable. Here at StockX, we often see collaborations as some of the quickest moving items, coveted for their rarity and collectibility. Supreme has worked with likely collaborators–skate brands and sportswear companies–as well as some unlikely collaborators–Louis Vuitton and Brooks Brothers). Every so often, as one of the more unlikely collaborations arises, the clothing in that collaboration is lifted to “grail” status.
The two brands, who both fancy putting their own spin on classic clothing items, have seemingly created a seamless partnership that draws the attention of casual and devoted fans of both brands. Whether it be a reworking of Supreme’s infamous Box Logo or the loud, attention-grabbing all-over prints, the items always show what collaborative partnership should be. Starting in the spring of 2012, the partnership has become an almost annual tradition that fans of Supreme await with feverish excitement.
Comme Des Garcons was founded by Rei Kawakubo in 1973, presenting a Japanese take on luxury. The brand has been massively successful since the 1970s, leading to the creation of multiple sub-brands, including Comme Des Garcons Play as well as Comme Des Garcons Shirt–the line that Supreme collaborates with. CDG has been the starting place and launching pad for several Japanese designers of note including Junya Watanabe, Fumito Ganryu, Tao Kurihara, Kei Ninomiya and Chitose Abe of Sacai. The brand has also helped spur the careers of several non-Japanese designers such as Simon Porte Jacquemus, and Molly Goddard. The Comme Des Garcons empire also plays host to the only other location to carry Supreme, Dover Street Market, which was itself created and conceptualized by Kawakubo.
Looking at Supreme, the collaboration with Comme Des Garcons not only makes sense but also emphasizes Supreme’s uncanny ability to sit on the edge of cool since 1994. Fashion has been moving toward a further convergence of luxury and street and Supreme seemed to identify that trend over seven years ago, collaborating with the Japanese brand long before Supreme’s collaboration with Louis Vuitton shocked the world. Scroll down to take a look at the past collaborations that now seem ahead of their time.
Supreme x Comme Des Garcons Shirt FW18
Supreme x CDG’s most recent collaboration came during the Fall/ Winter 2018 season and delivered what was maybe the most complete collaborative collection. Offering not only a box logo adaptation but also a timeless sweater and jacket, the collection checked every box. Even the graphic chore coats and short sleeve shirts, which would’ve been seen as the weaker items of the collection, stood out as wearable statement pieces. Finally, the Split Box Logo adaptation delivered a fun twist that made you wonder why you hadn’t thought of it first. Selling over 6000 times total on StockX, the Split Box Logo Tee is one of the best selling streetwear items on the site, delivering quantifiable evidence of the popularity of the release. Shop a selection of Supreme x CDG Shirt’s Fall/ Winter 2018 collaboration below and the entire drop here.
Released alongside an eyeball emblazoned Nike Air Force 1, the Spring/Summer 2017 collection featured yet another interesting take on the box logo, and included matching eyeball wallets, a suit, and short sleeve shirts. While not totally considered to be a box logo by Supreme fans, the tee features a Supreme x Comme Des Garcons Shirt Box Logo sticker that’s been crinkled up and “stuck” to the tee. The tees and hoodies sold out instantly, as did each and every eyeball piece and the parka. Shop a small selection of the collection below and the entire thing on StockX here.
Supreme x Comme Des Garcons Shirt FW 2015
Prior to the Supreme x CDG Shirt’s FW15 Collaboration, polka dots and a backward Supreme logo was the norm for the then 3-year-old collaborative partnership, but in 2015 the two brands dropped the dots and haven’t returned to that design since. Opting for something a little more refined, a new logo was created that merged the logo designs of both companies, resulting in the logo “15-16 COMME des GARCONS SHIRT Supreme”, where CDG’s name is presented above Supreme’s. The brands also opted for a different classic pattern, setting the dots aside in favor of plaid, often contrasted against a solid color.
Supreme x Comme Des Garcons Shirt SS14
Supreme’s third collaboration with COMME des GARCONS SHIRT took the two former collaborations and pushed them a little further outside the box, mixing and matching the patterns and styles that had become emblematic of the partnership. Featuring varsity jackets, oxfords, and fitted hats that mixed patterns and prints like stripes and polka dots, the collaboration was far louder than its predecessors. The return of the backward Box Logo with different colored hoods was an interesting tweak on their signature adaptation of Supreme’s logo.
Supreme x Comme Des Garcons SHIRT SS13
After debuting their own Box Logo adaptation in 2012, Supreme took the backward logo and polka dot pattern to the next level, getting a little bit louder and releasing more pieces than in the previous season. Adding polka dots and the backward Supreme logo to a camo coaches’ jacket, short sleeve shirts, oxford shirts, hats, and wallets, the collection takes SS12’s polka dot hoodies and tees to a whole different level. With yet another iteration of the backward Supreme Box Logo, the adapted logo was cemented as CDG’s permanent personal touch on Supreme’s branding.
Supreme x Comme Des Garcons SS12
Featuring a young Lucien Clarke in the lookbook, Supreme and COMME des GARCONS SHIRT’s first collaboration was small, but the feature of an adapted Box Logo made it an instant classic. The CDG adapted box logo featured a flipped version of the regular logo on printed polka dots. Alongside the box logos there were several elevated oxford shirts as well as hats that also featured the flipped box logo.
