What Tremaine Emory's new Supreme looks like A cautious step forward in updating the brand's identity
It's weird, with 2023 underway, to be back discussing Supreme. If the celebrated New York brand at the center of the streetwear hurricane a decade ago was adored to the limits of fanaticism in its day, as trends faded, drops and stores increased, and collective taste turned toward more iconic and less immediately funny/nostalgic pieces, its temperature had plummeted. Sure, the brand's core community never went away (and this allowed Supreme to expand, opening a store in Milan as well and recently one in West Hollywood) but the interest with which it was followed, bought, and discussed was simply not there anymore. Enter Tremaine Emory, appointed as the new artistic director last year, and whose collection was unveiled in the past few days-news that, honestly, with all the hoopla raised by Pharrell and Louis Vuitton this week had risked slipping away from our attention. No less, it would not have been possible to avoid seeing online the photo of the new SS23 lookbook in which appeared the tricot sweater printed with Kurt Cobain's giant face - a piece that, like it or not, aroused the writer's curiosity about the rest of the first collection of Emory's "new" Supreme. His new outing can be described as cautious, lacking in huge reversals but also subtle and guessing enough to give us hope for the return of a pre-decline Supreme.
Bags and accessories also complete the collection. The former are devoid of any particular flair, decorated at best by Mark Gonzalez's artwork found in the rest of the collection (and beautiful too) or presented in the form of tote bags woven in a kind of wink at Bottega Veneta. The accessories are interesting, which, while remaining as quirky as ever, include jewelry by Jacob & Co., ceramics by Bitossi, a porcelain jaguar, three Tamagotchi, and even a Staub pan that, even without Supreme's branding, is amazing if you like to cook. The collection has been talked about by many. Highsnobiety praised its denim garments - an important point because Supreme's denim has never exactly been considered haute de gamme. Having not seen and touched it in person, however, we echo their opinion. Complex did a breakdown of the collection highlighting the various references to Supreme's archives and underground cultural icons such as Frank Miller's Ronin and Divine. Beyond the many analyses that can be made, however, this new Supreme is back to being a good Supreme. There is a way to go to return to the relevance of yesteryear, avoiding the collaborative bulimia of the past-but if anyone can make that way, it is Tremaine Emory.
