Streetwear, a blend of comfort, culture, and style, has transformed the fashion landscape.
In this article, we delve into 15 original streetwear brands critical to street culture, ranging from time-honored labels to the latest underground sensations.
In a rare blend of urban culture, contemporary art, and stylistic innovation, each streetwear label in this article represents a unique ethos and vibe.
Whether you’re a dedicated streetwear enthusiast or new to the scene, these are the OG streetwear names you need to look authentic and redefine the boundaries of style.
1. Supreme
Founded in 1994 in New York’s SoHo neighborhood, Supreme is the OG streetwear brand and a name that has revolutionized the urban clothing scene.
By collaborating with high-end designer brands and top fashion brands like Rolex and Louis Vuitton, Supreme has etched its name into streetwear history.
Over the years, the brand has been endorsed by Kanye West, Travis Scott, and Mike Tyson, making Supreme globally recognizable as an expensive and desired name.
2. Off-White
Based in Milan, Italy, Off-White is the brainchild of Virgil Abloh – one of the best fashion designers of all time.
The streetwear brand is one of the labels responsible for the contemporary streetwear shake-up.
Appointed as the creative director of Louis Vuitton, Abloh was considered one of the most influential figures in fashion.
Ever since, Off-White’s designer streetwear pieces have been making waves on the couture runways and streets with their bold prints, ironic tags, and high-profile collaborations.
Arguably the engine behind the streetwear’s take on the luxury segment, Off-White is now gracing London Fashion Week’s runways and the backs of hype beasts.
Abloh’s melding of culture and couture has birthed a streetwear name known for innovative, forward-thinking, and distinctive designs.
3. Stussy
No conversation on the contemporary streetwear scene is complete without paying tribute to Stussy.
Credited as the original streetwear label, Stussy began as a small graphic tee brand in 1980.
After generating a lot of buzz with his tees, The California surfer Shawn Stussy – the label founder – has expanded his design to include surf and skate apparel.
Although Stussy, the designer, is no longer involved with the brand, its label offers top merch, including a rare selection of camp-collar shirts.
Modern Stussy is a driving force in the streetwear couture scene by providing forward-thinking designs while always remaining true to its Californian roots.
4. Noah NYC
What do you do when you hit your mid-twenties and start to wonder whether or not you should still be rocking an oversized hoodie and Air Jordans at your age?
Of course, you start shopping at Noah NYC!
Hailing from New York, US, Noah was launched by Brendon Babenzian, a talented design director who worked for Supreme for over a decade.
Compared to Supreme, Noah has a slightly preppier take on the freewheeling skater aesthetic he helped make a look in the first place.
Last year, Noah collaborated with Adidas and revived classic streetwear shoes.
Noah has everything, from corduroy caps and collegiate sweats to Oxford shirts and tailoring with a twist, and, according to Brenden Babenzien, Noah is streetwear for grown-ups.
5. Repose Japan
Born in the vibrant heart of Shibuya, Tokyo, REPOSE JAPAN is a streetwear clothing brand renowned for its unique blend of urban elegance and tranquil design.
Embracing the principle of YUGEN, REPOSE JAPAN’s creations are bold statements that pay homage to those daring to live and sense differently.
Each piece is a testament to the brand’s ethos of disruption and creativity, designed to challenge fashion norms and social conventions.
6. Vetements
Hailing from Zurich, Switzerland, Vetements was founded by Demna Gvasalia, a Georgian fashion maverick who now sits at the helm of Balenciaga,
The luxury brand proves streetwear has thoroughly infiltrated the once-exclusive world of high fashion.
Recognized as one of the top fashion brands for its innovative and highly diverse designs, Vetements has taken runway couture and brought it to streetwear chic.
Vetements’ streetwear pieces are as divisive as they come.
The label is known for causing a stir in the broader culture through ironic designs and tongue-in-cheek garments.
Remember that DHL T-shirt ticketed for over £300? Fashion or farse? You decide.
7. Palace
If someone asks which streetwear brand is most popular in the UK, the answer is Palace.
With a proper British style, even though it was launched in 2009, Palace has made a good name in streetwear couture.
Lev Tanju started the cheeky, subversive label to become Supreme’s spiritual successor (the brand’s US stores were some of Palace’s first stockists).
However, the British brand has a take on skate culture that’s all of its own.
Within the next ten years after its launch, Palace has become the UK’s most prominent skateboarding and streetwear label.
A skate label with a sense of humor (not to mention a knack for whipping hypebeasts into a frenzy), Palace has been putting the UK firmly on the streetwear map since 2010.
After taking cues from sportswear kings – Adidas and Reebok, Palace’s logo has become one of the most recognizable signifiers and has achieved a hype level similar to its transatlantic counterpart, Supreme.
The USP of Palace is its sporty aesthetic; think tracksuits, baseball caps, and the occasional snakeskin loafer and smoking crop jacket thrown in the mix, too.
8. Heron Preston
Heron Preston, a founding music and fashion collective member, followed in his fellow members’ footsteps, Virgil Abloh and Matthew Williams, and launched his namesake streetwear label.
Since launching HPC Trading Co. in 2016, Preston’s brand has become known for its genre-bending and unpredictable streetwear designs.
Heron Preston’s label has become one of the most influential forces in contemporary fashion while retaining a cult-like status.
Think oversized cuts, quirky motifs, and signature bright orange branding.
9. Carhartt WIP
Who’d have thought that a brand set up to equip the blue-collar workers of North America in the 1800s would one day mutate into every streetwear aficionado’s go-to label for urban wardrobe essentials?
Carhartt WIP (WIP = Work In Progress) is the cooler European cousin of Detroit’s workwear stalwart Carhartt.
Since the sub-label launched in 1994, it has transformed the brand from a purveyor of grubby overalls to the backbone of all the “coolest kids” clothing collections.
Combining the rugged quality of heritage Carhartt with an eye for contemporary design, WIP has earned a spot as one of the world’s greatest streetwear brands.
If you hail from the States, you may still think of Carhartt as a workwear brand.
However, the label’s UK division is perceived as a streetwear staple, quickly being recognized all over Europe.
Moreover, its English version differs from its American cousin in its streamlined silhouettes.
The UK label also features more contemporary streetwear cuts with a skate-centric direction.
10. BAPE (A Bathing Ape)
BAPE is one of the most famous Original Gangster players in the Japanese streetwear movement.
Founded in Ura-Harajuku, Tokyo, in 1993 by Nigo (real name Tomoaki Nagao), A Bathing Ape (or BAPE) has become known as the place to go for, especially if you’re after off-kilter streetwear with a Japanese touch.
DJ and fashion designer BAPE’s founder is a cult figure.
His obsession with sneakers, toys, and in-your-face graphics has seen his label become one of the most recognizable streetwear brands.
BAPE’s quirky and colorful shark hoodies with eccentric design motifs gained tremendous popularity and symbolized alternative street fashion.
Nigo’s bright, multi-colored camouflage prints and shark hoodies zip right up over the wearer’s face are extraordinarily well-received in men’s streetwear fashion.
The use of bold design motifs has made the label popular with teenage hypebeasts worldwide, while older streetwear fanatics tend to stay clear.
If you’re searching for a killer streetwear brand with some Japanese fusion, A Bathing Ape should be at the top of your checklist.
11. Billionaire Boys Club
Founded by Pharrell Williams, it’s no surprise Billionaire Boys Club earned its status as a streetwear legend so quickly.
With ‘outer space’ significantly influencing many designs, Pharrell has been known to source materials directly from NASA.
The brand has a playful, colorful, unique, and all-around relaxed effect, while some looks are straight out of the 90s fashion.
Sk8thing, the brains behind Cav Empt, designed the brand’s logo.
The label markets rare collections of tees, jackets, and hoodies.
Pharrell also launched a sister label, Icecream, which houses women’s streetwear.
12. Comme Des Garcons Play
Comme des Garçons is a Japanese fashion house renowned for outlandish designs and bizarre runway shows.
However, the label’s Play imprint is known for quite the opposite.
Featuring the iconic bug-eyed heart logo, CDG Play’s output instead focuses on simple staple items like Breton tops, hoodies, and logo tees.
There’s also a long-running collaborative effort with Converse.
The Converse collaboration has seen Rei Kawakubo’s brand put its stamp on the Chuck Taylor All-Star 70.
It has also created one of the most popular streetwear shoes in the process!
13. WTAPS
Hard-to-pronounce names are ten a penny in the fashion world, and if you thought streetwear would be any different, you’d be sadly mistaken.
According to the Japanese label’s creators, WTAPS is pronounced ‘double taps.’
However, we’re not quite sure where they got that from.
WTAPS comes from a military term that pretty much means kill shot, and the aesthetic is much simpler than its name suggests.
But the brand’s name isn’t the only thing military-inspired.
The label features baggy cuts, soldiery workwear influences, and Japanese utilitarian styling.
Think of army green cargo pants and loose-fitting hoodies in a modern preppy style.
14. A Cold Wall
When considering British brands, heritage names come to mind instead of genre-bending Haute streetwear.
But that’s set to change with London-based A-Cold-Wall going from strength to strength in recent years.
Designer Samuel Ross’s trailblazing imprint straddles the line that divides avant-garde and wearable, earning him nods from several industry heavyweights.
His label’s designs employ utilitarian silhouettes and rare fabrics to create fashion-week-worthy streetwear.
Oh, and he’s not opposed to sending the odd naked model down the runway, either.
A-Cold-Wall has also built a reputation as a genre-bending brand by merging the lines between high-end couture and street-style casual wear.
15. Undercover
Undercover‘s weirdly wonderful designs and next-level graphic print T-shirts made it a pillar of the ultra-hip Ura-Harajuku scene in ’90s Tokyo.
Nowadays, Undercover is one of the most respected fashion-leaning labels in streetwear and a favorite among those in the know.
When he was younger, the brand’s founder, Jun Takahashi, was profoundly influenced by the UK punk scene, which inspired some of his most daring designs.
Aside from that, Undercover produces fashion-forward luxury sportswear in collaboration with Nike under the Gyakusou name.
Launched in Tokyo during the 90s, Undercover has become the industry’s most prominent and respected streetwear label.
The staples of Undercover are quirky tees splashed with over-the-top printed graphics.
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After years of managing hundreds of fashion brands from London's office of a global retailer, Mandy has ventured into freelancing. Connected with several fashion retailers and media platforms in the US, Australia, and the UK, Mandy uses her expertise to consult for emerging fashion brands create top-notch content as an editorial strategist for several online publications.
One of the most informative posts I have ever seen about streetwear brands. And many thanks for sharing with us lots of fashion tips on how to dress and look great with streetwear clothes.
Wonderful collection of streetwear! I like those websites with streetwear girl styles, in particular. I see streetwear brands are having more clothes for women & unisex now!
Everybody is asking for Japanese and American streetwear brands, but very few know that there are lots of Asian super streetwear labels as well
A dope outfit for gals: Belt/chain, just thrift it at RealReal of Goodwill! Platforms and cargo pants from dolls kill (super edgy street style online store).
The best streetwear brand is Lucid (https://www.lucid777.com/). Super dope designs & affordable. Another great thing about Lucid is the guy who runs it, Niko, is an amazing guy. Had an item damaged in the post and asked for a replacement. He told me instead of a return to keep it (barely damaged) and he’d send another! Now I’m a frequent buyer…
Underground streetwear is the future of fashion, here are some of the best streetwear brands you might want to know more about!
Rick Owens
Damir Doma
Maurizio Amadei (MA+)
Yohji Yamamoto
Sruli Recht
Thamanyah *
Kuboraum
Tatsuro Horikawa (Julius) *
Boris Bidjan Saberi
InAisce
Neil Barrett
Alexandre Plokhov
Ann Demeulemeester
Kris Van Assche
Rad Hourani
Yohan Serfaty
Alexander Fielden
Guidi
Daniel Andresen
Cedric Jacquemyn
Gareth Pugh
Individualsentiments
Haider Ackermann
Tobias Wistisen
Munoz Vrandecic
This, this! Gold star comment, Samira, so many brands here that I love (didn’t know half of them) so thank you a million for sharing this!
Supreme always looks nice but to me, streetwear can’t have a $1200 price tag just some plaid shorts.
The title states “(Underground and Upcoming)” but you’ve included brands like Nike, Adidas, and Supreme. Do you know that the mega-corporation that owns Supreme also owns Dickeys and a bunch of other footwear and athleisure companies? I am not sure you understand what’s the meaning of underground in streetwear branding.
Here is a list of underground streetwear names I know and love, to get you started:
The Legits – https://thelegits.com/
Panic 39 – https://panic39.com/
Siplean – https://www.sipleanclothing.com/
Bofresco – https://bofresco.com/
Cypher Code – https://cypher-code-japan.com/
GStyle – https://www.gstyleclothing.com/
Ghetto Fresh – https://ghettofresh.bigcartel.com/
Wildstyle Technicians – http://www.wildstyletechnicians.com/
Forget Never – https://www.forgetneverclothing.com/
Dyzee Threadz – https://dyzeethreadz.com/
Drumz – https://drumzbrand.com/
Streetwear is supposed to be from the streets, not another corporate conglomerate, especially if we’re going to call them underground.
TRUE – PANIC39 / GHETTOFRESH CLOTHING & WILDSTYLE TECHNICIANS ARE ARE TRUE LA STREETWEAR!!! YOU REALLY KNOW WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT. RESPECT
Is it ok to call or consider luxury names like Balenciaga, Dior, and Louis Vuitton as streetwear-making brands? I know these brands are deeply invested in the current streetwear fashion movement but I am not sure if I’d call them pure streetwear brands like Jaded London, KuroHaku, Represent, etc.
Stussy was underground in the 80s but not now. I agree Palace is underground but super pricey. I love Death and Friends Ltd (http://www.deathnfriends.com or http://www.deathandfriends.co.uk) as I’m a bartender and it has my sense of humour. Plus is way way more affordable than all these but still with good quality and cut.
love all the different and new brands
Another one Your list is missing: http://www.kunst-stoff.studio. A fresh Streetwear label from Berlin / Germany.
lol at streetwear/ urban brands with DAMN NEAR ALL WHITE swagless models smh..LOST