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Leading streetwear brand Supreme manage to sell unconventional and novelty items which could be deemed unnecessary by many, but not to streetwear fans. From fire extinguishers to air horns to hammers to dice, the eclectic cult brand manages to sell out of these needless products, with resale prices reaching double the retail price on sites such as SupTalk, a forum and marketplace to discuss and sell Supreme products.
How is it that so many avid streetwear advocates will pay such extensive prices for commodity items with no sense of luxury, no sense of added value and just the brand name displayed across it? The power of social media and celebrity influence within youth culture are significant factors, if a popular rap mogul is pictured wearing a Supreme product this will generate hysteria and hype over the brand and their products, influencing fans to go to great lengths to acquire them. In addition to the brands innovative brand collaborations from the likes of Louis Vuitton, North Face and Comme de Garcons which successfully coincide with the consumer ethos.
Supremes’ implementation of scarcity marketing has provided their products with an element of prestige, which has been a successful creator of demand, every Thursday, Supreme release a new collection of items in limited supply across their stores worldwide, often referred to as drop culture, encouraging masses of fans to queue from the early hours of the morning to get their hands on any of the latest releases, with the knowledge that there will only be a handful of people globally purchasing and wearing these products, allowing them to stand out from the mainstream consumer. The support and devotion to the brand has been so strong that the local council in Soho, London has had to intervene, due to the large numbers of people who would often sleep outside to secure their place in the queue.
Words by Kalifa Ava Okezie