Few streetwear brands can lay claim to such a wide-ranging influence as Stussy. Many of the styles and tropes of the streetwear culture -- graphic-emblazoned basics like Stussy t shirts, hoodies and caps; riffs on recognisable logos; music and subculture references -- can be traced back to Shawn Stussy's surf shop.
Founded in the early 1980s on Laguna Beach, California, Shawn Stussy was shaping surfboards and adorning them with unique graphics that attracted a dedicated fanbase, which is the same ethos that the brand still carries today. Before long the brand had expanded into some of the best menswear stores in New York and Los Angeles, including the legendary Union Clothing, which allowed them to eventually open their own store front solely for their apparel. Demand was high for Stussy's designs, which were unique in a world before streetwear became ubiquitous, so Shawn saw the chance to expand further. Travelling the globe meeting influencers and making friends gave rise to what was known as the International Stussy Tribe, with 'chapters' and stores across the world clamouring to share the vision and authenticity that the brand had built.
Still fiercely independent and bent on doing their own thing, Stussy hoodies, jackets and caps keep that same sense of effortless California cool and the spirit that cements them as a legendary brand.
