Stussy

The History of Stussy

Shawn Stussy grew up near California's Laguna Beach, a famous spot popular among surfers and countercultural communities. He began putting his distinctive signature on his handmade surfboards in the early 1980s. Soon after, he started placing the Stüssy logo on clothing like Stussy T-shirts, Stussy sweatshirts, Stussy jackets, caps, and other simple garments, creating a small local brand.

The Stussy Collaboration with Frank Sinatra Jr.

In 1984, Shawn Stussy partnered with his friend Frank Sinatra Jr. (not related to the legendary singer), and the two began selling Stüssy as a proper brand. During the 1990s, the brand grew significantly with a flagship store in New York and business expansions in Europe.

Stussy: How It Started

Stüssy was one of the first brands to make clothing like caps and varsity jackets that were not explicitly designed for sports teams. Combined with the brand's creative reworkings of logos, such as Chanel's double C, Stüssy laid the foundation for virtually all streetwear brands that followed.

Global Influence: More Than Just 'Stussy T Shirt'

Stüssy's rapid global expansion inspired a number of young designers to follow in his footsteps. Hiroshi Fujiwara from Fragment Design has cited Shawn Stussy as the person who inspired him to create his first clothing brand, GOODENOUGH. The brand also has connections to James Jebbia of Supreme, who started as manager of Stüssy's store in New York, and Russell Simmons, who was inspired to start Phat Farm by Stüssy. It is also claimed that several streetwear brands like X-Large, SSUR, and Freshjive were heavily influenced by the style legacy Stüssy created in its early years.

The Famous Stussy Tribe

One of the most famous elements of Stüssy is the well-known Stüssy Tribe – collectives of like-minded individuals closely connected to the brand. This was first started in London by a group including Michael Kopelman from Gimme 5, Mick Jones from The Clash, and 'Barnzley' Armitage. Members of city chapters in the Stüssy tribe were each given custom clothing like embroidered jackets with their names on them. The movement spread to several cities, including Paris, Tokyo, and New York.

Shawn Stussy Leaves the Brand

In 1996, Shawn Stussy left the brand to focus on his family, and the brand continued to grow and expand. Today, it remains one of the most prominent streetwear brands found in both high-end and streetwear stores, clothing shops, and department stores worldwide. Products like Stussy Hoodie, Stussy T Shirt, Stussy pants, and Stussy jacket are highly sought after in 2023. The brand's sub-label, Stüssy Deluxe, produces premium, higher-priced versions of its products as well as premium collaborations with other brands. Since leaving the brand, he has continued making surfboards and in recent years started a new brand, S/Double, operating on a small scale, mainly in Japan.

The Logo from, among others, Stussy Hoodie

In the 1990s, Shawn adopted a new visual identity for the brand with advice from Franck Sinatra Jr. To give the brand a dimension beyond surfing, Shawn was inspired by Chanel's logo, which he restructured and personalized. The letters C were replaced by Shawn's initials, i.e., S. This is the birth of the famous interlocking S-logo, which today you can almost see on every Stussy t-shirt. Additionally, Shawn used typography from Chanel's perfumes to create a strong brand image. This is called "Stüssy No. 4."

You generally can't avoid the iconic logo when shopping Stussy Hoodies or other products from the brand. It is precisely its aesthetic that many fans love.

If you need more streetwear inspiration, check out Vogue's article on street style trends among men.