Supreme
EssilorLuxottica · United States
Supreme is a New York skateboarding and streetwear brand founded by James Jebbia in 1994. EssilorLuxottica, the owner of Ray-Ban and Oakley, acquired it from VF Corporation for 1.5 billion US dollars in a deal completed in October 2024. Supreme is widely credited with popularising the weekly drop model now used across fashion.
| Founded | 1994, New York City |
|---|---|
| Founder | James Jebbia |
| Owner | EssilorLuxottica (since October 2024) |
| Previous owner | VF Corporation (2020 to 2024) |
| Headquarters | New York City, United States |
| Segment | Streetwear |
| Website | supremenewyork.com |
What is Supreme?
Supreme is an American streetwear brand that grew out of New York skateboarding culture. It sells apparel, accessories and skateboards through a small network of its own stores and online, and is known for its red box logo, limited releases and a long list of collaborations with fashion houses, artists and consumer brands.
History
James Jebbia opened the first Supreme store on Lafayette Street in Manhattan in April 1994. The brand expanded to Los Angeles in 2004, London in 2011 and Paris in 2016, and moved its New York flagship to 190 Bowery in 2019. Later openings include Berlin and Milan (2021), Chicago (2022), Seoul (2023) and Shanghai (2024), alongside several stores in Japan.
Ownership has changed twice in recent years. In November 2020 VF Corporation agreed to buy Supreme for 2.1 billion US dollars. In July 2024 VF agreed to sell it to EssilorLuxottica, and on 2 October 2024 the buyers announced that the 1.5 billion US dollar cash transaction had closed after clearance by competition authorities.
Products and positioning
Supreme releases two main collections a year but delivers them in small weekly batches. Its collaborations are central to its profile and include:
- Louis Vuitton (2017), an early luxury and skate brand partnership
- Comme des Garçons, Stone Island, Undercover and Yohji Yamamoto
- Artists such as KAWS, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons and Takashi Murakami
- Consumer products such as a branded Oreo in 2020
Business model and distribution
Supreme sells primarily through its own stores and its website rather than through wholesale. New product goes on sale every Thursday in stores and online, a cadence that creates scarcity and regular traffic. According to Wikipedia, the brand credits itself with inventing this drop format, which many retailers have since adopted.
Why it matters
Supreme shows how a tightly controlled direct-to-consumer brand with a disciplined release calendar can command strong pricing and global demand. Its move from VF to EssilorLuxottica also marks an unusual step by an eyewear group into streetwear, with potential implications for eyewear collaborations and distribution.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Supreme?
Supreme is owned by EssilorLuxottica, the eyewear group behind Ray-Ban and Oakley. It bought the brand from VF Corporation for 1.5 billion US dollars in a deal completed on 2 October 2024.
When does Supreme drop new products?
Supreme releases new items in small batches every Thursday in its stores and online during each season. The brand is widely credited with popularising this weekly drop model.
