A/W-2024-25

How Streetwear Evolved: The Journey from Subculture to Mainstream

The fashion landscape is ever-changing with trends setting in and leaving before you can even notice. However, in this fashion landscape, few trends leave a deep impact and continue to reinvent themselves. Once helmed as a specialised urban subculture, streetwear has become a major player in the global fashion market. From being a staple for athletes and hip-hop stars to making its way to mainstream fashion, streetwear has travelled places. In this blog, let us look at the history of streetwear fashion and learn about its fascinating journey in the fashion world.

What is Streetwear?

Streetwear is a unique fashion trend that emerged in urban settings of erstwhile America, fusing aspects of comfortable, casual apparel with elements of skateboarding, hip-hop, and other subcultures. Since its inception in the latter half of the 20th century, streetwear has come to represent individuality, creativity, and self-expression.

Streetwear, which frequently includes oversized silhouettes, graphic tees, hoodies, sneakers, and baseball caps, is fundamentally about comfort and functionality.

Streetwear Fashion History

From having its roots in the underground world to making it high-fashion, streetwear has been a testament to its cultural significance. Today streetwear has a cult following among the young. Let’s reflect on its past.

The Birth of Streetwear

The origin of streetwear can be linked to the thriving urban hip-hop, skateboarding, and graffiti cultures of the 1970s and 1980s in the USA. These subcultures created their distinct looks, frequently combining items like sneakers, oversized hoodies, and graphic tees.

It all began when some young folks in California began dressing in skate-culture-inspired casual wear. These outfits were practical, comfy, and resilient to the physical strain of skateboarding. Since these garments were not easily found in mainstream retailers at the time, skaters started designing their looks.

The popularity of these garment pieces lay in the fact that these clothes were practical and useful. However, soon streetwear came to represent rebellion and identity.

Streetwear in the Early 1980s

Streetwear fashion became even more popular in the early 1980s as hip-hop and rap music gained popularity. Fans took to the oversized t-shirts, loose-fitting pants, and sneakers worn by artists such as Run-DMC and LL Cool J. The look, which came to be known as "athletic streetwear," gained popularity in American cities quickly.

The Influence of Graffiti on Streetwear Fashion

Streetwear fashion history is deeply influenced by graffiti. The bold colours, patterns, and typography that graffiti artists frequently experimented with were incorporated into fashion as a matter of self-expression.

Many young people found solace in the rebellious spirit of graffiti so they turned to streetwear as a means of expressing their non-conformity.

SkateBoard Culture and Streetwear

Skateboarding in the US is more than just a sport - it is a way of life and a way to defy social expectations. This spirit of rebellion is what brought streetwear and skate culture together to create a unique fashion aesthetic that valued comfort, functionality, and individuality. While exploring the streetwear fashion history you can never undermine the influence of skateboarding in shaping streetwear.

To survive the demands of skateboarding, skateboarders required clothing that was flexible and long-lasting. As a result, sturdy sneakers, hoodies, graphic tees, and loose-fitting jeans became popular. Because of their durability and traction, streetwear became synonymous with skate culture and is still a favourite among skaters even today.

Streetwear in 1990s

By the 1990s streetwear was already popular and being sported by music stars and sports stars. As streetwear had emerged as a symbol of rebellion and individuality, for the first time, a subculture was influencing mainstream fashion.

The distinction between high fashion and streetwear became increasingly hazy as a result of luxury fashion brands starting to include elements of streetwear in their collections.

The Advent of Streetwear Brands

With popularity surging high, many streetwear brands became popular including Supreme, and Stussy, in the USA and BAPE (A Bathing Ape) in Japan.

James Jebbia established Supreme in 1994 as a skate shop, and it soon became well-known for its limited-edition drops and partnerships with other companies and artists

Founded by Nigo in 1993, BAPE combined Western influences with distinctive, striking designs to give streetwear a distinctly Japanese viewpoint.

These brands introduced creative designs to meet the increasing demand for streetwear. Their popularity cleared the path for streetwear to become widely accepted and validated as a fashion option.

The Globalization of Streetwear Fashion

Streetwear and luxury fashion have become synonymous in recent years, giving rise to "luxury streetwear" brands. The rise of demand for luxury streetwear in India has given birth to several brands that combine premium materials, fine craftsmanship, and premium pricing with the streetwear aesthetic. A larger audience, including celebrities and fashion-forward people, has been drawn to luxury streetwear.