BRANDS FROM THE 2000'S TO LOOK OUR FOR ON YOUR NEXT THRIFT HAUL
Streetwear's foundation was built up in the '90s, and from that solid platform the genre excelled throughout the 2000s. It may be a cliche at this point, but the spread of the Internet allowed ideas to spread quickly and build off of one another, and the barriers of entry to starting one's own brand were lower than ever. This created a busy arena with multiple participants that brought a torrent of creative output, and streetwear became its own culture. Within these 10 years we're focusing on, a lot of bands came and went, but a few cut through the noise to excel for a significant amount of time.
Billionaire Boys Club/Ice Cream -
Pharrell manifested his passion for flyness with the founding of Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream in 2005. Of course, the two labels were launched with help from his close friend and A Bathing Ape founder Nigo. From the names alone, you can guess that designs were loud and dripping in color. Pharrell's work was centered around all-over prints and closely mirrored Nigo's work. Thanks to a deal with Reebok, Ice Cream was able to design its own sneakers that were covered in beepers and dollar signs. As Pharrell's taste level would suggest, BBC catered to a higher-end segment of streetwear and attempted to trend more towards a fashion-forward business model as the collections evolved. Besides A Bathing Ape, BBC was one of the first brands to move streetwear towards a luxe, high-fashion direction, which is something we're all familiar with today.
Stüssy
Credited as the first streetwear mark, Stüssy started as a little realistic tee brand in 1980. Subsequent to creating a ton of buzz with his tees, Shawn Stussy extended his mark to incorporate surf and skate attire. Over forty years after the fact, the Cali conceived brand is presently a streetwear realm. Known for its creative and eye-getting plans, the name's quality is still as solid as ever.
Supreme
New York's Supreme has coordinated itself into the texture of streetwear history. Teaming up with any semblance of Rolex and Louis Vuitton, Supreme is one of the marks which raised road style in extravagance design. The American skateboard and dress name has graced the backs of fash packs and hotshot all over. Bringing about the mark gaining its status as one of the most notable streetwear brands ever. Reevaluating the market interest wheel, Supreme drops a constrained scope of new things week after week. So you realize you'll generally have the option to refresh your closet with a crisp interpretation of the OG red and white logo.
LRG -
Backpack rap was a popular alternative for lyric-fiending hip-hop enthusiasts, and their go-to brand was LRG. The brand enjoyed huge popularity in the 2000s thanks to aligning itself with rappers such as Black Thought of The Roots and Kanye West, and Ye wearing its "Dead Serious" hoodie was one of the single most definable moments in 2000s streetwear history.Everyone was walking in a full-zip hoodie, and this X-ray-like sweatshirt even found its way into Evidence's "Mr. Slow Flow" video. Brand co-founder Jonas Bevacqua was close friends with Ben Baller, whose life-size personality and custom gold chains made LRG seem like a fantasy world that streetwear kids could easily become a part of and obtain.
A Bathing Ape
In the 2000s, A Bathing Ape was able to transcend itself from an obscure Japanese streetwear brand to a household name and a cultural touchstone. Brand founder Nigo became the arbiter of cool and had the most relevant rappers—Kanye West, Pharrell, Lil Wayne, and the Clipse, to name a few—not only wearing his clothes, but spreading word of the brand through their lyrics.
Before you knew it, kids all over were rocking BAPE camo, full-zip hoodies, Bapesta sneakers, and people were more likely to see choose counterfeit BAPE over another brand's actual offerings. When aliens come to Earth a million years from now and archeological digs turn up cultural artifacts from the 2000s, BAPE will be heavily represented.
Sean John -
Founded in 1998 by music icon Sean “Diddy” Combs, Sean John quickly became a cultural force that took the fashion world by storm.Inspired by the extraordinary lifestyle of Diddy himself, Sean John’s impeccable design bridged the gap between menswear and streetwear long before it was trendy.
Juicy Couture -
Juicy Couture is a casualwear and dress clothing brand based in Arleta, Los Angeles, California. Juicy Couture has turned into a global seller with their signature velour tracksuits and other fashions that span clothing, handbags, shoes, intimates, swimwear, fragrance, accessories, sunglasses, yoga and babywear.
Ed Hardy -
Don Ed Hardy is an American tattoo artist born in Newport Beach, California, known for his tattoos, strong influence in the development of modern tattoo styles, and his eponymous apparel and accessories brand. At its core, Ed Hardy is an alternative lifestyle fashion brand that celebrates the classic American tattoo as an art form. Their mission is to stay true to the essence of Don Ed Hardy's original inspiration for his art and celebrate its history and beauty by creating dynamic apparel and related lifestyle products.
Adidas -
Adidas AG is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the world, after Nike. The company is working every day to inspire and enable people to harness the power of sport in their lives.
Baby Phat -
Launched in 1999, Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons was the original streetwear brand designed solely for women. Worn by artists and models such as Lil’ Kim, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Naomi Campbell, Britney Spears, Christy Turlington and others, the brand was seamlessly interwoven into the culture, music and lifestyle of its era with an unforgettable mix of glam and fabulosity. Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons skyrocketed in presence, becoming a global brand that gave voice to a generation of young women who had never seen themselves represented in fashion before. Baby Phat pioneered a more authentic version of streetwear that still resonates today
Rocawear -
Rocawear is an American clothing retailer based in New York. It was created in 1999 by Roc-A-Fella Records co-founders Damon Dash and Shawn Carter (mostly known for his artistic name, Jay-Z). Rocawear expanded through licensing to sell affordable clothes for children and juniors; socks and sandals; leather, suede, and fur outerwear; handbags and belts; lounge wear; big and tall; headwear; jewelry; and sunglasses; as well as co-branded product with Pro-Keds, State Property, and Team Roc.
Enyce -
Enyce is an American hip hop fashion label owned by Sean Diddy Combs. The label was established in New York City in March 1996 by Evan Davis, Lando Macoun, and Tony Shellman. The three co-founders had originally met while working for Seattle-based clothing brand International News. Many have mispronounced the brand name over the years. The pronunciation originates from the phonetic spelling of "NYC" (en-y-ce) but sounded out in an Italian fashion. This was because the company started under Fila, an Italian-based company. Employees asked how they would pronounce the word replied "en-ne-che", making it the "correct" way to say the brand.
Karl Kani -
Growing up in Brooklyn Kani's style was inspired by Hip-Hop and street culture; apparel in this aesthetic was nowhere to be found. Without adequate clothing options, 16-year old Williams decided to make his own clothes. Friends and strangers took notice of his unique threads, and Williams soon began taking orders. He yearned to take this hobby to the next level and would ask himself the question, “Can I do it?” With more and more demand from the public for his wares, he gained the confidence to move forward. He eventually answered that incessant question, “Yes I can,” and committed himself to the challenge by legally changing his name to Karl Kani. In 1989, under his new moniker, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue this passion more seriously.
Today the Karl Kani brand has spread internationally throughout 25 countries in Europe and 13 flagship stores in Japan, including one in Harajuku, and unlike many other high-end brands Karl Kani has stayed true to his label. His passion for quality, design and craftsmanship has meant that, Kani continues to produce all his garments in the US.
Fila -
Fila gained global attention for its instantly recognisable tennis apparel in the 1970s, and has since expanded their design portfolio to include sporting apparel across a wide range of codes including golf, training, running and compression wear. While their technical processes are at the forefront of sporting design, the brand remains true to its time-honoured European aesthetic and outfits professional artists and athletes from around the world.
Diamond Supply Co. -
Diamond Supply Co. was founded in 1998 when Nicholas Tershay (aka Nick Diamond) created a skateboard hardware line from his one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco. In 2000, Nick moved to Los Angeles and began building Diamond Supply Co. in Mike Carroll and Rick Howard's legendary Girl Skateboards distribution house - soon growing Diamond Supply Co. to a full range of skateboard hard and soft goods including bolts, bearings, t-shirts, fleece, accessories and more. Having a strong aesthetic and a commitment for creating high quality goods, Diamond Supply Co. was quickly embraced by skate and street fashion communities alike.
In 2005, Nike Skateboarding asked Nick Diamond to design his own signature Diamond Nike SB Dunk which quickly became one of the most sought-after sneakers and hailed as one of the greatest Nike SB's of all-time by esteemed publications and sneaker collectors alike.
10.Deep -
10.Deep is an independent, street fashion brand founded in 1995. Springing out of the mix of niche musical and visual subcultures that fueled the New York / Tokyo / London streetwear scene of the 1990s. Founded and led by Scott Sasso since 1995, 10.Deep embodies the spirit of independence that has driven youth culture for decades.