(Photo courtesy of GQ Magazine via Pinterest)
Contents
- Downtown Cool Meets Uptown Classic (and It Hit All the Right Notes!)
- The Tease Before the Drop Was Practically Half the Fun!
- Pop-Ups, Sell-Outs, and Global Hype That Refused to Chill
- High Fashion Got a Wake-Up Call — and Supreme Answered It
- The Collab You Love, Without the Price You Hate
- About The Writer
The merging of two powerhouse brands doesn't always equal success, especially when compounded by past courtroom drama. But somehow, the Louis Vuitton x Supreme’s unlikely collab broke every rule, sending ripples across the fashion world and beyond.
Things were rocky between the two titans before they joined forces. In 2000, Supreme took a bold gamble by using the LV print on their products without approval, sparking a legal battle that ended with a swift recall of all unsanctioned items within a fortnight.
From courtroom adversaries to runway allies, the relationship between Louis Vuitton and Supreme evolved dramatically over seventeen years, culminating in a joint collection presented during LV’s Fall-Winter 2017 show in Paris — so much for the idea that past rivals can never be friends.
It’s a milestone that no one saw coming: a perfect collision of Parisian luxury and downtown NYC cool. The fashion compromise? Gone. With this iconic drop, everyone can go high-end and casual all at once — and totally pull it off!
Downtown Cool Meets Uptown Classic (and It Hit All the Right Notes!)
(Photos courtesy of Supreme)
Long admired for its timeless French luxury and detail-driven design, Louis Vuitton saw the need to evolve, particularly to connect with millennials looking for style that felt fresh and genuine. Supreme, already a symbol of street culture, had built its empire on exclusivity and cultural relevance, rooted in the worlds of skate, music, and contemporary art.
Louis Vuitton and Supreme coming together marked a true milestone in the fashion world, merging the elegance of high-end luxury with the raw energy of street culture in a way that reshaped industry boundaries.
James Jebbia founded Supreme in 1994 and has stayed hands-on ever since, turning the SoHo label into a streetwear icon that nails everything from clothes to skateboards.
Once the go-to for rebellious skaters and downtown cool kids, Supreme has started to draw a broader, more unexpected crowd. With new locations in London, Tokyo, and Paris, it’s become a name that resonates from street corners to fashion week front rows — especially after its headline-making collab with Louis Vuitton in Paris.
On the other hand, Louis Vuitton has always catered to a more upscale, bourgeois crowd. The brand’s roots go back to 1854, when Louis Vuitton opened his workshop in Paris as a trunk maker. His craftsmanship quickly caught the attention of the city’s elite, and while trunks were the original draw, the house has since expanded into celeb-favorite bags and full-blown ready-to-wear collections.
At first glance, the two brands seemed worlds apart — one spoke to tradition, the other to defiance. But as fashion started to evolve in the 21st century, so did the rules. Supreme had the cultural pull, Vuitton had the heritage, and what they created together was a blend so rare, it instantly became something everyone wanted a piece of.
Ironically, Supreme's most significant clash with luxury fashion began with Louis Vuitton’s cease-and-desist order in the 2000s. Tensions between the two brands boiled over when Louis Vuitton took legal action against Supreme for releasing a skate deck wrapped in its iconic monogram.
But Supreme had already become a staple in the wardrobe of Kim Jones, LV’s former artistic director. In a now-deleted Instagram post, Jones gave a subtle nod to the brand, showing a Supreme sticker layered over the house’s classic leather design.
With such distinct followings and a not-so-friendly legal past, a collaboration between Supreme and Louis Vuitton once felt like a total long shot. But once the collab was in motion, it all fell into place.
(Photo courtesy of WWD)
James Jebbia genuinely enjoyed collaborating with Kim Jones on everything from skateboard trunks and backpacks to shirts, jackets, gloves, and bandannas. The joy was real on both sides — and it showed.
Jones has made it clear he’s a big fan of Supreme’s crowd. “When you see the lines for Supreme in New York or London, you see so many different types of people, and they are people you can relate to — they understand high-low, they’re smart, they’re intelligent, and they’re humorous,” he said. “They know what they want, and they are very loyal — and a customer who is loyal is a real aspiration for anybody with a brand.”
The collab with LV pulled back the curtain in just the right way, giving fashion insiders a rare look into Supreme’s usually closed-off world, where everything moves fast, feels real, and comes together with effortless precision.
The Tease Before the Drop Was Practically Half the Fun!
(Photo courtesy of @fedez)
The seeds of the collaboration were sown well before the official announcement. Long before the collection hit the runway, the fashion world was abuzz with rumors about a Supreme and Louis Vuitton partnership. The speculation ramped up when James Jebbia attended the LV Spring-Summer 2017 show, sparking immediate online chatter about a potential collab.
Adding intrigue, Kim Jones, who has a well-documented passion for streetwear, once worked in college unpacking boxes for the very company that brought Supreme into the U.K.
Not so long before the big reveal, a vague snapshot of a Louis Vuitton knit adorned with the Supreme logo made its rounds online, instantly igniting excitement among fashion enthusiasts. The buzz intensified when A$AP Bari posted on his Instagram story wearing a piece that resembled a Supreme x Louis Vuitton bandana, virtually sealing the deal on the rumors.
The collection's release strategy was meticulously planned to maximize exclusivity and hype. The grand reveal of the Supreme x Louis Vuitton collaboration brought with it the unveiling of a full suite of luxurious items, from designer bags and ultra-cool shirts to a unique skate deck with a Louis Vuitton trunk, capped off with the official co-branded label box logo tee.
It was a moment that had the fashion world on edge—an ambitious collection merging the best of Supreme’s streetwear DNA and Louis Vuitton’s luxury.
Supreme’s bold, red and white logo was prominently displayed alongside Louis Vuitton’s iconic monogram on products ranging from apparel to accessories, including hoodies, jackets, belts, and backpacks.
One of the standout items was the box logo T-shirt, which became an instant must-have for every fashion enthusiast. The box logo made its first appearance in 1994, marking Supreme’s entry into the NYC scene. With its crisp white text set in a red box, it quickly grew into one of the most recognizable icons in streetwear history.
Louis Vuitton’s refined touch over Supreme’s street-savvy box logo created the ultimate mash-up: class with rebellion, luxe with relaxed, and French fashion with New York attitude.
Pop-Ups, Sell-Outs, and Global Hype That Refused to Chill
(Photo courtesy of Billboard)
The launch of the collection saw unprecedented lines outside Louis Vuitton stores and pop-up locations worldwide, with pieces selling out almost instantly.
Cities like Paris, Tokyo, and L.A. got their own pop-ups packed with stock — though the hype was so real, showing up early was the smartest move you could make!
Online reactions came in fast and loud. Reviews and social feeds were full of disbelief that Supreme and Louis Vuitton had actually merged their worlds into single, standout items.
The Supreme x LV collab turned out to be a financial jackpot for both fashion giants, driving major sales and skyrocketing their visibility. More than that, it raised the bar for how luxury labels partner with streetwear to stay in tune with the modern crowd.
High Fashion Got a Wake-Up Call — and Supreme Answered It
(Photos courtesy of WWD)
Beyond its commercial success, the Louis Vuitton x Supreme collaboration marked a turning point in fashion culture. It blurred the once-clear line between luxury and streetwear, challenging long-held ideas about exclusivity and access.
This unlikely duo represented a significant shift in fashion paradigms, showing that luxury could blend with streetwear's laid-back edge without compromising identity. It showcased how strong brand synergy and an understanding of shifting consumer tastes can redefine what high fashion looks like (in this case, superb!).
More importantly, it acknowledged streetwear’s powerful role in shaping high fashion and laid the groundwork for more inclusive, boundary-pushing partnerships in the future.
The collaboration played a significant role in each brand’s journey, while also making a bold industry statement about the need to embrace change and think outside the box.
Building on the momentum of past collabs, Louis Vuitton continued to push creative boundaries by partnering with renowned Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Famed for her iconic polka dots and immersive installations, Kusama joined forces with the French house to create the unique Infinite Possibilities collection.
For Supreme, the collab wasn’t just a high-fashion flex — it was a defining moment that elevated the brand’s status in the luxury space. Just months later, in October 2017, the Carlyle Group stepped in with a deal that valued Supreme at about $1 billion.
The move put James Jebbia in the balancing act of protecting the brand’s underground appeal while steering it toward global expansion.
The Collab You Love, Without the Price You Hate
(Photo courtesy of @djkhaled)
With Louis Vuitton behind the label, the collab with Supreme skips the usual streetwear price tag and steps straight into high-end territory. Why not indeed? With that head-turning fusion of New York edge and Paris refinement, the luxurious price tag feels like a pretty fair trade.
Still, if you're trying to keep things budget-friendly, ZenLuxe offers authentic, second-hand Supreme x LV items that won’t strain your finances.
What’s great about buying luxury pieces secondhand is that quality isn’t a concern. Labels like Supreme and Louis Vuitton craft their pieces to last, with top-tier materials and expert craftsmanship to ensure they handle long years of wear.
At ZenLuxe, you can browse a curated selection of original secondhand pieces from the two labels, whether you’re after their individual styles or iconic collab items. And if you’re in the mood to explore, you’ll find tons of other discounted designer gems that every shopping addict needs to check out.
Your dream wardrobe is just one click away at ZenLuxe — and from there, your items will be carefully packaged by our professionals and swiftly delivered right to your doorstep!
About The Writer
Meet Mariam — a fashion writer who lives and breathes all things vogue and glamour. For her, the most therapeutic aspect of fashion goes beyond simply shopping for the latest styles that appear in stores; it’s fully experiencing this glamorous world from the little details to the big moments (there's nothing quite like the thrill of flipping through a sleek fashion magazine, is there?).
