Streetwear Louis Vuitton: LV x Supreme

UPDATE: As of July 12, it has been confirmed that the LV x Supreme pop-ups in the U.S. and Canada slated to open July 14 have been cancelled. But there’s still a chance the collection will be sold at a future time! Read the full post with all the details on BopTalk.

The long-awaited Louis Vuitton collab is now here. LV has partnered with Supreme—a brand that may come as a surprise to many. So what exactly is Supreme’s deal, and what does the collection have in store? PurseBop takes an in-depth look into the urban-chic collab below!

Photo courtesy: Highsnobiety

What exactly is Supreme?

The NYC streetwear brand, founded in 1994, was once considered skate-wear for a niche market. Supreme channels underground style currents: think punk, military chic, and ‘80s hip-hop style. In the past few years, the menswear brand’s popularity has soared. With a flagship store in NYC’s Soho, as well as satellites in LA, London, Tokyo, and more, Supreme is undeniably successful. In 2012, British GQ Style called Supreme “the coolest streetwear brand in the world,” according to the New York Times, and Business of Fashion titled it “the Chanel of downtown streetwear.” Hoodies regularly go for $200, jackets for $300; limited edition items are known to sell out in seconds. The brand has a history of remaining underexposed and not trying to expand, but it’s now decided to collaborate with LV.

Jacket from the Supreme Spring/Summer 2016 collection. Photo courtesy: Highsnobiety

Remember: LV is no stranger to major collabs!

LV x Supreme isn’t the first big Louis Vuitton collaboration in a while! Remember how, just in April, LV partnered with Jeff Koons to create “Masters“—a somewhat controversial capsule collection that sparked both admiration and derision? Additionally, let’s not forget that LV celebrated the iconic Monogram in 2014 by inviting six renowned and creative “iconoclasts,” including Louboutin and Karl Lagerfeld, to participate in a special project called Celebrating Monogram! Supreme is just the latest in a long line of LV collaborators…

“Celebrating Monogram” campaign. Photo courtesy: Louis Vuitton

The Collection

Hype: LV x Supreme has garnered so much hype that megacrowds appeared in pop-ups around the globe on June 30th. (A considerable feat, since LV only revealed the location of the stores on IG a day, or even hours, before the openings!) According to WWD, the collection, which was first unveiled at Paris Men’s Fashion Week in January, is being sold exclusively through eight pop-ups in Paris, London, Miami, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Beijing, Seoul, and Sydney. Eager buyers lined up the night before the morning release, foregoing sleep in order to get their hands on some of the pieces from the collection. When it comes to LV x Supreme, fans have been willing to wait to get first pick.

Outside the Louis Vuitton x Supreme launch in Paris. Photo Courtesy: Dominique Maître/WWD

Aesthetic: Ranging from denim outerwear and baseball jerseys to footwear and the classic LV trunk, Supreme’s urban, streetwear appeal tends to dominate the collection. The brand’s immediately recognizable red-and-white logo abounds, as well as a red-and-white version of LV’s traditional monogram. Camo is a common motif, as well as the Supreme logo embossed in brown leather. Read on to see some of the biggest hits from the collection…

Photo courtesy: Highsnobiety

Celebrity Eye Candy

David Beckham. Photo courtesy: TEAMB / Splash News

Madonna. Photo courtesy: @madonna

Justin Bieber. Photo courtesy: Samir Hussein

Celine Dion. Photo courtesy: Splash News

2 Chainz (with Kanye West). Photo courtesy: @hairweavekiller

Pop-ups and Pricing

So far, it looks like LV x Supreme is only available in pop-ups, which opened on June 30th and are expected to shutter July 13th. (LV has more information on the U.S. pop-ups here.) But if you still want to check out a pop-up, fear not: even more U.S. and Canada locations are apparently planned, according to the historically-reliable @supreme_leaks_news. These numerous new pop-ups are expected to open July 14th. Additionally, the online resale market has been particularly active, but if you take that route, you’d have to be willing to pay a hefty upcharge.

And the standard pop-up prices aren’t inexpensive themselves. Bags range from $1,690 to $4,350, and sneakers are going for $965. Denim jackets are being sold for $2,185, belts for $760, and wool-cashmere scarves for $1,550. Also—this might shock you the most—the classic LV trunk with the Supreme logo is $68,500: a price that can only be the product of extreme hype and brand dedication.

Photo courtesy: Vogue

Any verdicts?

So now that you’ve seen the ins and outs of LV x Supreme, have you made up your mind on the collection? PurseBop is the first to admit that it may seem a bit odd for the renowned, historic French maison to partner with an urban skatewear brand, but it’s undeniable that Louis Vuitton has always strived for creativity and innovation. The capsule collab perhaps indicates LV’s attempts to appeal to a more trendy, urban demographic and remain relevant in a new age of fashion. (Read: Luxury in the Age of Millennials.) The collection also marks a step in LV’s stronger efforts to draw a larger male demographic, since most of Supreme’s designs are geared toward men.

Photo courtesy: HYPEBEAST

Is there any chance you’d wait in line for a piece from LV x Supreme? If not, is there anything about (or any item from!) the collection you admire? Or, alternatively, do you think this collab is a step in the wrong direction for Louis Vuitton…? As always, we’re intensely curious to hear your thoughts on BopTalk!

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