Godfathers of Streetwear: A Brief History of Stussy

The Beginning
Hailing from Laguna Beach, Stussy founder, Shawn Stussy grew up being a poster boy for the Californian surf lifestyle. From the young age of 13 he was known for shaping surfboards, making an official foray into the industry around 1979 with his own surfboard business. Every creation was signed off with the graffiti-style logo that’s known and loved today. To create it, he imitated the handwriting of his uncle, a painter by the name of Jan Frederick Stussy. Little did either of them know that it would eventually become one of the most famous logos of all time, acting as the spark for a larger movement in the years ahead.

Fast forward to 1982, Shawn’s surfboard company was set to make an appearance at the Action Sports Retailer trade show. In addition, Shawn had also brought along black screen printed t-shirts with his own designs as promotional material. According to streetwear legend, he sold only 24 boards but around a thousand of his t-shirts. So in 1984, alongside his friend Frank Sinatra Jr (no, not that one), Shawn officially shifted his brand’s focus from surfboards to clothing.

Building Blocks of Streetwear
With continuous success and growth, it was in 1987 when Stussy began to expand its empire, relocating their homebase to a larger studio in Irvine, California. Their apparel offerings were quickly becoming an appealing choice for surfers, skaters, graffiti kids, artists and DJs. Their vision exuded a grittiness that was perfect for the streets. Whether they knew it or not, they were providing the building blocks of a new kind of fashion: streetwear.

Their links to hip hop formed naturally, with DJs and rappers from NY to London draped in Stussy garb. According to Business of Fashion, by 1990 their business was generating $17 million in annual turnover. Shawn continued his hot streak in 1991, starting a new chapter with his first New York store on Prince Street, with James Jebbia, who later founded streetwear giant Supreme. They were among the first to set up shop in the now thriving SoHo neighbourhood. 

An International Tribe
Stussy unintentionally became a major player on an international scale, even in its infancy. Shawn became known as a globetrotter, travelling to major cultural hubs – Tokyo, London, New York and Paris – spreading the Stussy gospel. During his voyages, he would engage with different scenes, meeting like-minded individuals, which led him to start the International Stussy Tribe. Each member was recruited by Shawn himself, and those selected were gifted a special varsity jacket with their name on the back and the word ‘staff’ written across the chest. Notable members include Hiroshi Fujiwara of Fragment and Jungle DJ, Goldie. In 2012, the International Stussy Tribe lived on with more custom varsity jackets given to 40 new members, which also included A$AP Rocky!

Post 1996
Shawn resigned as the head of the company in 1996, as the commercialisation of streetwear wasn’t fitting his vision for Stussy. After his departure, the brand continued to thrive, reinventing itself in 1999 by starting a skateboard team with the help of legendary photographer Robbie Jeffers. The years between then and the end of the 2010s saw Stussy remain a major player in the streetwear realm, extending their fanbase from the sartorial cognoscenti to devotees from a wider fashion audience. Today, Stussy have shifted gears and that’s mostly thanks to its 40th anniversary celebrations in 2020, which featured plenty of noteworthy collaborations. Varsity jackets with Dover Street Market, t-shirts with Rick Owens and sneakers with Nike generated seemingly endless hype and intrigue. And there’s no doubt that Shawn will continue to be hailed by many, as the godfather of modern streetwear.

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