Top 10 Most Iconic Supreme New York Pieces
Supreme New York was founded by James Jebbia in 1994. They opened as a skate shop but doubled as a clothing store in the heart of New York City’s fashion scene. Ever since, Supreme has consistently dropped clothing and other accessories which can rack up some insane value. But what are the most iconic pieces? Well, that is what this list is, so please join me as I rank the 10 most iconic Supreme pieces!
Supreme Cash Cannon
The first entry of the most iconic Supreme pieces is an accessory from 2017, the Supreme Cash Cannon money gun. Costing only $88 and with only 5,000 units made, this item is one of the first pieces that a show-off would buy. I mean, if you are the type who would you a money gun unironically, you probably want the Supreme logo on it for that extra bit of flash. Also, this item is one of the most faked Supreme items, with knock off version littering any discount goods website. All of these factors are why this is the first entry on our list.
Raekwon Photo Tee
Supreme has a tradition of releasing tees that feature a variety of celebrities who are wearing a box logo tee themselves. Several celebrities that have graced Supreme tees range from Neil Young to Kermit The Frog. The very first celebrity tee they released was in 2005 and featured rapper Raekwon, his armed bodyguard, and Elmo. This shirt is a perfect representation of Supremes edginess, but not too edgy. Of every celebrity tee you could get, this one if no doubt the most iconic.
Illegal Business Destroys America
Most iconic Supreme designs feature a reliance on the red box logo, however the IBCA series is one of the most recognized and sought-after lines Supreme ever released. You can either spend hundreds on the original tee which dropped in 2003, or you can spend even more trying to complete the IBCA decks. The complete set of all 4 boards can go for as much as $800. Not too shabby for a few skateboards…
9/11 Relief Box Logo Tee
This spot could be saved for every box logo tee, but for the sense of the list, I chose an incredibly rare piece that has eluded even hardcore collectors. The 9/11 relief tee was released in the spring of 2002 (the first collection after 9/11) and all proceeds went to charity. The box logo features an American flag design, and the back of the shirt features a nearly opaque text saying “Home of the Bravest”. This shirt proves that even a rebellious brand like Supreme has a heart and will take political stances when they deem necessary.
Travis Bickle Tee
The Travis Bickle tee featuring a still from the movie “Taxi Driver” is one of the oldest known Supreme items. This tee was dropped all the way back in 1994 in various colorways. It is impossible to gauge how much these can go for, although the last one I saw for sale (a few years ago) was being sold for over $2200. This is the ultimate of ultimate grail pieces and the grandfather of Supreme tees.
Fuck Em’ Rug
If you have followed Supreme as I have, then you probably know the general vibe of their brand can be summed up in two words… Fuck Em! Supreme released this house rug in 2009, and it has since become a grail piece for many. Supreme rugs are not generally hot pieces for collectors or resellers, but that does not go for this piece.
Brick
This brick is the most iconic Supreme accessory in my opinion, but not necessarily in a good way. There is not a gimmick to this piece, it is literally just a brick with the Supreme logo pressed into it. When it was announced the internet had a field day, with the main criticism being the sheer randomness and uselessness of the item. That didn’t stop it from selling out within minutes of being posted to the website, even at the retail price of $30. This piece is still debated to this day, and I can’t even decide if it is good or bad myself. This piece just proves there’s no such thing as bad press.
Nunchucks
The Supreme nunchucks are easily the most wanted accessory of any. More specifically though, the red supreme nunchucks are deemed by many as the best Supreme accessory ever released. Dropped way back in 2010, they are a pretty standard design, red (or black) grips with the logo branded up each side. This piece goes to show that an item does not need to go above and beyond to be loved.
Box Logo Sticker
Most lists of iconic supreme items will put the box logo sticker at number 1, and it’s a worthy inclusion. Anyone who makes an order from the Supreme website probably has a stack of these stickers somewhere, and that’s because Supreme includes at least one with every order. There are also dozens of collaboration box logo stickers that were designed by collaborators and given away randomly with the purchase of collaboration pieces. My personal favorite box logo stickers of all time are from the Sean Cliver collaboration. These stickers were too explicit to feature on this website, but they have eluded me in all my collecting days, one day though!
2009 Teal Box Logo Hooded Sweatshirt
Any supreme collector probably saw this coming, as the box logo hooded sweatshirt is the most sought after supreme clothing article, hands down. There are tons of different colorways and styles of the box logo hoodie, which varies in price, but the most iconic of all time is the teal colorway from 2009. This item specifically shot to popularity when rapper Tyler, the Creator wore it in the music video for “She” featuring Frank Ocean. This was many people’s (including myself) very first time seeing anything Supreme, and in the years since has been the number one item on most “Want To Buy” lists. Sadly, don’t get your hopes up… unless you have five grand laying around.
There are tons of other items that could easily interchange items on this list depending on the person who writes it. It is literally impossible to rank Supreme items in regards to which is more iconic. This is because every piece here has a back story which only makes the piece more desirable. That being said, I am bound to have forgotten something. So if I did, make sure you let me know in the comments below!
Featured Image Source: https://www.complex.com/style/2018/11/supreme-skate-decks-accessories-collection-worth-over-2-million-inferno-exhibit
Senior at Central State University. Major in Broadcast Media!