Mostly we think of streetwear as something that began in the 80s and 90s, tied to hip-hop artists and skaters. Actually it may have started way earlier than that, in the 70s, with the rise of punk and new wave, and the West Coast surf scene. Whatever you may consider as the birth decade of streetwear it has always held a cultural importance, inextricably linked to music, art, urban lifestyle and DIY culture. Surfers took the DIY approach in creating their own boards and branded t-shirts. Punk rockers who almost by definition belonged to the anti-culture, did the same, producing not only their own mixtapes but also their own merch. Skaters, like surfers, had to built their look around functionality and comfort, so you need more than just t-shirts, you need a collection. By the 80s, as audiences grew, the DIY thing just wasn’t enough so you’ve got independent brands popping up that can cater to a larger audience. 

It’s hard to define streetwear. It comes from so many different cultures and combines so many different elements that a clear definition isn’t really possible. Most brands can technically claim they are streetwear. For some, the definition comes from determining exactly what types of clothes constitute as streetwear. T-shirts, jeans, obviously hoodies, and they have to be baggy, therefore comfortable and easy to move in, alluding to the influence of sportswear. 

Most agree that it’s less about a specific product and more about the culture and history behind it. It’s also very people-centric. Streetwear is generally created by the people who live that lifestyle for people with similar taste in fashion, music, art etc. Shawn Stussy was a surfer and he created for surfers. Palace, Wayward, by Parra, Polar were all founded by skaters for skaters. It also has a lot to do with independently owned labels. Off course giant companies like Nike and Adidas count, but smaller, independent companies, with no investors and financial backing, that create limited collections tend to feel more authentically street. Cause at its core streetwear is about culture and expression, not making the big bucks. The other problem is location. While some people firmly believe it started in the California surf, others swear it was born in the streets of New York where hip-hop resides. On the other hand you’ve got the London skate scene and Tokyo is another big player, although nobody is really claiming that as a birthplace. The truth is streetwear is influenced by all those cities and their urban cultures and there’s significance in that. There’s an international community of people who share different aspects of the same principle and though geographically dispersed, inhabit the same cultural space through the medium of style. 

Streetwear stands out from other types of fashion. While couture and luxury fashion don’t base their designs on what is necessarily wearable, streetwear is utilitarian and practical, focusing on comfort and adaptability to the wearer’s lifestyle. It dismisses both the rigid style directives and the idea of mass-produced, expensive trends. Taking bold colours, graphic branding and innovative lines streetwear allows you to use your creativity, your imagination, in creating a distinct personal look. Another key difference is that streetwear is unisex. Well I say that, but women actually came into the game way later. To be fair though, even if it has historically been more male-orientated, it doesn’t play by ordinary binary rules. A part of its DNA is pushing the boundaries of what is typically considered menswear or womenswear, making it a hell of a lot more versatile and woke.

Giving not only a platform but a wearable means of self-expression to the cultural fringes, to the subculture, comes with its own political statement. Streetwear is in every sense a symbol of rebellion and youth and a nuanced one at that. It calls for people to express themselves however they want and reject the status quo. I won’t bore you with a history lesson from Ancient Greece to the Industrial Revolution, but it’s safe to say that basically what we wear carries weight when it comes to class, society and politics. In the 19^th century sneakers were not only the footwear of choice for athletes, they were associated with delinquency, criminal behavior, pranksters and muggers. In 2013 when New Balance seemingly supported Donald Trump people started burning their kicks on the Internet and publicly condemning the company. In 2015 after the Paris terrorist attacks anti-islamic sentiments began boiling over resulting in violence and hate crimes against Arabs. Theodoros Gennitsakis created his label Pressure in his attempt to fight negative and racist stereoypes. Then you started seeing street-wearers all over the city wearing his t-shirt design which featured the word “pressure” written in Arabic. HLZBLZ released an “Oprah 2020” hoodie just this year, calling for Oprah Winfrey to become President of the United States. In 2005 Supreme released stickers which read “Fuck Bush” in the typeface of their logo. Undefeated added a Colin Kaepernick mural of the athlete kneeling during the national anthem, in its L.A store. Manchester label DeadNight creates heavy-graphics apparel with themes ranging from police brutality, Big Pharma controversy to anti-drug use and social injustice. Where most fashion tends to remain apolitical streetwear doesn’t shy away from making strong political statements. Most luxury brands tend to be geared towards middle-upper class whitey. Streetwear is connected to hip-hop and therefore black folks. Racism isn’t going to be tolerated obviously. And we don’t think of skaters and surfers as being a particularly fascist bunch do we? 

Arguably, in 2020 streetwear has gone a bit too mainstream and has started to morph into exactly what it started off opposing. When Nike collaborated with Michael Jordan in the 80s for the famous Air Jordan sneaker, they cost 65 bucks. More money at the time but still not even close to Adidas’ and Kanye’s Yeezys that run in the hundreds of dollars. Mass-production is also threatening to fundamentally change streetwear’s original ethos. Social media can help provide a visible platform to under-the-radar independent stores, but at the same time titters dangerously close to the edge of trend-setting and ephemeral hype. Neither is inherently negative but does it veer off the ethics of streetwear? I would argue no. When something associated with the counter-culture and the underground gets to exist in the vanguard of modern fashion and culture, to compete in the big leagues, it creates new opportunities for people to be heard both creatively and in society, for fresh ideas to develop and for the market to be reinvigorated. It’s important to have a modern, stylish, radical approach to everyday fashion. To wear clothes that make a statement while being functional. But streetwear is more than that. It’s both creating apparel with cultural significance but also a direct result of movements with cultural significance.