SUPREME "SOLD OUT"

In 1994, James Jebbia opened the first Supreme location in a small storefront on Lafayette Street in New York. At the time, Supreme was a brand for skaters by skaters—even the design for the shop was more open so skaters could come right in with their skateboards. But today, 21 years later, Supreme is a legendary streetwear brand that’s cultivated a cult following well beyond that original fan base. Continuing to release product in tightly controlled, limited amounts, the brand is as big as it wants to be in New York, Los Angeles, and London; a titan in Japan—arguably its largest market.
  Complex’s docuseries Sold Out: The Underground Economy of Supreme Resellers explores the world of reselling Supreme, where cutthroat fans do whatever it takes to purchase gear from the streetwear brand, and then sell the goods themselves for big profits. Our four-part series embeds the individuals who perpetuate this global phenomenon to get an on-the-ground look at the illicit market of Supreme apparel. Complex’s docuseries Sold Out: The Underground Economy of Supreme Resellers explores the world of reselling, where cutthroat fans do whatever it takes to purchase gear from the streetwear brand, and then sell the goods themselves for big profits. Our four-part series embeds the individuals who perpetuate this global phenomenon to get an on-the-ground look at the illicit market of Supreme apparel. Supreme doesn’t support resellers. James Jebbia, the brand’s founder, said as much in a rare interview with streetwear blog Rift Trooper back in 2002. “I don’t like it very much simply because we try our best to make our clothing affordable for young people,” he explained. “After all, Supreme is a skate brand and when I do see our things on eBay the prices are normally at least double what they should be. I much prefer if someone buys something from us that they plan on wearing it and not selling.”