Streetwear is so much more than fashion. At its core, it emerged from the outskirts of skate parks, hip-hop clubs, and spray- painted urban landscapes where people in this scene dressed and played outside the confines of conventional fashion. However, the past three decades have seen streetwear transition from an underground subculture to the center of global fashion, something that was eerie and niche now inhabits the high-fashion runways, inspires luxury fashion houses, and represents the everyday looked of millions of people around the world.
Sources like WorldFashionNews highlight how quickly this transition happens, implicitly analyzing the relationship between celebrity outfits, collaborations, cultural touchpoints, and how an underground “thing” is turned into an ephemeral moment and then into the mainstream fashion canon. These moments today include a Balenciaga look for Kim Kardashian or Hailey Bieber wearing an oversized blazer, highlighted by today’s cultural icons and shown constantly to the public, reinterpreting looks, and fashion fans connecting with these moments of style all over the globe.
Streetwear as a form of identity can be traced as far back as the late 1980s to the early 1990s. In New York City, hip-hop artists were adopting oversized silhouettes and bold logos into their culture. In Los Angeles, skateboarders and surfers embraced not only casual, functional wear, but clothing that represented their culture and active lifestyle. Streetwear was never about fashion per se — it constructed belonging to a community or culture that operated outside of conventional fashion. Selecting certain brands or graphics meant aligning yourself with a particular scene and cultivating a philosophy.
Over time, culture blurred, and luxury fashion houses that resisted street culture at first found benefits in drawing influence from it. Logos, sneakers, and hoodies drifted in from the streets to the catwalk. Collaborations between heritage brands and streetwear labels were a natural next step in exploring authenticity and cultural significance in fashion. The blurring of high and low created a new kind of exclusivity — not from haute couture fashion shows and gowns, but from limited sneaker drops and collectible hoodies.
As we think about the takeover of streetwear in mainstream culture, one brand cannot be missed Supreme. Launched in 1994 as a small skate shop in New York City, Supreme learned how to create a hype cycle of scarcity through the release of limited items. Today, the red-box logo is arguably one of the most recognizable logos in the world, communicating both underground cool and luxury status. Whether it’s a collaboration with Louis Vuitton or Nike, Supreme is the quintessential brand in dictating how streetwear can not only pervade, but define culture itself.
Of course, the other behemoth in this story is Nike. While Nike is more of a sportswear brand, the brand has, for almost its entire existence, been aligned with street style as well. From Air Jordans in the ’80s, to Dunks and Air Force 1s today, Nike has been symbolic of streetwear and the space between performance and day-to-day style.
Its collaborations with famous designers and artists are unique to streetwear, and serve to remind us that sneakers are more than an accessory; they are, and continue to be, a cultural commentary. The impact of streetwear is also due to public figures who navigate the spectrum of performance-based style and their own style. Artists like A$AP Rocky and Travis Scott, pop musicians like Rihanna, and athletes like LeBron James are among the public figures who incorporate aspects of streetwear that made them aspirational to their fans. These public figures bring streetwear from niche communities into a global context and indicate that authenticity and individuality are more important than ever in the current fashion landscape.
Celebrity endorsement is important, but so too is digital culture. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok influence the hype cycle of streetwear, creating instantaneous community buzz around the latest drop or styling hack. What has changed is the democratization of visibility — allowing access at different levels. Exclusivity may spur passion and demand, but accessibility means no one is barred from participation, even if that means they don’t get the latest Supreme drop and instead enjoy the quality of basics.
Similarly, consumers are becoming more thoughtful about not only what brands to support, but also where their garments are made. In many ways, this is informing streetwear’s next phase, as brands from Re/Done jeans to sustainably sourced cotton for streetwear giants like Jordan Brand and Nike adapt to consumer expectations. Beyond the marketing hype, one concept that could shape the future of streetwear is responsibility; the movement takes on another meaning where our clothing choices are not merely about style, but about values.
The transformation of streetwear from subculture into the mainstream is a testament to the fashion system’s ability to evolve and absorb influences from the streets, music, and culture at large. What started as the uniform of outsiders has become the language of the masses, paving the way for us to define how we dress, how we express ourselves, and how we connect with each other. Brands like Supreme and Nike continue shaping the conversation, ensuring streetwear is not only a trend but a permanent part of the global fashion dialogue.