Like a hypebeast flipping one of their box logo hoodies, Supreme (the company) will change hands for the second time in short term. Two years after the Carlyle Group acquired a 50% stake in the streetwear behemoth, VF Corp outright purchased the brand this week to add to their apparel closest alongside The North Face, Vans and Timberland. Many Supreme heads are frantically selling stock in the brand upon predictions of mass production turning their once-beloved brand into mallcore fodder (wait, malls still exist?).
While the future of Supreme is tough to predict—outside an almost guarantee in more collabs with their new VF siblings—we are here to assuage the nerves of anyone who has grown accustomed to Supreme-style dressing. Skateboarding's influence on streetwear and fashion has been ever-present since the 1990s and the potential normcoreification of one brand won't change that any time soon. Below we've compiled a quick list of other skateboard brands whose apparel should be on your radar.
Quartersnacks
A ground-level tribute to NYC skateboarding, Quartersnacks apparel line is born out of nearly two decades of cataloging the city’s skate history. Since its origin as an early 2000s skate blog, the brand has existed as a community pillar and indie media publication while simultaneously delivering clothing drops worthy of collabs with Nike SB and retailers like Tres Bien and Dover Street Market.
Thames MMXX
A sort of subsidiary line under Palace Skateboards during Blondey McCoy’s sponsored career, last year Thames MMXX emerged as an independent brand within the UK city’s growing skate ecosystem. McCoy’s loyal following has transferred hype to the brand’s early days showcasing a fresh take alongside an old school Palace feel.
Polar Skate Co
The success of Sweden’s Polar Skate Co. in recent years has boosted off the balance of increased demand and the brand’s DIY roots. Built off popular graphic and cartoon prints, recent tailored, cut and sew collections have laid the groundwork for Polar to continue expanding its fashion-first side.
Dime
Dime’s accessible outlook on skate culture has resulted in an increasingly large and passionate fanbase. Over the past 10 years, the brand has refined its apparel line to reflect the unique facets of Canadian skate culture. It’s growing status in the skatewear world was recently highlighted through a New Balance 860 v2 collab.
Fucking Awesome
Jason Dill’s LA-based Fucking Awesome has, in many ways, been imagined as the West Coast counterweight to Supreme for some time. The ties between the two brands remained close during the skater’s professional careers but FA has increasingly established its own streetwear image since a focused relaunch in 2013.
